Prayer for America 12/06/05

God, give us the fortitude to bear the long, cold winter days ahead. Keep us in good health as the stiff wind blows through to our bones and the rains pour down unceasingly. Remind us all of the importance of this time of rest for ourselves and for our nation, a time to contemplate the death of old ideas and worn-out ways, a time when the present lies dormant and the future awaits us, full of possibilities. For without the winter, without the time to retreat into ourselves, our homes, and our hearts, we would not be ready to be born anew in spring.