by Mark Weinrich

I want to cultivate
attentiveness for all the gifts
God has placed in and around me.

I want to be alert, 
sensitive to needs, aware 
of the hopeless, the hurting, and hungry.

For my heart and mind
are often numbed by circumstances
oblivious to those with greater needs.

For attentiveness 
with compassion
is the key to mercy, 
the gateway to opportunity.

Lord, help me focus
in this fragmented 
and distorted world
on the people and things
that matter most to You.

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Mark Weinrich lives a creative life as a writer, photographer, musician, and artist—all wrapped together in an outdoorsman. He is a retired pastor and nine-year cancer survivor. His writing and photography have appeared in over 138 news stand, inspirational, and literary publications. He has sold eight children’s books and currently has two fantasy novels on Kindle.