To stretch or not to stretch our hands

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday, Week XVI, Year I in Ordinary Time, 20 July 2021
Exodus 14:21-15:1   ><]]]]*> + <*[[[[><   Matthew 12:46-50

For the second straight day,
you have amazed me, dear loving God
and Father when your words
speak of previous topics I have prayed
and heard from you:  yesterday was about
getting lost that continued our Sunday reflection;
today is the same scene last Friday 
on the memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
when your Son Jesus Christ stretched his hand 
to point at his disciples as his family:

And stretching out his hand
toward his disciples, he said,
"Here are my mother and brothers.
For whoever does the will of my
heavenly Father is my brother,
and sister, and mother."
(Matthew 12:49-50)

Today I wonder, if you would allow
me to be funny and a little naughty
or even dare to ask you like Abraham 
before you burned Sodom and Gomorrah:
What if Moses did not obey you
and refused to stretch out his hand
over the Red Sea?
Would you still part it so the children of Israel
would be able to cross to safety?
Would you still save them, God?
Would you still part the sea
to let the people go?

Please forgive me, Lord
for my silly questions
that sincerely came to me
as I prayed over your words today,
convincing me more than ever 
that even if Moses did not stretch out his hand
 over the sea, dear God,
you would have still saved them
because whether we obey you or not,
you would still love us,
reaching out to us in loving mercy,
even giving us your Son Jesus Christ.

That is your nature, O God:
you are love, you are the perfect Being
always existing, always reaching out;
despite the evil in the world
despite our choosing sin instead of you,
you continue to love us,
forgiving us,
blessing us
because you will forever be
our Father. 

Take away our pride,
fill us with the humility of Christ
who stretched out his hands on the Cross
to restore our relationships
with you and one another, 
forever reminding us
 we are yours,
always loved and cared for
since the beginning
for we are all interconnected
in you our God, our Creator.  Amen.

.