Lenten Writing Project Reboot 2020! Writers' Reflections in the Wilderness of Lent
Monday, March 9, 2015
Prayer Warriors
Lenten Writing Prompt # 14 Write about a time when you prayed a really strong or intense
prayer. What happened? Do you feel like it was answered in the way
you expected? What are your reflections about that experience?
I was a young man late in high school when a friend invited me to a prayer meeting where people might speak in tongues. She was cute and I was curious and the meeting was up near Chicago. Why yes, I’d love to go!
We went with her older brother and her parents. It was a large room and thirty of us sat in circle and sure enough soon after the prayers began someone began to speak in words I had never heard. No one was afraid because… I suppose… we were praying.
Part of it was interpreted by another pray-er. Some of it was just a prayer. Then we sang some songs and it was over. She asked me afterwards what I thought. I didn’t know – so that’s what I told her, and I told her I was glad I came – because I was.
I respected the gift though it wasn’t mine. I honored the pray-er – although my gifts were different. I honored my curiosity – its own gift of wonder.
And I have been a friend to many people with a variety of gifts for many delightful years.
"May I speak to the woman of the house?" I was 12 or 13 but knew the telemarketer was asking for me. I lived with two or three or four of my brothers and my dad in the castoff parsonage of a church. It was rent free for the willingness to keep one bedroom free for the money counters on Sunday, the living room for the nursery, and the basement available for the scouts during the week. One of those years the high school dropped off the thanksgiving basket of food at our house. My dad would bring home bums who had no place to sleep, just to keep us mindful. The parochial school I attended was on the other side of the church, leaving me too visible for a shy pubescent kid. Pity was something I anticipated, so I denied most people entry into my life.
At night in the quiet and solitary darkness of my room I would crawl into the lap of God, weep, and find peace.
It's hard to pick one as there have been many times I have sensed clear answers, and there are times, no matter how earnestly I pray, I don't. I was going up for Communion one Good Friday after silently praying, "I can't go on like this, Lord, I just can't" and heard within me "You don't have to--alone."' and others when I quit frantically trying to find "solutions" to fix the breaks in threads of my life and said, "I can't handle this, I just can't. I don't know what to do." And in awhile, something shifts, changes or I get an idea of where to look, and suddenly, there's a resource in front of me I hadn't seen or considered." And often I find when something is coming at me, it's up to me to hit it, duck, walk away, or stand and take it; but I know there's someone with me. There was a time when I'd been praying that I could connect with my brother whom I hadn't heard from for several years and it wasn't happening. Then I thought about some of my motivation and prayed, "I'd just like to know if he's all right." Shortly thereafter, I got a phone call at 6:00 a.m. and when I answered a woman asked my name and told me she just wanted me to know my brother was all right." I almost dropped the phone.
My Mother lies on the hospital bed tossing in the dark moaning and crying softly, in pain neither awake, nor asleep begging for relief There is little I can do for her except listen adjust her blankets and pray
My Mother is 84 years old She has painful pancreatitis and advanced osteoarthritis every bone creaks every vein is tender her skin is paper thin
She calls for her Mother in her sleepless sleep I sing "Silent Night" to her and she calms, momentarily I have never prayed so hard in my life This is all new for me and very frightening
Then, I begin to feel the prayers of all the people who know her and love her My Father, my Sisters, my Daughters It grows and lifts me I feel the Aunts and Uncles, Nieces, Nephews, Cousins and Friends Finally, I can feel the prayers of the many Church Prayer Chains I know she is on, by now It feels like a large, invisible choral symphony, swelling and growing, all around me accompanied by a crowd of angels supporting me gently through all this
I keep vigil by her hospital bed for 9 days only leaving for a few hours each day I truly believe I was able to do this because of the prayer support I received
After 9 days of intense hospitalization, God answers our prayers She is transfered to a smaller hospital for 4 more days of IV treatment, then sent home
This time, she will be OK Thank you God! And thank you Prayer Warriors!
Tongues and Friends
ReplyDeleteI was a young man
late in high school
when a friend invited me to a prayer meeting
where people might speak in tongues.
She was cute
and I was curious
and the meeting was up near Chicago.
Why yes, I’d love to go!
We went with her older brother and her parents.
It was a large room
and thirty of us sat in circle
and sure enough
soon after the prayers began
someone began to speak in words I had never heard.
No one was afraid
because… I suppose… we were praying.
Part of it was interpreted
by another pray-er.
Some of it was just a prayer.
Then we sang some songs and it was over.
She asked me afterwards what I thought.
I didn’t know – so that’s what I told her,
and I told her I was glad I came – because I was.
I respected the gift though it wasn’t mine.
I honored the pray-er – although my gifts were different.
I honored my curiosity – its own gift of wonder.
And I have been a friend to many people
with a variety of gifts
for many delightful years.
"May I speak to the woman of the house?" I was 12 or 13 but knew the telemarketer was asking for me. I lived with two or three or four of my brothers and my dad in the castoff parsonage of a church. It was rent free for the willingness to keep one bedroom free for the money counters on Sunday, the living room for the nursery, and the basement available for the scouts during the week. One of those years the high school dropped off the thanksgiving basket of food at our house. My dad would bring home bums who had no place to sleep, just to keep us mindful. The parochial school I attended was on the other side of the church, leaving me too visible for a shy pubescent kid. Pity was something I anticipated, so I denied most people entry into my life.
ReplyDeleteAt night in the quiet and solitary darkness of my room I would crawl into the lap of God, weep, and find peace.
Oh Gloria! Sorry sad and so very full. Thank you for sharing - I am so moved. Thank you!
DeleteIt's hard to pick one as there have been many times I have sensed clear answers,
ReplyDeleteand there are times, no matter how earnestly I pray, I don't.
I was going up for Communion one Good Friday after silently praying,
"I can't go on like this, Lord, I just can't" and heard within me "You don't have to--alone."' and others when I quit frantically trying to find "solutions" to fix the breaks in threads of my life and said, "I can't handle this, I just can't. I don't know what to do." And in awhile, something shifts, changes or I get an idea of where to look, and suddenly, there's a resource in front of me I hadn't seen or considered."
And often I find when something is coming at me, it's up to me to hit it, duck, walk away, or stand and take it; but I know there's someone with me.
There was a time when I'd been praying that I could connect with my brother whom I hadn't heard from for several years and it wasn't happening. Then I thought about some of my motivation and prayed, "I'd just like to know if he's all right." Shortly thereafter, I got a phone call at 6:00 a.m. and when I answered a woman asked my name and told me she just wanted me to know my brother was all right." I almost dropped the phone.
My Mother lies on the hospital bed
ReplyDeletetossing in the dark
moaning and crying softly, in pain
neither awake, nor asleep
begging for relief
There is little I can do for her
except listen
adjust her blankets
and pray
My Mother is 84 years old
She has painful pancreatitis
and advanced osteoarthritis
every bone creaks
every vein is tender
her skin is paper thin
She calls for her Mother in her sleepless sleep
I sing "Silent Night" to her
and she calms, momentarily
I have never prayed so hard in my life
This is all new for me
and very frightening
Then, I begin to feel the prayers
of all the people who know her and love her
My Father, my Sisters, my Daughters
It grows and lifts me
I feel the Aunts and Uncles, Nieces, Nephews, Cousins and Friends
Finally, I can feel the prayers of the many Church Prayer Chains I know she is on, by now
It feels like a large, invisible choral symphony,
swelling and growing, all around me
accompanied by a crowd of angels
supporting me gently through all this
I keep vigil by her hospital bed for 9 days
only leaving for a few hours each day
I truly believe I was able to do this
because of the prayer support I received
After 9 days of intense hospitalization,
God answers our prayers
She is transfered to a smaller hospital
for 4 more days of IV treatment, then sent home
This time, she will be OK
Thank you God!
And thank you Prayer Warriors!
fHs
Sara