A couple of people that I know and love are going through some rough times right now. Because I love and care about them, their problems are rather heavily on my mind. I worry about them, about the impact their problems will have on their respective families, what will happen, whether they are ok. I don’t live near either of them, so I can’t stop by for a visit, give them hugs, be a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. The “little mother hen” in me hates that, because I just want to magically fix all the problems in the world. As if!
Phone calls and texts are my way of being a listening ear, showing support, and offering (perhaps unsolicited :-)) advice. The other important, actually most important thing I do is to pray for them. They both know that I pray for them because I’ve probably mentioned it during a conversation. They may not know what my prayers are, but I hope that they feel the comfort and calm that I hope my prayers bring.
My prayer life has matured over the years and I have learned from different sources and experiences in life. From strong faith-filled friends, from bible studies, from homilies at Mass, and from reading. My favorite book on prayer, 13 Powerful Ways To Pray by Eamon Tobin was so enlightening. It really matured my prayer life. Some of the important things I learned were to lean on God and let Him determine the way.
That “little mother hen” side of me wants to just fix it, and have things go in a certain way. But that sure isn’t reality, is it? I have zero control over either situation, and frankly, who am I to determine the best outcome for either of them? That can be a hard thing for us to accept. We need to lean on God. And sometimes, when things don’t seem to be going our way, perhaps that’s the lesson that we’re supposed to be learning from the situation. How hard it can be to humble ourselves and ask for His help!
We like to think that we can control every single situation, determine every single outcome, and make things turn out exactly the way we want. But we can’t. We (fortunately) don’t have control over others and can’t determine their actions and reactions. And, how many times in your life have you wished that something had gone a certain way, were disappointed when it didn’t, then later realized that it was probably a good thing that your original wish didn’t come true? That perhaps something better, different than expected, but better, took it’s place?
Which I guess is my long way of getting around to one of the ways I pray. Rather than asking God for a situation to turn out a specific way, I ask for the situation to turn out the best way. I put it in His hands. I ask for His calming presence to be felt in the lives of the people I love. I have faith.
I pray that your heart is open, that you let His calming presence be felt in your life. That whatever is heavy on your mind, the load will be lightened.
Sew Beach Life 