Weekly Reflection - 9/19/2022
St. Mary's Reflection: Geogene Keeler, Vestry Member
Prayers
When I learned that my future grandchild had a problem with his heart three months before he was born, I placed him on St. Mary’s prayer list. The small weekday 7am SMV service I attended prayed up a storm. When he was one day old, he received his first heart pacer. We continued to pray for that first scary year. Today he is a six-foot-four, former star Lacrosse player who turned 30 in May. Prayers work! If he ever needs more prayers, I know who to ask.
How to pray is an ever-changing model in my life. If it’s someone near and dear to me--watch out Jesus because you will hear from me way too often.
But it doesn’t have to be a crisis to pray. Lots of folk need ongoing prayers as they go through life’s challenges. It helps to know that friends have your back. Remember to add a special prayer for the caregivers of your loved ones, too. Often rewarding, caregiving can also be a difficult and lonely calling. Thank-you prayers count, too. Your friend is finally cancer free, the newest member of your family has arrived healthy, or the world is slowly returning from the Covid pandemic. Rejoice!
Don’t forget about gratitude—it’s a great prayer. The other day I sat marveling at the imagination and creativity of folk who made the Tunnel Tops Park in the Presidio. From there we also get to see the overwhelming beauty of the bay. Thank you, God.
Prayers can address the larger concerns of the world or narrow down to focus on a daughter’s ailing horse. Some people keep a prayer wheel to remind them of those needing prayers; others pray like this: “...and all those I can’t remember, but You know who I mean.”
Prayers also empower those who pray. Since often we pray for situations or loved ones that we believe are beyond our own abilities to alter, when we pray it makes us part of the change and the healing, which gives us “skin in the game” by involving us in God’s process.
I know you don’t know most of the people on our prayer list in the Sunday bulletin, but say a prayer for all of them from your heart anyway, because it makes a difference.
Just ask my grandson.
Georgene Keeler,
Vestry Member
