I feel like I'm having a hard time praying lately. I feel like Henry's death shook me up. I know it seems crazy to think that you're blind sided by a critically ill orphan dying in the ICU--but I don't know. His death just felt like it came out of left field for me.
So now I'm cringing when I get all of these prayer requests. Man, especially Emma. I can't believe that there is a four year old who I have clear memories of chasing around our new church Social Hall in a church dress and cowboy boots, who is now not talking for two weeks after a serious brain injury.
My daughter painted her finger nails purple (to match her friend's color in the PICU). We're in this pattern where everything Maria does something sweet, we pause to say a quick Hail Mary that her friend Emma can come home soon to enjoy the same thing. I feel like I have about 20 seconds of faith during my little prayers and then I flip into "Crap! God, don't let her die." Which is not exactly a model position of Faith for a Catholic--but God knows me. I'm little. I'm broken. He takes me as I am. My imperfect prayers for Emma are better than no prayers at all.
I've got a long prayer list right now, can you help me out?
Henry's Mama, Carla, is in horrible back pain. She has one last ditch effort tomorrow at noon Central Time for a treatment to avoid back surgery. Could you pray for her?
Dominic Pio was inches--INCHES--from getting released to go home to Wisconsin when he had complications from surgery. He's now stuck in Boston Children's Hospital. His Mom is waiting for insurance to approve a Medical Transport Flight home. She really misses her children and her husband. Home = Healing.
Jennifer F and the baby son in her tummy are out of the hospital. Jen is looking at months of a slow recovery. She just got hit with a prescription drug bill for $4,000 per month.
Miss Emma is getting transferred to a rehab center three hours from her home. I just want her to wake up and start talking and come home to prep for Swim Team and have a Barbie Pool playdate with my Maria. There's precedence for this dramatic type of recovery in the Bible, right?
Mary, Mother of God, hear our prayers. Make our life a Daily Prayer to the Son your Love, in our sickness, and our health.
9 comments:
My class and I are on it. These little kids LOVE to pray!
I don't think you have to do fancy prayers. That stinks that young Emma is going to be so far from home. Maybe she needs to hear Maria's voice again. Can you call? Maybe Emma's mom can put the phone next to Emma's ear.
Sure, anything is possible with God!
Yes, kids can recover from traumatic brain injury. For inspiration and hope look up Lydia Herrle at http://www.prayforlydia2012.blogspot.ca/ . Start at the beginning of the blog and you will know that God answers these prayers and miracles do happen. As imperfect as we are, our imperfect prayers matter and God hears them.
Yes, I will pray for these intentions!
Yeah! Thank you!
I prayed for your intentions. Life is hard.
Will write these names down and pray for them today.
I've prayed for all of these things. Trusting that God can and will act in powerful ways!
I don't know if you're anything like me - given how many of your posts have resonated deeply with me lately, I suspect there are a few ways in which we're cut from the same cloth - but when my prayer list gets long, I often feel the weight of the world on MY shoulders. I feel guilty when I don't pray for all of these things, or when I don't think I'm praying for them enough. Right now, I'm feeling guilty about the Syrian revolution. And yes, I'm being serious. I felt compelled to pray for Bashar al-Assad, that he wouldn't let things get out of hand - and now that they have, I think, "I should've fasted. Why didn't I even think of that! This is my fault."
But as a dear friend of mine used to say, "God is God all by Himself." And he receives our imperfect prayers with the same joy with which we receive our children's crayon drawings on the good days when we got enough sleep and everything is rosy. And he works to heal and bless and hold back evil even when we don't pray, just because that's who God is.
I know that you know all of this already. Sometimes I feel like I need a reminder... so maybe this is helpful to you today, and maybe I just needed to remind myself. :)
God Bless your loving heart hon!
Carla - Henry's mom
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