Are You there God? It’s Me, Farrell

Prayer is the mysterious business of the heart. An invisible and yet illumined thread that connects the soul to its Maker. For many, prayer is a life long conversation that takes place on the inside but informs how one lives on the outside. Prayer can be as simple as one word, “Come,” two words, “Help me,” or four words, “Be still and know.” Often prayer happens when we find we have nowhere else to go.

Some experience prayer reading inspired texts, moving through a sun salutation, or counting the stars in the Big Dipper. One can pray with hands kissed in solemnity, raised to the heavens, or grounded to the earth. Sometimes prayer is the sound of our tears if they could speak.

The Divine tête-à-tête can take place in a centuries old candlelit chapel, during a silent walk in the woods, or at the dangerous edge of despair. There is no perfect prayer. But a sincere heart is often the quickest way to get God’s attention.

My personal prayers reflect quiet moments in my inmost self, where my spirit resides. I find I’m never as real and authentic as I am when vulnerable before God. It didn’t take long for me to realize this world ultimately cannot handle my burdens, my fears, my doubts. Only God can cover me in the wrappings of peace. I have no idea of God’s plans for me or what the path ahead looks like, but somehow, when I let God in and speak my heart, I gain the courage to put one foot in front of the other.

God meets us where we are: Mosque, chapel, temple, Russia, Tennessee, Paris, sixty, eight, forty-one years old, black, red, purple, divorced, gay, single, married for over fifty years, happy, sad, devastated, overjoyed, spiritual, cynic, broken, whole, full or empty. And there is never judgment or crazy expectations with God. God knows that we are each doing our very best to find our way. More than anything, when we pray, it’s our way of confessing that we believe that Something larger, redemptive, loyal, and loving is at work in this world and invested in our wellbeing.

When we dare to speak to the Unseen, the Unbelievable, the Infinite for connection, answers, solace and healing, wisdom and direction, to feel loved, forgiven and understood, the lines mysteriously blur between heaven and earth, and suddenly our lives take on Divine significance. Being human doesn’t seem so daunting.

Ultimately, prayer in whatever form it takes reminds us that we are not alone.

And thank God for that!

Live in Hope,

Farrell