Prayer request for those so inclined…

Several years ago I sat in the main hanger for the 82nd Airborne at a military event.  Impressive is the only word that comes to mind nearly 10 years later.  Many were called up this week, families separated, and lives changed.  

God,

You call for peace, but you give us the freedom of war.  Until we can do a better job listening, seeking to understand, digging deeper than a tweet on a narrow-minded feed, accepting different, and seeking nonviolent thoughts, emotions and solutions — be with those who defend and fight on our behalf.  As we struggle for what is “ours,” open our hearts and minds to what is there’s… and the new perspective that comes with new understanding.

Our Warriors do what most of us don’t want to or can’t.  We pass our buck to them — out of ignorance, fear or avoidance.  We appreciate their gift to us… a gift of serenity to live life outside of human blood shed and battle. Give them mental fortitude and the strength to seek help along the way. While we want them safe, combat doesn’t work that way.  Surround them with a connected pack of battle buddies and a broader network of family and friends who cheer, listen and comfort them.  

Help their loved ones at home manage fear, cope with challenges, and “go it alone” missing a parent, spouse, friend and companion.  Give the leaders – political and military – patience to see new options and courage to take them.  Until a day comes when the need for Warriors ends, cloak them in our appreciation of their service and sacrifice— and post combat support.

Amen

Prayer request for those so inclined…

Today I learned about Kairos Prison Ministry (http://www.kairosprisonministry.org) … multi-denominational program that brings faith and forgiveness into the lives of many incarnated people — as well supports their loved ones outside.  Ex-convict, Veteran, father of 4 girls, employed roofer, Christian, and now volunteer Michael Woods shared his story.  He asked for prayers.  

God,

Michael said you put all the “knuckle heads in one place” so it’d be easier to reach them rather than “find them all on the outside one at a time.” But yet we (your servants) left them alone, without support. Without connection. Without light. Without a plan forward. Consumed in greater darkness. 

Michael shared that anyone who serves in prison could be our neighbor one day — standing next to us in line at Walmart, doing a home repair, playing with their kids in a park — and wouldn’t it be better if that person had support in prison, experienced a larger love and had sanctuary in your forgiveness?

Help us put aside our judgement, fear and ignorance to be a part of their faith journey.  Be with those “on the inside.” Pull them to meaningful programs like Kairos. Reinforce the faith of those who volunteer in the program by giving 4 days of direct program support for a kick-off retreat. 

Be with the volunteers who bake thousands of “forgiveness cookies” for the retreat; create inspiring posters and make prayerful placemats for the participant’s cells; participate in 24-hour prayer chains; and donate. Deliver a network to prisoner’s loved ones “on the outside” who are jailed in their own way.

Fill in the gaps of a missing mother, father, sibling, best friend, or spouse — gone and largely inaccessible for years of life’s major milestones. Remind us that no one should be written off. 

Amen

Prayer request for those so inclined…

This one is for my friend “Princess Alex” as she and her family work through her father’s advancing Parkinson.

God,

For so many of us, our parents are the closest relationship we have to you… guardian, teacher, sage, guidepost, disciplinarian—all wrapped in unconditional love. We idolize, cling, question, push away, and return to their love time and time again. Changes in our parents leave us on shifting sand and facing an encroaching sea of loss, anger, and uncertainty.  

Be with Princess Alex as she struggles to handle her father’s medical challenges and changes in how he can show up in the world due to Parkinson Disease. Give her strength to support him, fortitude to endure the slow progression of the illness, humor to balance the darkness, providers to offer creative & comforting care, friends who can lessen her load, and faith that you are with her constantly.

Thank you for the gift of her dynamic, dedicated dad—who’s love empowers Princess Alex, envelopes her friends, and lives actively through everyone he connects with. Bring comfort to her dad and mother as they work through such a monumental and scary life change. Put joy, compassion and flexibility in their path, along with your grace.

Amen

Prayer request for those so inclined…

Today I offer prayers for both a group, and one of them specially, LeWan Nichele. The Veterans Affairs healthcare system is the largest US hospital system, serving 9 million of largely the most vulnerable to COVAID-19 (over 65 with multiple complex conditions). Additionally, the health care system is BACK UP to every hospital in the country and must handle overflow in a national health crisis. There are more than 300,000 medical employees within the VA.

God,

Thank you for those called to care and heal our sick and wounded. They put other’s health first, often at the expense of their own. They go where others won’t, they do what others can’t, and they care when others haven’t.

For those providing medical care to our Veterans we ask for endurance, compassion, rest, humor and recognition—especially for LeWan and her nursing peers who carry the full weight of the health care system and their patients concern on their compassionate and weary shoulders.

Give LeWan, and her coworkers nationwide, moments of peace to recharge.  Remind those they care for to celebrate their caregiver — their technical knowledge, their attention to protocol, their firmness, and their warmth. Our country is fortunate to have both those who served and those who serve them now.

Amen

Prayer requests for those so inclined….

This week I rushed out of the metro in DC and breezed past a dad and two young children who were at the top of the metro; he asked for money to feed his kids.  About 10 steps after I passed them my brain and heart actually “saw” them.  

The dad tired, worn and concerned—but attentive to the kids. The kids were in a stroller, guessing under the age of 5.  The youngest, a boy, strapped in.  The girl, standing in the stroller facing her dad, chatting, wearing a yellow dress.  

I stopped and actually thought, what the hell is wrong with me—it’s insanely hot, no one wants to ask for help, and it’s clear he’s worried about his kids.  How can I walk by?  I went back, handed him $20, and said “hope this helps today.” His eyes lit up and he blessed me and gave me a sincere thank you.

God,

I pray for Little Miss Sunshine in her yellow dress, her dad and brother.  Help their neighbors see them… truly see them. Wash away our disdain, judgement, and self-centeredness.

Enable us to see the person and extend humanity to them as we can… a smile, a meal, a donation, a contact, a prayer. Surround them with compassion. Connect them with programs.  Blanket them in hope. Protect them with your grace.

Amen.

Prayer request for those so inclined…

She randomly popped in my head in the middle of the day at work, so I called an out-of-town friend. She shared she’s getting an MRI tomorrow (after 2 mammograms and ultrasound) so doctors can get a better visual before a possible biopsy … something suspicious. We’ll call her Spunky.

God,

We take our bodies for granted; you make them amazing — and in such wonderful varieties. So, when things don’t work well or have iregularities we are at a loss… and afraid. Be with Spunky in the isolation of the MRI, the solitude of the wait, and the silent fear of the unknown future that plays out in her mind on repeat. Surround her with smart and compassionate medical professionals who communicate with clarity.

Put small joys in her path to balance her worry. Keep her centered on today through the support of loved ones. And whatever is learned and lay ahead, reassure Spunky that she will not face it alone but surrounded by faith, friends, and family.

Amen

Follow-up….

I’m “recycling” someone (and she’d be proud of me for it)…. many months ago many of you prayed for Spunky as she began her attack on breast cancer. Well, she needs some more positive energy. After a mastectomy, many months of chemo, significant sores from shingles which impacted her chemo, chemo induced early menopause — and oh, a pandemic …. she just found out she now faces 25 doses of radiation over 5 weeks (not to mention a 5-year drug treatment. She is low. Very low. And dammit, I can’t pop down several states and help.  

God,

Not gonna lie. I’m mad…frustrated…and sad that Spunky must continue on this sucky path. She wore a brave face and moved around many roadblocks. She is tired and worn out.

I know she can do this. I see the strength she has, but her mind is exhausted trying to keep her body together. Enable her to summon the core of her power and brace herself through the weeks ahead.

Absorb her pain, her loss, her irritation, her doubt, her anger. Transfer our belief to her. Perhaps lower a few hills on her journey or extend the downhill glide. Motivate her inner circle of friends to dig in deep around her as a ring of comfort. Give her some unexpected giggles. Let hope whisper in her ear. But most of all, be with her.

Amen

Prayer request for those so inclined…

A bestie is bringing her father home from hospice for a family-centered goodbye after years battling Parkinson disease. I’ll call her Murphy in honor of happier times in the Irish pub together.

God, we are not equipped to handle the loss that comes with deep, unconditional love. We want to help our loved one — comfort them — yet what we need, in fact, is their comfort to do this. We know peace with you is eminent and good, yet we selfishly want him here hand in hand longer, indefinitely.

As we struggle, we ask that you comfort our loved one—Murphy’s Dad. He is a wonderful man and tremendous dad, and we are grateful for his humor, his wisdom, and his candid compassion. Thank you. Shore us up so that we can be fully present for him. Be with all his care providers as they share their support, care and expertise to help so many in need. We know they’ll be a seat at your table for him, and with a tall cold one and big hearty welcome toast. In the meantime, please stay close to Murphy. She needs you.

Amen.

Prayer request for those so inclined…  my dynamo Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adults, Rev Whitney Fauntleroy, moved into a rehab center as part of her recovery from spinal surgery (non-cancerous tumor) that has her currently paralyzed from her chest down. She is faith filled and a believer in prayers.

God, oh God.Your call is never easy. Even when we believe and want to follow, your call is never easy. You have expectations. We also have our own expectations—of our life, our future, our plan. We expect them all to line up peacefully. Then the moment of collision occurs between your expectations and ours. Shattered reality with bruised faith and unanswered questions remain.

You soundly called Whitney, and she amplifies your message to so many young forming people, and adults alike. Her words, passion, joy of music (especially Disney), and love of shoes make her a real pastor … a relatable pastor. You now have her reforming. A new body. A new perspective. A new journey. You ask a lot of her.

As she transforms reflect back to her what she gives to others:  comfort in scripture, poignant prayers, passion against injustice, humor, and belief. Connect her family, friends, and faith community together to support her. Comfort her youth group as they struggle to process the experience. Echo our compassion through her soul so that she may call up its power on dark days of growth. Enable her to hold tight to your call and to adjust her expectations in order to see new possibilities that you have in store for her. Be with her in new and familiar ways that keep her close to you during all that lay ahead.

Amen.

God,

“Ethel and Fred” have a lifetime of being faithful servants to your call. One by profession as a Presbyterian minister and one as wife, mother, and community pillar–not to mention pastor’s wife (no small call on its own right). And then there’s damn cancer. Yes, we cuss. When we face something so big, dark, and scary cussing just seems to fit, or at least help convey some of the nastiness we feel about the diagnosis and treatment. Damn cancer indeed.

“Fred” faces major new round of chemo, coming off of chemo and just finishing up radiation. They feel ravaged by cancer. It’s attacked so much – from body organs to their time together and with loved ones. Their body’s are tired. Their brain’s are tired. Their spirit’s are tired.

We seek traveling mercies as they travel between local care and MD Anderson in TX. We seek continued innovation and compassion by their care providers and cancer researchers. We seek comfort and pain reduction for “Fred.” We seek fortitude and moral support for “Ethel.”

Keep their connection to you strong… it’s been their foundation all along their journey. Show mercy. Share joy. Spread hope. Let them see these gifts of light for themselves and in others; that the community you built surrounds them with grace, prayers, and love in such darkness.

Most of all we ask for peace in their hearts. That they feel the warmth of assurance that even in doubt and darkness you are there.

Amen.

Prayer request for those so inclined…

God,

I must say, woman to woman, that I’m pretty pissed at the moment and shoveling in coping munchies like a champ. Cancer. Once again, fucking cancer.

You know Chiquita. She speaks to you regularly. She speaks of you regularly. She is your sheep… and also a sheep herder bringing faith in you, through word and deed, to so many. But damn, cancer.

So much is unknown but fear abound with words like “spread into lymph nodes,” “non-surgical,” “chemo,” and “help you live with it.” Live with it? Cancer? Not the Buddy anyone wants hanging around.  

I, and so many of Chiquita’s family and friends—which includes 2 high school aged children—seek your strength, compassion, and comfort for her. Fortify her faith. Silence her fear. Steady her mind.

As a former reporter she seeks answers, gracefully grant them. As a nurse who prefers to give care, help her see that her caring doesn’t end when we care for her. As a networker who seeks to foster relationships, surround her with a ripple of love from near and far.

For her care team… preciseness, patience, and positivity. It’s what she would do.

For her family… help with traditions, safety to live in a frightening space, and connections who demonstrate hope.

But most of all, fortify her faith through acts known and unknown that keep her bound to you…. along with some thrilling moments worthy of a Chiquita!

Amen.