By Rosie Preston
One morning earlier this week the kind that inspires poets to be born and poems to be created. The sun was blue, the grass was green, the trees were gently blowing a soft wind and the ground beneath my feet was firm. It was good a time to pray.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found that each day can bring hope when we pray and ask others to pray for a loved one. The day can just as easily be filled with heartache, and we can help those who are hurting to pray for peace and strength.
Hope comes when we believe in God and trust in Him, no matter what turmoil our mind is using to confuse us. We pray in asking for a loved one to be healed. We pray for someone we love who is incarcerated. We pray for each and every family member and dear friend.
Words do not upset me like they did when I was younger. I look back and realize that every few years changed dramatically with aging. I can see where life looked completely different, even with the same circumstances.
I’ve many times heard the phrase, “Youth is wasted on the young.” To a degree, that is true. It has to be as our bodies and minds are filled with new experiences, no matter how old we live to be. There are people who in their nineties who are very active mentally and physically, just as a very young child can be sick and holding on every day to live.
Whatever place you find yourself now, I can assure you that with each passing day your life can be either blessed or disrupted by things such as illness, death, divorce and the force of nature.
The other night, I saw tornadoes predicted to pass by close to where my grandson and his wife and child live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. As I prayed for their safety, I asked myself if it was a fair prayer bring that some people most likely were going to be injured or killed.
Many years ago, I learned to pray to place our loved ones, our problems and our lives into God’s hands. That often is the prayer we need if we are to believe that we have a chance to help, when in reality we learn to accept the good and the bad news with God’s help, which allows us to put one foot in front of the other and continue on.
I was blessed to have a mother who took my sisters and me to church. That instilled a belief system in my soul of which many of my family members or friends do not have. I am not being judgmental, but truthful. When people lose a loved one, and they don’t believe, that unfortunate situation may cause them to accept God and know that He gives them the strength and the willpower to carry on without their loved one.
I’m currently preparing for shoulder surgery, and I’ve arranged to bring in a couple of recliners to sit in while I’m recovering. I admit that I’m not looking forward to this surgery, even though I’ve had surgery to my neck, back, knee, teeth and both big toes. You would think that the toe surgery would be the easiest to recover from, but it caused more disruption to my life than the other procedures. It is amazing how little you can do when you can’t walk. The bandage that covered my toe was the size of a lemon!
It’s the same with life, in that many times it is the little mistakes we make that have the most impact. For example, saying a few words that are not meant to be hurtful or judgmental; they may sound innocent enough when spoken, but words often can take on a life of their own.
Just recently, I felt shame about a few words I’d used in giving my opinion on something to a friend. I was meaning to say she is still beautiful, but I added a few words that should not have been said. We resolved the issue. I asked forgiveness and she forgave me. I did cry about my lack of thoughtfulness, and I’m very glad my friend accepted my apology.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we never made mistakes with words, wording, opinions, facts and feelings? It would be great for us to have an internal editor to monitor our words and actions. This is where prayer comes in, because the only hope we have is to ask God to help us. We will continue to fail in every which way possible, yet God can help us to forgive ourselves as He forgives us. We only need to ask.
It softens my heart to ask for mercy and to have the ability to make the right decisions. Each morning I pray The Serenity Prayer, and I’d like to think that it gives me a start on having a better mind and body: “God give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Know that God is there in the good times and the bad times. Be thankful, l because each day is a new day! Matthew 12:21 says, “In his name, the nations will put their hope.”
P.S.: Please pray for my daughter, who is in terrible pain caused by a disease called Transverse Myelitis. It effects the nerves in the spine and the eyes.
Keep smiling, Rosie
Contact Rosie Preston at rosie.preston@yahoo.com.