Understanding Prayer

Anon

Heavenly Father (or Mother), help us remember that the woman driver who cut us off in traffic last night, is a single mother who had worked nine hours, was rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry, and spend a few precious moments with her children;

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams, with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester;

Remind us too, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares...

Help us also to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slowly through the store aisles, blocking our shopping progress, are savouring this moment, knowing that based on the biopsy report she got last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Holy Divine, remind us each day that of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not just to those who are close to us, but to all of humanity. Let us be slow to judge, quick to forgive, and show patience and empathy and love.

Amen