At a meeting this morning, I learned of a friend who received about the worst cancer news one can receive. It was suggested notes of encouragement would be appreciated...I'll write mine as soon as I'm through here.
I served a church for four years after leaving seminary (more than 30 years ago) and discovered, to everyone's benefit, I lacked the temperament to be an effective minister; it's a sure sign when your first instinct is to strangle any parent who volunteered to chaperon a teen dance only to cancel at the last minute. But this isn't about that.
I'm a very good prayer, I write terrific prayers...but I never had any visceral attachment to prayer...until my prostatectomy. If I had to be placed on a theological continuum from screaming fundamentalist to existential secular humanist, for most of my thinking life I would have fallen close to the latter.
Whenever people offered thoughts and prayers (T&P) I graciously accepted the offer but had no feeling of having received anything. Similarly, when I offered T&P I was sincere in the offer, but never felt any metaphysical reality in the act.
I have neither an explanation nor intellectual understanding of my change, but those feelings (or lack thereof) have been replaced with both acceptance and true appreciation for the importance and absolute value of prayer in times of distress.
In the hospital, I felt the prayers people offered on my behalf, I was strengthened by them. And, when I offer the same today I feel the power of the words and believe they are received and efficacious.
OK, it took me sixty-plus years and prostate cancer to accept what most five year olds know instinctively. It's a better way to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment