Thinking as prayer~

I’m finding there is more than one way to pray without ceasing. There is the traditional “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me,” which is the way of the starets of the Eastern Orthodox tradition. I like that one, humming in my mind at various times, like intentional background music.

    Recent news that a friend’s son had taken his life catapulted me into a new level of praying without ceasing. I couldn’t stop thinking about him, about his mom, about his family and friends. The thinking, which was the prayer, kept going, without form or words. All I knew was that I was joining everyone in their array of emotions. I was doing this all my waking minutes, including the last minute before sleep and the first in the morning, and, I have to believe, while sleeping, as well. God was right in there, right in the midst of it all. It was the best I could do and it was good.

    Then I heard myself praying for my friend’s son. God was leading me to pray for him during those three days as his soul was leaving. God was asking us all to help him on his way. And then I saw God reach down and scoop him up into God’s embrace.

     Don’t ask me if I actually saw this, or if it was actually happening. I’ll never know. What I do know is that my friend’s son is with God and it is good.

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