Betty Hertz with Finn and Joy (David Jensen photography)
Philippians 4:6-7 6 Don't worry about anything but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel. (Contemporary English Version)
“Do not worry about anything”… My first reaction was “Are you kidding me?” How can I not be anxious? People are dying, people are unemployed, people are limited in activities. Our sense of community has been disrupted. On a much lesser scale, I had to give up my volunteer work; I can neither attend 8 a.m. service nor visit my friends.
Then I am reminded what I can do - pray with thanksgiving and present my requests to God. For many years, I was a crisis prayer person. Many times I demanded that God listen and fix things my way. How did that work? Not so great!
In the last several years, I experienced some incredible challenges and major losses. I often would cry out “Why” or turn away from prayer. Because others were patient with me, I have grown to know that God listens when I seek him in prayer and my prayers do not have to be finely tuned. In fact, I believe any prayer is perfect in God’s eyes. I also learned how to pray with others and pray for others. I no longer look down at the table when someone in a group asks, “Who would like to lead us in prayer?”
According to Anne Lamott, Help Thanks Wow are the three essential prayers. By praying with those three words in mind, I have honest conversations with God. I have found peace and hope. And when I move away from that framework, I lose that peace and hope. The order of these prayers changes depending on how my life is going. Sometimes it is only one word … usually HELP.
Somewhere along my journey, I heard this thought: pause, pray, proceed with patience and peace. I believe God is saying stop, talk to me and I will give you patience and peace. So, if I stay in touch with God, I truly “Do not have to worry about anything.”
Amazing and Loving God, Circle us with your love, remind us to be patient, teach us to take our joys and concerns to you always. In Jesus name, Amen.
Betty Hertz has been attending St John since 2001. She joyfully serves St John in many ways … Stephen Ministry Leader, SPRC, Wednesday Night Supper and Cold Weather Shelter. Her other interests are her dogs Finn and Joy and enjoying Alaska’s great outdoors.