Best Prayer I Ever Heard

As I've seen many of our blog land family struggle in the past few weeks, I was reminded of this prayer that someone sent me several years ago.

Heavenly Father, Help us to remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend few precious moments with her children before heading to her second job.
 
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, Lord, 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 to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.
 
Heavenly Father, 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 to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity.
 

Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive; show patience, empathy and love.

 



At 9pm, for 5 minutes, please stop everything you are doing and focus on nothing and no one except sending prayers, healing energy and/or positive thoughts to Emily, Bas, and Ana’s young cousin!  Thank you!