Image: Melanie Kyer
Prayers from the Fog
I have always loved dreams where I could fly and frequently closed my eyes imagining what it would be like to soar over everything. I remember one time as a little girl wishing to God “Please please please, just let me fly this once!” as I ran down our steep driveway and leaped into the air, only to be pulled unforgivingly down again by gravity. At that point I wasn’t familiar with the scripture “Thou shalt not put thy God to the test.” It was just a child’s wish.
What we call wishes as a child become prayers as an adult. “Please let me get this job,” or “Please let my son have a good day at school.” I’ve heard it said that God answers all prayers– but sometimes the answer is no. I’ve had a difficult fall with a combination of family and health issues, work issues and even some recent home disasters. While I have occasionally prayed for specific things, there’s so much going on that my latest prayers have just been a simple: “Help.”
And help has come. No, my problems have not magically been solved, but I can feel the love and support keeping me strong through these hard times. Whether it’s the deep peace that comes from lighting a candle and praying together at a Vestry meeting or a friend from work bringing over dinner and a hug. Or my son the other night when we were both crying over our flooded basement, saying “Maybe we can just lean on each other’s shoulders tonight…” I know God is working through the hands of those who love me.
I’m not praying to fly anymore. Sometimes I’m just praying for the strength to put one foot in front of the other. But I’m glad to know that when the sand seems to shift beneath my feet and I can’t see through the fog, I know I don’t have to walk through it alone.
Melanie Kyer
November 1, 2021