I like praying with Lili'u. I'm learning some great lessons from her on beautiful ways to pray.
A couple months ago, Chris and I were talking over breakfast about some friends (Shelah and Jade Acker) whose adopted son, Lino, was sick. Lili'u asked what we were talking about and I explained the situation. After thinking about it for a moment, she said, "I'll go get my doctor kit and make him feel better." So I said, "That's very sweet of you. Unfortunately, Lino is far away in Africa, but you know what we can do is pray for him." This was her prayer, "Dear Jesus, thank you for the way you're going to make that little boy better."
Often in her prayers, she does this stream of consciousness sort-of thing where she starts thanking God for anything and everything that comes to her mind, including whatever object happens to be right in front of her ("Thank you, God, for the salt and pepper!") Sometimes her prayers can get quite lengthy and Chris and I sometimes want to hurry her along, but the truth is, it's really beautiful to listen to her pray. I appreciate that she hasn't yet learned the "conventions" of prayer that I so often get hung up on. She just prays for whatever comes to her mind and heart, with any words she has.
Nothing is too trivial. Goofy voices are allowed. And when the words don't come out right, God still gets it.
If only I could pray so freely...
1 comment:
One of the things I take from Lili'u's prayers is a playful and immediate intimacy with God. She doesn't seem to mind that there's no physical being in front of her - she just speaks to God. There are so many layers of editing, cynicism and ego that have grown between me and that kind of assuredness I had as a child. Before Lili'u came along, I considered that faith immature and childish - but along with her simple faith is a simple love that is so much more generous, honest and full than the love I mete out from under my fears, judgments and prejudice. I know it's a cliche, and those used to annoy me a lot more than they do now - but a childlike faith is a gift, not something to grow out of.
Post a Comment