Just One Thought: Help.
I ran a 5K on Saturday; and my house, this past week, was full of vomit, lice, and jackhammers; I was going to write about one of those things for this post. But the events in Newtown on Friday gave me–and all of us, I’m betting–a massive reality check.
I was lucky enough to have a few lice-free, puke-free, quiet moments this weekend, and used them to sit down with Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers, Anne Lamott’s new sliver of a book that is wise and funny and so relatable. I am a huge AL fan, and as I was reading this passage, which takes the personal and broadens it to the universal and horrifically current, I had to share. I know it makes a ton of sense to me as I contemplate how I will continue to process the lives lost and the devastation felt by all the affected families, including those of the victims and the accused. I hope it will to you too.
I am very aware that that running and politics don’t really mix, and running and religion aren’t the best bedfellows either. But Lamott has a way of writing about prayer that is far from preachy. That said, I completely understand if you’re not thrilled with this choice of a post; if that’s the case, I respectfully ask you to refrain from commenting and come back for our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow. Thanks.
[When I pray] I ask for help for this planet, and for her poor, and for the suffering people in my little galaxy. I know even as I pray for help that there wil be tremendous compassion, mercy, generosity, companionship, and laughter from other people in the world, and from friends, doctors, nurses, hospice people. I also know that life can be devastating, and it’s still okay to be pissed off at God. Mercy, schmercy. I always want the kid to live.
I can picture God saying, “Okay, hon, I’ll be here when you’re done with your list.” Then He goes back to knitting new forests or helping less pissy people until I hit rock bottom. And when I finally do, there may be hope.
There’s freedom in hitting bottom, in seeing that you won’t be able to save or rescue your daughter, her spouse, his parents, or your career, relief in admitting you’ve reaching the place of great unknowing. This is where restoration can begin, because when you’re still in the state of trying to fix the unfixable, everything bad is engaged: the chatter of your mind, the tension of your physiology, all the trunks and wheel-ons you carry from the past. It’s exhausting, crazy-making.
Help. Help us walk through this. Help us come through.
It is the first great prayer.
I don’t pray for God to do this or that, or for God’s sake to knock it off, or for specific outcomes. Well, okay, maybe a little…Help. Hold my friends in Your light.
There are no words for the broken hearts of people losing people, so I ask God, with me in tow, to respond to them with graciousness and encouragement enough for the day. Everyone we love and for whom we pray with such passion will die, which is the one real fly in the ointment so we pray for miracles–please help this friend live, please help that friend die gracefully–and we pray for the survivors to somehow come through…Please help this town bounce back. Please help those parents come through, please help these kids come through…Help.
Tags: Anne Lamott, Help Thanks Wow, Newtown, prayer
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I found the book: Help Thanks Wow by Anne Lamott to be a wonderful guide to prayer for Newtown, Ct. Here is my blog on what such prayers may look like. http://accdocpastor.blogspot.com/2012/12/help-thanks-wow-guide-to-prayer-for.html
I love AL, I purchased this book for my MIL for Christmas, but am going to have to pick up a copy for myself. Thanks for the post!
Thank you, Dimity.
LOVE that. This also hit home…
Twas’ 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38 when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven’s gate. Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air. They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there. They were filled with such joy; they didn’t know what to say. They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day. “where are we?” asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse. “This is heaven” declared a small boy. “We’re spending Christmas at God’s house”. When what to their wondering eyes did appear, but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near. He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same. Then He opened His arms and He called them by name. And in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring those children all flew into the arms of their King and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace, one small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face. And as if He could read all the questions she had He gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of mom and dad. “then He looked down on earth, the world far below He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe, then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand, “Let My power and presence re-enter this land! “May this country be delivered from the hands of fools” “I’m taking back my nation. I’m taking back my schools! “Then He and the children stood up without a sound. “Come now my children let me show you around. “Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran. All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can. And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight, “in the midst of this darkness,” I AM STILL THE LIGHT.”