A Prayer, a Crash, and the Word
I shared these words at my mother's funeral. She was 95 and had lived a good life. I knew that my mother would be uncomfortable with all the super nice things people say on these occasions and so I decided to change the focus somewhat.
Mother was born at her home in Parsonsburg, Md. It would be many years before she would venture far. From the front door of of her home Mom could see the family's church and the graveyard where family and friends were buried. she needed no school bus. Only a short walk across the street was required to get to the small elementary school she attended. There were only 13 students in 2 classrooms.
One summer Mother went to a Vacation Bible School. There she was taught a prayer. This is the prayer she learned to pray:
Our Father,
Give me clean hands, clean words and clean thoughts.
Help me to fight for the hard right against the easy wrong.
Keep me from habits that harm.
Help me to work as hard and play as fair in Thy sight alone as if the whole world saw.
Keep me ready to do a little good everyday and grow more like Christ.
Amen.
When she shared with me what she memorized, I wrote it down. After my visit I gave the prayer to my daughter who did it in calligraphy. She then framed the prayer and gave it to Mother. From that Christmas on it stayed on the bureau in her bedroom where she had placed it.
I liked the prayer but something was missing. Even though this was a good prayer it wasn't quite complete. In time Mother learned the biblical principle to complete it.
When my daughter was 9 she and I flew from Nebraska to Maryland. My father had Alzheimer's and I had told Mom that I wanted to see him one more time when he might still remember me. Shortly after we arrived at home, my mom drove my daughter and I to the Mall. On the way back, a pickup truck hit us at a stop light. My daughter was only slightly hurt. I had a concussion and was badly bruised. Mother had injuries that required a hospital stay. She was concerned about many things. One of her major concerns was a need for constant oversight of my father. During this time of uncertainty, when she had power over almost no aspect of her life, God led her to Philippians 4:4-7.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by
prayer and supplication, present your requests to God
and the peace of God will guard your hearts and your
minds in Christ Jesus.
Mother was a very capable woman, a capable wife, mother and teacher. She was also a very capable caregiver first to her mother and then to her husband. When the accident happened she could no longer even pretend to be in the driver's seat. All of her abilities, determination and focus could not change anything. Ah, maybe that was what was lacking in her childhood prayer. It hinted that we needed God to accomplish these things. When you look at the Philippians passage as well as other passages we realize that it's God and God alone who can bring these things to pass. If we had to accomplish the most noble to do list on our own it would be impossible.
Maybe her greater realization of this truth made her lean more on God's Word. She referenced this passage many times over the years. When I was staying with her, I'd bring in the newspaper. Reading it was a very important part of her day. She would not touch the paper until she had read her Bible and devotions. As interesting as the paper might be, it could not compare with the truth that comes from the only One that could grant her the ability to fulfill her childhood prayer.
Mother was born at her home in Parsonsburg, Md. It would be many years before she would venture far. From the front door of of her home Mom could see the family's church and the graveyard where family and friends were buried. she needed no school bus. Only a short walk across the street was required to get to the small elementary school she attended. There were only 13 students in 2 classrooms.
One summer Mother went to a Vacation Bible School. There she was taught a prayer. This is the prayer she learned to pray:
Our Father,
Give me clean hands, clean words and clean thoughts.
Help me to fight for the hard right against the easy wrong.
Keep me from habits that harm.
Help me to work as hard and play as fair in Thy sight alone as if the whole world saw.
Keep me ready to do a little good everyday and grow more like Christ.
Amen.
When she shared with me what she memorized, I wrote it down. After my visit I gave the prayer to my daughter who did it in calligraphy. She then framed the prayer and gave it to Mother. From that Christmas on it stayed on the bureau in her bedroom where she had placed it.
I liked the prayer but something was missing. Even though this was a good prayer it wasn't quite complete. In time Mother learned the biblical principle to complete it.
When my daughter was 9 she and I flew from Nebraska to Maryland. My father had Alzheimer's and I had told Mom that I wanted to see him one more time when he might still remember me. Shortly after we arrived at home, my mom drove my daughter and I to the Mall. On the way back, a pickup truck hit us at a stop light. My daughter was only slightly hurt. I had a concussion and was badly bruised. Mother had injuries that required a hospital stay. She was concerned about many things. One of her major concerns was a need for constant oversight of my father. During this time of uncertainty, when she had power over almost no aspect of her life, God led her to Philippians 4:4-7.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by
prayer and supplication, present your requests to God
and the peace of God will guard your hearts and your
minds in Christ Jesus.
Mother was a very capable woman, a capable wife, mother and teacher. She was also a very capable caregiver first to her mother and then to her husband. When the accident happened she could no longer even pretend to be in the driver's seat. All of her abilities, determination and focus could not change anything. Ah, maybe that was what was lacking in her childhood prayer. It hinted that we needed God to accomplish these things. When you look at the Philippians passage as well as other passages we realize that it's God and God alone who can bring these things to pass. If we had to accomplish the most noble to do list on our own it would be impossible.
Maybe her greater realization of this truth made her lean more on God's Word. She referenced this passage many times over the years. When I was staying with her, I'd bring in the newspaper. Reading it was a very important part of her day. She would not touch the paper until she had read her Bible and devotions. As interesting as the paper might be, it could not compare with the truth that comes from the only One that could grant her the ability to fulfill her childhood prayer.
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