Prayers

​Like most people, there are days when I struggle. Events in my life, in the world lay heavy upon me at times. At these times I find comfort in prayer.
 
While I’m now a Lutheran, I grew up as a Catholic. When I was studying for the CPA exam my Grandmother offered to let me study at her house. I spent a lot of time over there studying all day then having dinner with my Grandma Margaret and my Aunt Peggy who lived with her. Every evening they would turn on the radio. They would pray along with as the station played the Rosary. While I never got into praying the Rosary myself, I did find it calming to listen to them pray.
 
The main prayer of the Rosary is the Hail Mary. That prayer has been my go-to prayer whenever I’m making a request ever since college. I had used that prayer when praying for a classmate who was having some problems and the prayers worked.
 
I started praying while I drove. At first it was just a prayer to protect everyone on the road from my driving. But I kept adding on more prayers.
 
Later, when someone suggested that I should say seven Hail Mary’s, seven Our Father’s, and seven Glory Be’s every day, I decided to try to do that during my first drive of the day. Eventually that became seven Hail Mary’s while I asked for specific requests. Seven Our Father’s while I conversed with God. Finally, seven Glory Be’s while I looked around for something beautiful in the world. I’ve been surprised that on days that are my roughest; after we had miscarriages, when a co-worker’s baby was shaken to death by the day care provider, after Debbie died and other events; I can still find beauty in the world. Somehow, in the midst of sorrows or setbacks, I can look around and see that God is still active in the world. And that gives me some peace.