Spiritual Things Matter

This Mother’s Day, the one person that comes to mind who has inspired me to become an even better mother is, Elisabeth Fritzl. This courageous Austrian woman has astonished so many of us with her efforts to give her children some sense of normalcy in an incredible abnormal environment. Her mother’s heart gave and kept on giving, although she only received profound sorrow and pain which lasted nearly a quarter of a century. The decorations in her tiny cellar moved me to tears as it shows so clearly that she remembered the stars and the moon which once represented her freedom. She shared that with her children, as was obvious, when her youngest child pointed to the moon and asked if God lived there. Her brokenness is severe and deep. May we wrap her and her children into our hearts and remember them in our prayers…even long after this story is no longer in the forefront.

Dear Brave Soul, Happy Mother’s Day!

Slowly emerging from all that was dark
into the light - which seems so painfully bright.
Slowly, very slowly, each step must be taken -
into freedom…..as senses are overwhelmed
by the generosity of life.

Love and life will embrace you soundly
Goodness and kindness are there to lift you up.
You are a part of our life!
You are a part of our world!
Welcoming you openly -
for love will embrace you all around.

Life with all its complexities
with all its painful sorrows and tears,
cannot be explained with our,
so very limited eyes of understanding -
for only one piece of the puzzle we see.

Yet, life remains a wondrous gift to be lived
with so much love and mysteries yet to be had.
We welcome you with all our hearts!
Embracing you with so much love!
And, with many, many tender thoughts that, now at last,
peace for you and your children will flourish -
forever…holding you securely - far above.

Thank you, oh, brave and fragile soul,
for loving your children - despite it all.
Thank you for teaching them with the little that you had.
Thank you for your astounding bravery and courage.
And thank you, oh, dear tender soul,
for having truly done your very, very best!

May the sun shine tenderly on you -
May her warmth bring healing comfort to your broken heart.
May the wind whisper his eternal truths into your ears
And may you sense his abiding strength as well as his tender mercies.
May the rain fall extra gently upon your brow.
And may each tender droplet bring new rhythm to your thoughts.
May your tears flow freely that you might feel again and begin to heal.
May life bring its beauty to you -
With generosity and with grace.
May it envelope you with new truth and new hope -
That you may find your own beauty which abides richly in you.
And, may Love embrace you and your children -
As our world cradles you firmly and tenderly in her prayers.

Happy Mother’s Day, our very dear Elisabeth!

Viola M. Jaynes
Mother’s Day 2008

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Once while I was attending a School of Ministry in my twenties, I had to write a paper on the subject of “Prayer.” It was a fascinating study and volumes could be written about those most versed in the subject, the different types of prayer, and the many beautiful prayers that have been written. At the end of my paper, I pointed out that the purest kind of prayer is when a person simply becomes prayer. Becoming prayer is a true expression of the heart of God.

In heartfelt devotional prayer, one breaks the earthbound chains that hold us to our fears, our angers and our doubts. It evokes a deep feeling of trust, and the love of God is felt intimately and profoundly. In prayer, our wounds are closed and healed, and forgiveness springs up from a deeper well of compassion and understanding. In prayer, tears often take the place of words, as some things simply cannot be expressed in our limited understanding and knowledge. I believe that prayer becomes the truest form of therapy available to mankind as we disconnect, even if just for a moment, from the identification of so many negative thoughts and feelings. Our tears bring healing to our hearts, and the very fabric of our brain chemistry changes as we become one with God through prayer.

There are some who pray to an angry external god, one who seems to enjoy inflicting pain and terror in the hearts of men. Those types of prayers are motivated by fear, hoping to escape this god’s anger for their own lives, yet participating in inflicting pain on others. I believe that the motivation for this type of prayer is self-serving and its sacrifice is wasted. Praying in this manner reveals great ignorance of the true potential that lies within all of us and of the understanding that God is a loving deity.

The God of love, who embraces through gentleness and understanding, has no need to be worshipped out of fear. He simply is! He has no need for revenge and punitive punishment to shame mankind into doing the right thing. His abiding seed is within each of us, and it is this understanding that shows us that the Kingdom of God is within - which will bring lasting changes into our relationships and into this world.

Prayer is the greatest gift that God has given to mankind. When one is engaged in prayer, a vision of peace and love is exalted far above all else. With radical honesty, this vision can change our own hearts and the very heart of this world. This type of prayer is motivated by love and love alone. It is important to understand that the influence that prayer has on others, as well as on the events around us, is not to be taken lightly. It is a powerful tool that can and will bring changes. It is available to all, without exception, and those who understand this realize what a responsibility and a privilege it is to pray.

God is the most profound reality and prayer is the purest and simplest way to experience that reality.

“Pray without ceasing for this is the will of God.” I Thes. 5:17