Crisis. Crisis. Crisis.

That pretty much sums up the past week. Blessedly, they weren't technically my crises, but you know how it goes. Trying to convince the bill collector that, while Kelly's nonpayment is an issue, you are not Kelly . . . let's just call it fruitless and leave it at that.

I really needed some quiet prayer time so getting to the that morning was a priority, but when I power hustled out of my bedroom, I found my son sprawled on the family room sofa.

He isn't a morning person, but this was a bit beyond his norm. "By hed id al tobbed ub." Not only was his head all stopped up, so was my trip to the local labyrinth.

He wasn't super sick, but I didn't feel right leaving him much longer than it took to go buy cheap chicken noodle as per his request. What to do? I needed to pray, but my trip to the labyrinth was out and the distractions had only gotten worse with someone else in the house. If only I had a set of prayer beads like my friend Lynn . . .

Then I remembered a craft newsletter that had instructions for prayer beads. I'd never used prayer beads and really didn't have a clue, but I could thread a needle and that was a start. Maybe, just maybe, this was a nudge in a prayerful direction.

I found a too-short string of green beads from a friend, onyx beads that had belonged to my mother, scissors, and string. I strung 6 onyx beads, a brass spacer, a green bead, and then another spacer and then repeated the process several times.

Finished, I took my creation to the living room sofa. Would this work? Would it be enough to give me something to focus on? Bead by bead, I started out with short prayers of praise. Then I worked my way through the church prayer list. I still had two groups of beads to go. Line by line, bead by bead, I prayed Saint Francis's Prayer.

When I was done, I had been praying for 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes isn't much, but it is about 13 minutes longer than I usually manage at home on a busy day. I felt more relaxed and more centered than usual too.

It may not be as restful as the labyrinth, but the beads are a daily reminder to sit and spend some time in quiet prayer.

Bead by bead.

Our Connection

I grew up with prayer
as a quiet quick few seconds before bed,
but that's no longer enough.

From labyrinths to prayer beads,
from song to meditation,
there are so many ways
to connect with You.
Help me see them for what they are.

Adoration,
praise,
supplication,
and pleas for intervention.

They may not have been part of my past,
but maybe they will be part of our future,
Your's and Mine together.

-SueBE