The holiday season is now upon us and my prayer for you is that peace will surround you and that you will be motivated by love. Sounds simple. Yet, sometimes we become so overwrought by the ‘have to’s’ and the ‘musts’ that we neglect to take even a few minutes to appreciate the many gifts we have.

Mother Teresa noted that:

“Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God.”

This past week my community suffered the tragic loss of a young person. As some of the local clergy rallied to support the youth who lost their friend and the parents who will face this holiday season without a daughter, we were reminded of the need to take the time to connect, in meaningful ways, with those who are important to us. We were also reminded to pray.

“Lord, I cannot say it in words…

Could You please just listen through my heart.” – Anonymous

Putting ourselves in the hands of our God is counterintuitive to our culture and societal need to control. It is, however, the one thing we can do when nothing else makes sense. The loss of a loved one rarely makes sense to us. Praying helps us to express our pain and lays the foundation for much-needed hope.

Even when we don’t have the words, prayer has the capability to soothe, encourage, make sense of senseless situations, and offer hope. Prayer also provides a means by which we can make changes, show appreciation and gratitude, and fight for justice.

“Pray hardest when it’s hardest to pray.” -Anonymous

Why not take a moment to engage in prayer for yourself, those you love, your work, your government, and anything else that comes to mind. If you’re new at the concept, don’t let that stop you. I’m fairly certain that it would be difficult to make mistakes.