Whenever I feel like I just can’t write one more thing because I am completely out of ideas, I inevitably end up being called into grandma duty and have my writer’s block knocked down by a delightful three-year-old.
We, or rather he, decided it was a good day to go outside in the yard, in spite of 20-degree temperatures so we donned our winter gear and headed for the swing. I used to have to lift him up to get him in, but now he considers himself capable of all things.
I asked him if he needed help and he said no, he could do it himself and tried valiantly to hoist himself up and get his seat into the swing so he wasn’t falling off. He tried a few times and almost made it. Finally, he turned around to me and said, “Actually, I can’t.”
Just hearing a three-year-old begin a sentence with actually is enough for a smile, but I gave him a big hug and told him that many adults would have trouble acknowledging so simply and freely that they were struggling with something.
It made me think about the reason we go to God in prayer.
Life throws a lot at us, and, for some of us, it means we become the anchor of the family, the person who holds things together, who carries the emotional load and makes sure everyone else gets what they need. Sometimes, when we fool ourselves into thinking we are capable of all things, we take on just one thing to many and the load drags us under. There comes a time when we need to admit, “Actually, I can’t” – do one more thing, worry about one more thing, fix one more thing.
I’ve also learned that God sends angels to remind us of what we need to do. Mine came in the form a lovely man in the hotel room opposite mine. We struck up a conversation and I discovered he had been staying there for months. He was happy for the exchange but must have sensed I was distressed.
As I slide the key card into my door he said to me, “Mary, let God carry it. Give it over.”
He disappeared into his room before I could respond, but as soon as I got to my computer I sat down and wrote out four prayers asking God to hear the prayers of the saints I had chosen to intercede on behalf of those of my family whose pain I was carrying. I pray them daily and it has made all the difference in the world to me, body, mind and spirit.
But adults are not the only ones carrying burdens. The mental health of our children has been seriously impacted by two years of a pandemic. We cannot change the times they are living in, but we can try to help them find avenues to express their fears and anxiety and recover some sense of hope in the future.
Prayer can do that. Give your students an opportunity to pray in a variety of ways every day. Be sure to include the opportunity for personal prayer intentions that give children a chance to acknowledge and express those things that weigh heavy on their hearts, turning them over to God to carry for them.
Some children may want to share their intentions with the class, others may prefer to write them on a piece of paper and put them in a prayer intention box or jar on the class prayer table.
Perhaps as important as helping children acknowledge and express their difficult feelings, is helping those same children find reasons to be thankful.
A Prayer of Thanks, written together as a class and prayed at the end of the school day, is an important building block for faith and developing a sense of gratitude. It can help teachers, too.
Mary Regina Morrell, mother of six and grandmother to nine, is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.