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Every Day is Precious: Spoken prayer exposes heart
By ROB PAYNE
For Williamson A.M.
You've seen them on the street and on TV: shaggy haired teenage boys wearing baggy pants that are riding so low their underwear shows. Most often they have wheels strapped to their feet. They are Rollerbladers or, to avoid misuse of a brand name, in-line skaters. And we've got one living in our house. For the past few years our 14-year-old son Matthew has been interested in nothing but skating. I have to police myself to keep from judging people by their appearance. I want to be Christ-like and look at a person's heart. But if you have (or have had) teen-agers in your house, you know there are times when you wonder if they even have a heart. Every now and then we get to see a glimpse of another's heart, even a teen-ager's. In addition to the normal teen angst of algebra, acne, and alienation, Matthew has had to deal with his mother Marcy's fight for her life. For the last couple of years he has had to miss her being able to touch him. For the past year he hasn't even been able to hear the sweet sound of his mother's voice. Last Wednesday night some friends and strangers came from Clearview Baptist Church to pray for Marcy. It was nothing fancy, no big production. We had asked them to come, so we also asked the kids to be home for the prayer time. I don't know that this is in the Bible, but I have heard that God knows your thoughts and Satan doesn't have that power. So when we pray we should pray out loud especially when we want Satan to know that we belong to God. At one point during the evening everyone circled around Marcy's bed and reached out to touch her. The pastor asked for prayer from anyone who felt comfortable doing so. No one had to pray, we didn't go in turn. First praying was a person to my right, then to my left, then across from me. Then Matthew, who I didn't even know was in the room, spoke up. He thanked God for the beautiful day, for all the blessings He has given us. He asked God to please heal Mommy. I hadn't heard Matthew pray out loud other than saying the blessing before dinner. I don't remember his exact words, just that his prayer was simple but very powerful. I couldn't help but cry. I could hear others sniffling. I had to open my eyes slightly, to secretly try to dry out a little. I wondered if Marcy was OK, so I looked at her. Marcy wasn't crying. Her eyes were closed and she was wearing a smile that was bigger than her face. This kid who I didn't think had been paying attention for the last four years really does understand. I can rest easier knowing he has given at least part of it up to God. Is there a better gift that could come from this part of our journey? And a day and a half after Matthew's prayer, Marcy started breathing on her own for a few minutes a few times a day. Coincidence? If you know someone in need, pray out loud for them. It could be a word of knowledge that brings them a Perfect Peace.
Every Day Is Precious is a column to remind us to treat everyone we see today as if it could be the last time we see them. It is written by Rob Payne, whose wife, Marcy, was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) in August 2000. Now 40 years old, she has gone from winning 5 and 10K races to being quadriplegic and on a ventilator at home. For more ways to help others, to find more about Marcy, or to receive email updates on her condition, visit www.EveryDayIsPrecious.com.
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