Written by: Jenny Calvert
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians
4:6-7 (NKJV)
My mother was a hand wringer. She, like many of us, suffered
from anxieties. She never fully divulged all of the things that were bothering
her, but you could always see it in her hands. Mom claimed the verse above and
quoted it to all her children and grandchildren. She wanted us to take our
burdens and leave them with Jesus. We tried to do this, but like her, many
times failed. We would say the words but letting go was the difficult part.
Towards the end of mom’s life, she would always ask me to
pray for her. I said I would, but when I asked, “Do you want me to pray for you
right now over the phone?” her answer was always, “Yes!” and so I did. I would pray for her comfort. I
would pray that she would feel God’s presence. I would pray that her pain would
be eased, and I prayed that she would be at peace. On her death bed, when she
could no longer speak, with great difficulty she took her hands and folded them
beside her face. It was her way of asking me to pray. I knelt beside her bed
and openly cried as I prayed inside her ear. The words were muddled and maybe
even senseless but nevertheless, I prayed. I finished with the Lord’s Prayer.
Later, I quoted the 23rd Psalms, and then Philippians 4:6-7. I think ever so slightly I saw her eyebrow
raise as I, in my distress, misquoted it.
My prayer is that we can all not only memorize this
scripture, but really take it to heart. Giving up our anxieties to God fully
would help us to be at peace in our daily walk. With prayer and gratitude our
requests can be given to a loving, forgiving, understanding, peace giving
Savior. Praise be to God!
Dearest Giver of Peace,
We come to you with our requests, our confessions, our
hopes, our desires and our thanksgiving. We leave them at your feet and ask for
your peace, which surpasses all understanding. Guard our hearts and minds as you
promised.
Through Christ Jesus,
Amen
Oh Jenny how this made me cry... I can only imagine. I am so sorry for the loss of your Mother! Somehow I missed this on FB. You know that without a doubt you have a very special place in my heart with your name on it. Plus, the scripture at the beginning is very near and dear to me as well. It is one that I say OFTEN!! I love you my friend and I know clearly that your Mother was comforted by your prayers with her. YOU are a lovely writer! Keep it up!
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