This week my social media memories have been full of events from seven years ago when Hurricane Florence made landfall close to our home in New Bern, North Carolina. Slow-moving, Florence caused storm surges and flooding described as happening once in 500 years. Ahead of the storm, my kids and I evacuated to Charlotte, where my parents live. Coincidentally, they were not there; they were on a cruise through the Baltic Sea. Just as we were able to return to our home, my mother, having developed pneumonia, was taken from their cruise to a hospital in Germany.
Though our house was damaged, we could live in it. We had two friends who were not as fortunate; they moved in with their dogs to live with us for a bit. Schools were closed for 6 weeks. And while all this was happening in North Carolina, my mother remained in that German hospital for almost 3 weeks before being allowed to travel home. To say it was a stressful time is an understatement. But as the memories pop up, I am reminded of the outpouring of prayers and support we received. A reminder of my long-held belief in the transformative power of prayer.
Looking back to this time seven years ago, I was reminded of all our faith at home practices when the kids were younger. The older our kids have gotten, the harder it has been to keep them up. Even Prayer Pumpkins, which both kids love, are challenging to manage given the come-and-go schedules of an 8th and 11th grader. This past February, in an effort to rethink one of our practices, I tried texting for our Valen-kinds daily scripture. Let’s just say it did not work! Disheartened, I felt our faith at home practices had completely fallen by the wayside.
Like many families, ours is all over the place during a regular school week. A couple of years ago, in an attempt to save our sanity, my husband and I decided we would have family calendar meetings on Sunday evenings. Hanging in our kitchen, this poster-sized calendar has everyone’s activities, appointments, etc. written down for the week. Besides a space for chores and menus, this particular calendar held a gift I hadn’t noticed until February’s failed texting campaign. There were blank spaces for prayers and thanksgivings, and we had been sharing them each week! We pray for friends, relatives, people at school, church, and beyond! We also share things we were grateful for: good weather, a friend’s success, and a visit with family. I have realized that, though this practice isn’t daily, it is regular and important!
Who knew a weekly calendar meeting would help my family learn that our prayer lives can be both constant and flexible? That in the midst of life’s changes or challenges, God is always listening and speaking. I am grateful for the social media memories from seven years ago and for a not-so-new family prayer practice hidden in plain sight. Both have led me and my family to experience God’s transformative love through prayer in old and new ways.
How have your household’s faith at home practices evolved over time? Have you discovered a prayer practice hiding in plain sight?
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