HCLM BLOG

Thursday night I was picking up the leftovers from Panera across the street from church. I really didn’t want to. It was a long day. I had just finished a meeting and wanted to go home. Esteban, our student ministry intern who also works there while going to school, texted me and asked me if I could do it. He had arranged for us to be the recipient of those gifts starting tonight. There I ran into one of the workers and through our conversation said that she was looking for a church to go to. Even I can walk through a door that is open that wide. In the course of our conversation, she shared that she had to drop out of school to care for her ailing mother. She works on Sunday mornings but was looking for a place to belong; I imagine looking for hope and support. I thought Esteban’s team would be perfect. I invited her. I knew she needed to finish her closing responsibilities but I didn’t want to end our conversation using a Christianize phrase, “I’ll pray for you.” Then I thought of another team, led by Michelle Bergman. Once a month, on the first Thursday, they break from their routine of praying through our prayer list to hold a prayer service so we can specifically pray for healing. I got over my fear of rejection and also invited her and her mom to come on November 4. She had tears in her eyes. I hope she comes. More importantly, I hope in those few moments, that she felt as if God was connecting with her. 

I was on the treadmill at 6a this morning listening to a podcast, trying to wake up my legs along with the rest of my body that seemed to be sleepwalking or more accurately, sleeprunning. The speaker was challenging people to think of the key phrases that they use when praying. You've probably used some of my favorites, if not all of these, "thank you for today, watch over me, and the ever popular bless me." That last one intrigues me, mostly because I have said it a lot, mostly while I'm sleep praying, trying to wake up and say what is really on my mind. Is that really what I would say to God when I see Him face to face? I imagine "Wow you are awesome" might be the first words out of my mouth. But "bless me?" I mean isn't our role to bless God, to lift Him up? And doesn't God bless His work already? And if I'm doing something that God isn't already blessing, do I really want to ask Him to bless it? Maybe a wake up call is in order. We have a God who loves us that offers us the opportunity to communicate with Him at any point of any day. God help me not sleepwalk through my prayers!