Birthday prayer

This past weekend, I celebrated my thirty-third birthday. I am starting to get old. I can tell because I’m having to stop and think exactly how old I am. That never happened in my twenties. I always knew. Now, I have to stop and subtract in my head.

My current day job is an activities assistant in a retirement community. (For those wondering what I do, I play games and help plan parties. That pretty much sums it up.) A retirement facility is a great place for anyone who is starting to feel old but is still under 65. In my residents’ eyes, I am a baby. They tell me that every chance they get.

The day after my birthday, one of my residents stopped me to wish me a happy birthday. She grabbed my hands and held them tight as her beautiful face wrinkled up even more into a big smile. She asked me, “May I say a birthday prayer for you?’

I smiled and told her I’d love that. Without skipping a beat, she started right into the prayer.

“Watch over thy child, O Lord, as her days increase; bless and guide her wherever she may be. Strengthen her when she stands; comfort her when discouraged or sorrowful; raise her up if she fall; and in her heart may thy peace which passeth understanding abide all the days of her life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

This sweet 89 year old is actually a twin, and her identical twin sister lives with her. They go everywhere together and are simply referred to as “The Twins.” They wear mismatched clothes (I might too when I’m 89), and always have a kind word to say to anyone they meet. Every morning, they drive themselves to church. They’ve been faithful Episcopalians for their entire life, I’m sure, and will often share one of the Episcopalian prayers with someone who needs encouragement or uplifting.

Their faith encourages me. They know and believe in their God and His promises. They trust Him, and they love life. Their faith flows effortlessly out of them.

This is what I long for in my faith. I’m tired of struggling and feeling frustrated. I want to just rest in God’s truth and let that be enough. I want what she prayed over me.

But perhaps those sweet ladies struggled too when they were thirty-three and it just took them some fifty-plus years to get to the depth that their faith has reached.

 

4 Replies to “Birthday prayer”

  1. Happy Birthday, Jamie! And don’t get discouraged about your faith — you’ll get there, by the grace of God and with His help. Blessings to you!

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