"...For You alone my soul waits in
silence; my hope is from the Beloved. Enfolding me with strength and steadfast love, my
faith shall remain firm. In the silence rests my freedom and my guidance; You are the
Heart of my heart, my refuge is in the Silence…"
- Psalm 62
Nan C. Merrill
“Pray-ers”
needed. This is a call to help with Prayer Shawls and Feelie Hearts.
You ask what this is. It’s a way of “actively” praying and bringing the
prayers to folks that need it so much; to the Sick, the Dying and those family members
that survive great tragedy (and much more). To bring God’s Love to those in need;
enfolding, comforting, covering, and giving solace in these physical prayers of warm
beauty.
The prayer
shawls are prayed on while being knitted or crochet. They are then blessed and delivered
in prayer to the ones that need these prayers. I myself don’t know how to knit or
crochet - this isn’t a requirement. We have folks that are willing to help teach us
and bring this gift of a new prayer opportunity for anyone feeling “called” to
this ministry. For further info you may also visit the Prayer ministry Resource web page:
http://prayer.trinitytullahoma.org/html/tlcprayerresource.htm
Links are
available with Prayer Shawl information and one being an article written in the LUTHERAN.
Also, feel free to contact me I am more than willing to share the story how this call came
about and where it might lead.
The
“Feelie Hearts”, I know it sounds weird but it is very much a call to help in
healing prayer as the Prayer Shawls are. I’ll Share you some ‘snippets’
from a story I read that might give your a better idea what these are (Kimmie’s momma just recently died
of cancer):
..."with a
smile, Kimmie (4 years old) abandoned the cat and climbed into my lap. Reaching into her
tiny pocket, she took something out and put it into my hand. It was a small stuffed velvet
heart, obviously handmade. I looked at her father. "It's a feelie heart," he
said. "she never goes anywhere without it."...
..."Small enough to put into a little pocket and take to
school to hold and rub, these soft little hearts give children permission to hold their
own hearts tenderly and to grieve. To remember that they were loved and know that they can
love. Children carry them for as long as they need to, finding comfort in the softness
when thoughts of their loss might otherwise overwhelm them."...
..."More than
30,000 little hearts have been made for Bridges (Bereavement center in WA. State) over the
past ten years by groups of volunteers who sew them by hand out of old bathrobes, shirts
and running suits - anything that is velour or velvet. They are giving the hearts to
grieving children at many of their own public events, in their support groups and
sometimes even at funerals.
No two hearts
are exactly alike, and each has a life of its own. Stories about that life abound. IT is
common for children who have grieved to give their feelie heart to other children who are
going through hard times. One little girl gave her heart to her father when her parents
divorced. A small boy sent his to his teacher when her own little boy died. When we have
the freedom to grieve, loss often turns naturally into compassion."...
If you feel
called to this kind of prayer opportunities, they are very easy to make and a great way to
pray too…Keep an eye out on Sunday Bulletin for dates/times.
Thanks again for all your support.
Blessings,
Elder Sue Turner
Prayer Ministries |
