Prayer Takes Many Forms

Prayer isn’t always about words. True, it is a one-on-one talk with God. And, most times, it is in words. Sometimes the words are spoken aloud, sometimes they are read from book or a card.
There are times, though, when prayer is just a feeling. In a church or any place of worship, a prayer might just be the feeling of peace and belonging we get while we are there. That feeling of peace can come over us in other places, too, but it’s still the feeling that we are in tune with God.

In ’99, I went through colon cancer and almost died. I had gone so far as setting my affairs in order. There was a point when everything was “on hold.” I was waiting for test results. I was waiting for the selection of a surgeon. I was waiting, well, to see if I would live. A calm came over me that I can only explain as “the peace that surpasses all understanding.” I knew I needed surgery, at the very least. I prayed that I could remain stable so the surgery had the best chance of working. And I received that calm. When I first felt it, I was frightened. I thought I was feeling “nothing.” Then I slowly realized it was the absence of worry and the existence of trust, of faith.
Have I ever felt that calm, that peaceful, since? Not to that level. But I’ll never forget it.
Dear Father, please bless those who are reading this with that supreme calm when they need it most; let them feel it as I did. Thank you.