Too Many to Pray For...

Approaching 70 does not frighten me. However, it does have its drawbacks. The older I get, the larger the number of old friends, acquaintances, relatives, and loved ones which I am sure to lose each year, becomes. Some move away from my senior mobile home community to be closer to their families; some move because they can no longer afford the upkeep on their own homes and move into apartments or assisted living. Some pass away. The fact that my network dwindles more each year is not as worrisome as their sheer numbers.

I find I am spending more and more time praying for those who are still here. They face all sorts of issues - financial, medical, mental, emotional. I’m almost to the point where I am considering writing down each one I am praying for each night. There are so many.

One gal has terminal lung cancer and it has spread to the brain. One 80 year old gentleman lost his wife last year and still has to work so he can afford to keep his mobile home. Another gal gave us all a scare - she has a history of cancer and we were afraid she had it again. Thankfully, she does not have cancer, but she has clogged carotid arteries, gall bladder problems which might require surgery, recently suffered a stroke she wasn’t aware of, and more. So I switched from praying about the cancer to praying about the sheer number of other medical issues. A younger former co-worker is seeking work after recently getting laid off so I am praying about his financial world. My younger (by 11 months) sister is getting worse (weaker) each day in the nursing home she will never leave.

How on earth am I supposed to remember all the others, too, who need prayer and who have asked me, and others, to pray for them? The answer is simpler than it might seem. I can’t remember them all - I’ve only got a finite mind. I can, however, turn the whole mess over to God and with his infinite and almighty powers, he can watch over them for me.

Dear God, please hear my prayer at the moment I pray for each new person whose plight is made known to me, and keep them in your heart, showing compassion and mercy, as they deal with these obstacles on the road of life.