Prayer Through a Teenager's Eyes

Seven days or 168 hours or 10,080 minutes of prayer.

A favorite event at our church is our 24/7 prayer room. For three years now, our pastors Robert & Mindy have created a sacred space with many different opportunities for prayer, from candles to scripture, art and music, communion and praying for our leaders. We are a medium-sized congregation. Some might say that filling 168 hour time slots with willing volunteers is unrealistic. Some might say that just sitting and praying for an hour is daunting, boring or impossible. Yet, here we are in our third year.

My whole family enjoys time in the prayer room. Sunday night, I signed up for 8pm, hoping my son Trent would want to come with me. He did.

Here's a recap:

First things first - cappuccino!
Where does he go?
To the place where he can make music:
     Guitar strums
          Drum beat
London Bridges on a small accordion and
Hot Cross Buns on the sliding flute.

Some might say, "Is this really worship? Do you call this prayer?"
And I would answer, Yes.

When a 14 year old boy chooses to come to church on a Sunday night with his mom,  for the purpose of praying, I believe God smiles.

When a teenager feels comfortable in God's house, I believe God rejoices.

When that boy, unprompted, signs up for another time slot after school and invites his friend to join him, I think God is pleased.

How will God speak to him?

Through music? Most definitely.

Sacred objects grab his interest next, a wooden cross in his palm, some jingly bells.

He feels a pull toward the craft table and starts to create something with clay. Each year we have tried to create something with clay that the others might add on to. He says that creating something makes him feel like an elf and he begins to whistle a jazzy version of "Jingle Bells."

I close my eyes, enjoying the stillness, savoring the quiet.

"Mom!" I open my eyes as he says excitedly, "let's finger paint!"

Groan.
Not even a moment of peace and quiet?
I resist the urge to resist.

We begin creating together.
First thumbprints made into critters.
Then messy fingers and colors blending,
Just like our lives - messy and blurring together,
sometimes beautiful, sometimes not so much.

Time slips away in those sacred moments

for this mother and son,

God's love surrounding us,

Filling us,

Sustaining us.

Mother and son,

Hearts open to the moment,

Hearts open to creativity,

Hearts open for God's love to move,

          in us

          through us

          and beyond us.

Hearts open wide for God's grace to flow in.

Mother and son.