It's not Magic, It's the Power of Reality.

Usually when people come across the word “prayer” they just throw it away in the garbage like a rotten seed. They don't even attempt to just give it a try or even consider just throwing it in the soil to discover its divine peaceful, juicy, worryless fruits. Sometimes people are unaware, uneducated and just faithless. Is this their fault? Maybe, maybe not. But it being their fault or not doesn't matter. What matters is the friendship, effort, trust, and availability of openness one needs to plant this seed.

2nd Grade

In the beginning of my “prayer” life, it was simply just repeating the same words over and over or just singing along during a church service. My robotic words were as  flavorless as a cucumber, and as plain as an ice rink, but something was juicy about it. It was comforting in a way. I was in the old brown church pews. I was 7-years-old with 2 top ramen pigtails, that my mom rushed to do in the car. It was one of those crispy Wednesday  mornings with “jack frost.” I wore my navy blue boring uniform that I wore everyday that was 3 inches above my knee, not 2 inches. However when I walked past Sister Maureen, I’d pull down my skirt as far as I could.

That day, I merged my mellow voice with my classmates singing: “Children of God in ONE family loved by God in ONE Family, and no matter WHAT YOU DO, God loves me and you.” Our voices flew to the ceilings, and fell back down to create smiles on our parents faces. We were a chorus of angels filled with innocence and flawlessness. Although I didn't understand completely who was God, and if God really still loved me after I was sent to the principal's office every week, that united melody, that prayer, this affirmation stayed with throughout the day, following me home and in to this day.

6th Grade

By the time I was in 6th grade I started understanding a little more about God. Since I was the daughter of a religious educator, this seed was planted deeply in me. When we’re in 6th grade we start becoming a little more conscious about the world and ourselves. We feel this eagerness of feeling important and a leader. We start finding who we are and stick to what makes us feel loved. Every Wednesday since I was in a pink baby carrier, I accompanied my mom to the classes she’d teach at church. One day she had all the parents place a rusty old rock in a bowl. This dirty rock signified all the burdens they carried in their heart. After the rock was placed in a bowl, there was another person who prayed over each person.  Then after everyone was prayed upon, my mom poured water into the bowl where the heavy rocks were. Then with her loud, assertive voice she said, “ This water signifies God cleansing your heart and taking away your pain, open your heart and let God renew it.”

By the time we had all processed our thornful damage, half the classroom was crying. I felt the whole room stuffed with unconditional bandaids that were placed among each heart. This feeling is as if you want to explode because of so much love.  It was as if we were all injected with 10,000 mg of euphoria. This was the first time I experienced one of the powers of Prayer. Little did I know this is what God's presence felt like in our life. This Joy that flowed through my body like a small hidden creek stayed with me, inviting me to be more curious and longing for this sweet, soft, fuzzy feeling that I can't really explain. My openness and willingness to participate was all that I needed.  

High School

    In the midst of my teenage rebellion, I had one place where I could find peace, where I fit in. I was so stuck when it came to praying on my own. I felt like maybe I wasn’t praying right. My mom just told me, “Talk to him as if he were your friend and then read the bible.” I thought that I didn't treat God like my friend.  I wasn't sure how I was suppose communicate with someone who I didn't have a relationship with. After all best friends have good relationships. This was my issue with GOD; We didn't have a concrete relationship. I realized that having trust in a relationship is fundamental. My relationship with God wasn’t one with trust and if I was asking God for all of these favors and help in my life, I couldn’t do it if I didn’t have a solid relationship with Him. How would I strengthen a relationship with someone who I felt didn't talk back to me and that I couldn't see? The answer was right in front of me. Read The Bible. I was able to find out more about God by reading about Him and His son. I would  open the bible at random places and reflect on what God wanted to tell me in that moment. Sometimes I would have to read a single passage three times in order for me to understand. He really spoke to me sometimes when I truly opened my heart and paid attention. He would give me strength and hope by simply just reading The Bible. This created a relationship because I started to trust him, just like everyone else did in The Bible. Within that trust my stem began to grow. Whenever a tough situation came in my life, I prayed. I prayed, and I put my trust in God who had always been in my life somehow. By forming a relationship with God and doing what was in The Bible such as loving my neighbor, I started seeing my life change. I entered more deeply in prayer, my path had light from God. It wasn't cloudy with fear and doubt and worry. Because I had decided to trust him and make him my friend, he did the same with me.

Today

Over the years I have learned to pray in many ways, through singing melodies that stay in my heart throughout the day, through dynamics and conversations that open my heart to feel his presence, through building a relationship with scripture to acquire trust, through simply just paying attention to the little things in life that he has given us, through reading The Bible and reflecting, and through making him my friend. Today I have a journal where I talk to God and write about all of our adventures together. Prayer is a Reality. It is not Magic. He is present in our lives. WE just have to give him a chance and be open he will make us bloom into a FLOWER. It's your turn to discover your own juicy fruits..