Your thoughts on prayer

Don't run away, Stephanie. Stay and join in. 

The maternal instinct thing is interesting. I wonder if other animals demonstrate the same thing. Are monkeys with babies less likely to take risks than monkeys without babies?

That would be an interesting study! 

Andy, so sorry to hear about your loss of a daughter and your father. So many of our friends on this site have had very tragic losses and have been so brave which has been revealed in this particular thread. 

John - I am most definitely running away! I am the worst person in the world to join in with this thread - I am definitely not an atheist but I don't go to church anymore (fallen by the wayside Methodist) so I'm in the middle which is the worst place to be on a thread like this! I know Ruth understands so it's bye from me on this bit and hello on the threads where i don't need to strain my tiny brain!

Hi Andy and Stephanie:  Thanks for offering your thoughts and I don't think of either of you or anyone else as being cowards for not participating in this thread.  You both shared your thoughts early on and yes, it's become sort of a debate the last several pages, but your thoughts are no less important than anyone else's.  As for being clever, Stephanie, I don't have an original thought in my head.  Believe me, my cursor hovered over the post button a good long while before I finally clicked it when I started this thread.  But in the weeks before, a lot of stuff had been shared on the site that went down deeper than just the small talk or friendly, fun banter.

I guess I started the thread because prayer helps me in everything I do, the good and the bad, the joyful, the stressful, the sorrowful and the decision making.  And when you have something good, you want to share it with people you've come to care about, you know?  And I know there are millions of people around the world who could offer that same testimony.

When my boy died, I don't know how I survived and was able to turn back to God.  But so many people told me how much they were praying for me.  I couldn't pray at the time.  Maybe that's where God really exists - in results.  In giving people hope, and not just for the afterlife, but in this life as well.  And yes, we will all die someday and not everyone gets their miracle, and there is a lot of pain and suffering in this world, but I still believe in and trust a loving God.  Others have also shared this on this thread.  Prayer has helped me discern this and let go of a lot of the "religious" baggage that causes people to turn from God.  And I suppose perhaps one of the things I had hoped this discussion would do would be to get people to think and reflect, not necessarily participating on the thread, but in the privacy of their own hearts, about what they believe or don't believe and why.  We're all works in progress.

I don't think you sent in too many posts in the forum before we all knew what a great mom you are to your children, Stephanie.  Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.  I too hope you continue to participate here, but as you said, I totally understand and respect you if you don't.

And Andy, you're always so kind to everybody.  You strike me as the kind of guy who'd do anything for anybody.  I'm happy to call you my friend.  And everybody else here at the forum - you're all very precious.

John, God stole my avatar too. lol.

And so on that note, here's a short paragraph from a work called Prayers for Franciscan Hearts by Mary Esther Stewart.  (See Stephanie, how I shamelessly steal the clever stuff.  )

"Flocks of birds, in medieval times, symbolized crowds of common people.  Saint Francis did preach to the birds, but  more important, he gave the common people the message that they were "Buona gente," good people loved by God.  HIs message for them and for us is to believe in our own self-worth and to face life with courage and hope."

And that's my prayer for all of you.

Sorry to hear about your losses, Andy. 

I don't want to give the impression that I spend my days thinking about death all the time! I'm glad to say I don't do that - but I am very aware of it.

Our modern technology plays a part in that. I remember being shocked when I heard about John Lennon's death in 1980 - I still remember where I was, what I was doing etc. Since then, whenever someone famous dies (someone I've 'known' most of my life) I almost hear a little counter in my head flip over one more number.

Because I don't believe any kind of afterlife - because I think this is all we ever get - that kind of awareness makes life seem particularly precious to me.