We are involved with a group of people who pray for others. It’s called a prayer line, and as is most convenient these days, we get e-mails every time someone presents a new petition to the prayer line. We have prayed for sick people, those facing divorce, those whose relatives are being sentenced to prison, world leaders, and almost any other concern you can think of. We don’t just ask for things though. Sometimes we’re asked to give thanks for a tragedy averted, and sometimes to praise God for the glorious world he has given us.

We’re relatively new at this; we just started this summer. We didn’t even know it existed before we had something we were worried about and a friend said that she’d bring it to the prayer line. We don’t know who we’re praying for, (none of the requests have names attached) and we only know a few other people who are also receiving these messages, but it ties us in to all people who are praying somehow, and also to all people in need of prayer. It has built in us a great sense of community.

Our spiritual life has many facets and some may not regard the same things spiritual that we do. For instance, we consider that we are acting spiritually when we drive a child to practice, get stopped by a train, pick up ingredients for dinner, clean old newspapers out of the porch, and gently (or not so gently) remind each other of the obligations he or she has to the family before the end of the day. God is everywhere, and to us that has always meant that we will encounter God by doing all the jobs in our lives. The more we can do them with patience and good humor the more likely we are to encounter God there, we think.

Some couples say that they strongly believe that God intended them to be together; even that God had a hand in their coming together. For our marriage, it seems that God is like the air that surrounds us. God sustains us even though much of the day we take that presence for granted.

When we are working hard and under physical stress, we are more conscious of the need for air. In the same way when life bats us around we’re more aware of the need for God. Then in happier times when we are feeling great we often take in a big breath just to expand our lungs and get that feeling of an abundance of life. Also when we’re celebrating the good moments we take a moment to rejoice in God’s closeness to us.

Adapted from FOUNDATIONS Newsletter