On the train coming back from visiting my daughter in the hospital, I pulled out my phone and–after listening to a message from a doctor about another child in a different facility–flipped open my Facebook account. I find it soothing to see what’s going on in other people’s lives, to recall that my reality isn’t everything.
Somewhere between the political rants and silly kid stories there was a post asking for prayer. It came from a mom who, in the course of conversation with the technician running tests on one of her kids, learned that the technician’s 16-year-old son had an inoperable brain tumor. She asked others to lift this boy in prayer.
I paused and sent a plea to heaven. It was easy enough to do. Then I looked out the train window at snowy trees and houses, musing. The short prayer left me feeling surprisingly peaceful. I think that’s because in the midst of our own trials, one of the unexpected points of light is seeing others in need and being able to pray for them. It’s as if by saying to God, “Let your light shine there” we open our hearts and His light illuminates our lives, too.
