Sock It!

Last spring, my parked car wore two white socks, one on each side-view mirror.

I put them there to discourage a persistent sparrow that, seeing his mirrored image, would daily exhaust himself by mercilessly fighting his own reflection.

When it comes to praying for my family members, I often mimic that feathered friend.

Anxious and fearful that evil forces might steal God’s blessings from my loved ones, I attempt to defend them with fretful prayers.

I struggle and fight, rehearsing before God my worrisome concerns. But I have found that such praying, which is based on fear, is tedious and exhausting.

It also produces further anxiety: were my prayers strong enough to overcome the obstacles endangering those I love?

Whom or what situations have I forgotten to pray for?

Sometimes when I slip into this unhealthy mode of praying, I recall the sparrow and the effectiveness of my sock-solution.

It motivates me to ‘put a sock’ on my anxieties and fears and instead to cover them with positive and effectual prayer, such as the Lord’s Prayer.

Praying in this way for my loved ones is not exhausting and assures me that God, whose love far surpasses mine, knows the needs of my loved ones and cares for them.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, keep us free from anxiety and fear. Teach us to pray as you taught your disciples, ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’ Amen