We are Never Alone

My family of origin stopped attending church when I was around seven years old.  From that point on, I attended church sporadically.  I sang in a youth group choir for a while, attended one weekend retreat, and occasionally went to services with my mother.  Some members of my family attended the Christmas Eve service every year.  But my grandmother was the only member of the family who continued to attend Sunday services on a weekly basis.  By the time I graduated from high school, church and religion were practically nonexistent in my life, except for the yearly attendance of the Christmas Eve service.

I started attending a church again when I was 32 years old.  I had moved to Providence, RI, to live near my boyfriend (who is my husband now) and to finish my undergraduate education at Providence College.  Brian (my “then” boyfriend and “now” husband) and I began attending The First Baptist Church in America regularly.  We fell in love with the pastors, the congregation, the history of the church, and the American Baptist denomination. 

Attending a church regularly for the first time since I was seven years old was an education!  I had no real idea what being a member of a church could offer me.  I soon learned, however! 

One of the amazing things I learned when I became part of a church community is that I would never be alone again.  I found out that members of the church could ask other members to pray for them.  In fact, the church had a group of people whose “job” it was to pray regularly for those who requested prayer.  Prayer was this group’s ministry.  It slowly dawned on me that I was now part of a community that would care for its members.  I felt loved simply because I existed.  The love was given freely; I did not have to earn it or deserve it.  I have since come to think of this kind of love as Godly love.

While I was a member at The First Baptist Church in America, my sister got married.  She asked me to sing at her wedding.  I had begun taking singing lessons in my twenties and had continued with them.  I sang in church choirs and college choirs, and performed in recitals.  I always felt very nervous when I sang as a soloist, however.  I would get so nervous that my body would shake, which made it difficult to sing well, since the body is the instrument when singing!

As the date for my sister’s wedding approached, it dawned on me that I could ask my church community to pray for me to have a peace-filled singing experience.  But did I have enough “guts” to put myself out there and ask?  After all, how important was I and my singing in the big picture?  I wouldn’t be asking for the prayer team to pray for peace or justice.  I would merely be asking them to pray for little, old, nervous me as I sang one solo at someone’s wedding!  Would the energy the prayer team put out on my behalf be justified?

I decided to put myself out there and ask for prayer!  I was learning at church that each one of us is a beloved child of God and that each one of us is worthwhile to God, no matter how small we may feel, so I needed to act in faith and ask for prayer – even for something as insignificant as singing at my sister’s wedding!

I asked for prayer, the prayer team prayed for me, and I had the most peaceful solo singing experience I had ever had!  It was a blessed moment in my life.  I learned so much about the love of God and the love of a church community that was acting out its love of God in its care of me.  Bible verses come to mind as I write this: 

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?”  (Matthew 6:26)*

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  (Matthew 10:29-31)*

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”  (Matthew 25:40)

I remembered this experience recently when I felt moved to ask for prayer for my daughter and I as she began a weekend of dance competition.  This is her first year participating in competitive dance, and the learning curve has been steep – more so for me than for her, I think!  Balancing the realities of a competitive environment with the ideals of my Christian religion has been a challenge for me, not to mention that I have to watch my daughter be judged on a regular basis.  I wanted to ask the members of my church to pray for my daughter and me, but I felt, also, that I would be asking them to pray for something trivial.  Just like all those years ago, I wouldn’t be asking them to pray for important things, like peace and justice; I would merely be asking them to pray for my daughter and me as we engaged in something that is a privilege in itself to be able to participate in!

And, then, I remembered my experience back at The First Baptist Church in America.  I remembered how the members of that church had taught me about the love of God when they prayed for me.  I remembered that their love and prayers for me taught me how to love and pray for others regardless of who they are or what they do.  I remembered that we are to love and pray for others merely because they exist; not because they earn it or deserve it, but because everyone is a beloved child of God and for that reason – and only that reason – everyone deserves love and prayer.

And so, I asked for prayer for my daughter and me.  And, later that day, when she fell and hurt herself while preparing for her solo performance, I remembered that we were not alone.  I remembered that our church community was holding us in prayer.  Regardless of what would happen, my daughter and I were surrounded by love.

After a few moments of pain and tears, my daughter was able to perform, and she danced beautifully.  Just like when I sang all those years ago at my sister’s wedding, it was a blessed moment.

We are never alone unless we choose to be.  There are people who will love and pray for us merely if we ask.  They do so because they love God and God’s people, and want everyone to know that God’s love is good and gracious and abounding.   The only thing we have to do is ask.  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”  (Matthew 7:7). 

* To hear a sung version of Matthew 6:26 and 10:29-31, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpyLoHyqlFI.  Jennifer Holiday sings “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.  She starred in the original Dreamgirls on Broadway.