Praying for Paris

I had intended to write a post about something else today, but it can wait. I can’t stop thinking about the attacks in Paris and wishing there was something I could do. I believe there is ALWAYS something we can do to help. Within a few seconds of wishing I knew what to do I found a post about how we can help those affected by the attacks in Paris.   The post has some very helpful suggestions and I plan on choosing at least one (maybe more) to do and I hope you will too.

To me, it feels like 9-11 just happening in a different place. I know it’s not as many people but the size of the tragedy doesn’t change the heartbreak it causes. And it’s made worse by the fact that it is so senseless. When someone dies from cancer or a heart attack we don’t like it, we may not understand it, but we accept that those things happen. How do we accept death caused by suicide bombers or people walking into a concert hall with machine guns and firing on unarmed people?

There is no understanding evil.

Another Thing We Can Do

Besides the great suggestions in the post I shared with you there is another that I believe is more important; prayer.

Why do I think prayer makes a difference? Because I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God and it tells us that…

I was raised in a small town where most folks attended church. My parents got married at a young age and stayed married. They took me and my brother to church every Sunday and we read and studied the Bible. I know without a doubt that my parent’s prayers and my grandparent’s prayers had a major impact on my life.

I also know that when my seven month old daughter was diagnosed with spinal meningitis the first thing I did was call my family and ask them to pray and then I got down on my knees beside her hospital crib and asked God to please let me keep her. For three days we didn’t know if she would live, and if she did live we knew there could be physical problems, like hearing loss. Our prayers were answered and our daughter is now a grown woman with 2 children of her own.

I tell you this because I know God hears our prayers.

Would I still feel the same way about prayer if my daughter had died or had hearing loss? Of course I would. I would have been heartbroken but every person who lives on this earth will eventually face death. When bad things happen it isn’t God’s fault and blaming Him is never the right thing to do.

When my mother was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer I prayed for her to be cured and she wasn’t. When my cousin Martha became sick with breast cancer I prayed for her to be cured and she wasn’t. Just like we don’t always give our children or grandchildren what they want when they ask for it, God knows our needs and has a bigger and better perspective on how and when things should happen.

An essential ingredient of prayer is trusting that God always has the right answer at the right time. It may not be the outcome we had prayed for, it may not be when we had hoped it would happen, but God’s way is always the right way.

Praying for Paris

Today I’m asking all my NanaHood friends to pray for Paris and the people who live there but I’m also asking that you pray for the leaders of all nations, that they will find a way to end terrorism and bring justice to those who senselessly kill innocents.

I also ask you to pray for our country and that we may follow more closely the path that was shown us by God through the Bible.

There is an organization you may have heard of called The International Council of Thirteen Grandmothers.  These grandmothers are from many different countries and they travel together around the world promoting peace, wisdom, unity and helping others.

I’m asking you to join me in doing something similar. We aren’t going to go all over the world (at least not yet) but what if all NanaHood friends would set aside some time today or tomorrow while you are at church to #Pray4Paris. We can call our movement #PrayingNanas  There are over 10,000 grandmothers on our Facebook page and if even a percentage of them prayed and asked others to join us…we can make a difference.

Use the hashtag #PrayingNanas and #Praying4Paris when you share your thoughts on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and any other social media outlet you use. Let’s unleash Nana Power by calling on a Higher Power. God.