a prayer for healing and peace

This morning as I got on facebook and started scrolling through the newsfeed, I noticed several posts by kids from my old high school about a lockdown. As I looked further into it, I learned that there had been a violent incident involving three young girls. {If you'd like the details, you can get them from the school website.} I called my mom and texted a few friends to see if they'd heard the news. I have three siblings at that high school, and I was worried about their safety and emotional well-being. I was able to talk to my oldest brother on the phone tonight, and he says they're all doing fine, though obviously shaken by what happened.

In thinking about what has happened, a few thoughts and quotes have come to mind.

One thing that always boggles my mind is the dichotomy of good and evil in the world. How can such awful and sorrowful events occur on the same day in the same world, same town, and same facebook page as such beautiful and joyful events?

Gordon B. Hinckley said,

‎I have seen much of ugliness in this world. Most of it is the work of man. But I think I have seen much more of beauty. I marvel at the majestic works of the Creator. How magnificent they are. And they are all the work of the Son of God. 

The ugliness of what happened today is shocking. But beauty is still present in this world, even in tragedy.

Today I have had a continual prayer in my heart for the girls involved in the incident, both the two who were victims and the one who attacked them. Everyone needs our prayers and our hearts. God's love is infinite. God's love is Healing. "I am the Lord that healeth thee." {Ex. 15:26} Please pray for healing for these girls, their families, and all who were affected today.

I have been inspired and brought to tears by the unity I've seen among people in my hometown who have banded together in prayer and hope, and by the courage demonstrated by a close friend of my brother who heard the girls scream for help. I know that, as Helen Keller said,

Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it. 

Witnessing my young friends and siblings overcome and unite has been inspiring. I pray that they will continue to be able to overcome, and that they will have peace.

It makes me terribly sad that my younger siblings and friends have had to experience this. No teenager should ever have to deal with the emotions that come when a peer and friend is involved in such a violent attack at school. It's unfair, and I feel for the young people involved. I pray over them, that they will have peace and healing at this time as well.

One of my young friends at the high school wrote,

Everyone has a story. God's taking care of those in need today. Praying for safety & compassion at our school.

I join in her prayer for safety and compassion and add a prayer for her as well. God's hand is over everything.

I believe in hope. I believe in thinking of others before myself. I believe in God's infinite love and care for all of us. And what I believe is what gets me through.

God has told us,

Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I with strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee.

Tonight, as I pray for peace and healing over all who were affected, I trust in God's great love and compassion for all of us. I know that I cannot fully fathom what happened today, but I know with my whole being that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and that His Love brings peace, and healing, and that He understands. I know that He lives, that He loves us, and that He cares about each and every person in this world. I pray that others can know this as well.

I've been listening to beautiful things and there will be a day tonight, along with some instrumental hymns.

There will be a day

with no more tears

no more pain

and no more fears...

but until that day

we'll hold on to You always.

pray for love. pray for peace.

Avodah

A little over a week ago I wrote about how it's hard for me to feel like prayer is really working. {http://bewhyyou.blogspot.com/2011/02/prayer-works.html}

Well today in class I learned that the Hebrew word for work is the same as the Hebrew word for worship. The word avodah is translated both ways. How cool is that? :)

prayer works

The trickiest thing with prayer for me is feeling like I'm actually doing something. I live pretty far away from most of the people that I love, so sometimes it's hard for me when they're going through something hard and need my help, and all I can do is pray. This quote from the LDS Bible Dictionary helps me feel better: 

Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.

Sometimes I feel like I'm just saying words and that they're not really doing anything, and it's frustrating when I wish I could do more. I like this quote because it lets me know that if I'm putting forth a sincere effort - really working and not just casually praying - then it counts as work and it counts as doing something. Prayer is actually the "appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings." It's not just a little thing, as long as I don't treat it like a little thing. 


EDIT: the Hebrew word avodah is translated as both worship and work. :) 

God loves us, and he hears our prayers. Promise. :)

"What a blessing and a joy for each of us to know that our Father lives and that he loves us, that he forgives us when we repent, that he is ever willing to help and give love to his beloved children." ~Spencer W. Kimball

Have a wonderful weekend :) 

did you think to pray?

One of my favorite quotes about prayer comes from the LDS Bible Dictionary, which says, 

“Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them.” {read more here.}

 I really like that prayer isn’t about changing God’s mind – He is perfect, why would I change Him? It’s about bringing my will in line with His. It’s about changing myself; communicating with God, my Father in Heaven, and trying to become more like Him.

Okay but I'm just gonna take a leap of faith here and assume I'm not the only one who ever forgets to pray. One thing I just realized is that it is only because of Jesus Christ that God hears our prayers and is merciful to us {I'm kinda slow, I know.} Therefore, prayer is a way of taking advantage of the Atonement. Yikes! I would never take the Savior’s sacrifice for granted or not use it in my life. I value it way, way, way too much. I could never disrespect my Savior or His Atonement. So now that I know that prayer is only possible because of the Atonement... I hope I never forget it again.

God loves you, I promise! Happy Thursday :)