July 28, 2010

All too often we feel helpless when we've heard news of a challenging situation for a friend or loved one. We easily relate to the pain that they are experiencing, and we so would like to 'make it all better'. Sometimes there is an action that we can take - perhaps we can sit with the friend, maybe we can bring a meal or groceries, or we can send a thoughtful card. Sometimes though there doesn't seem to be anything that we can do. But there is!

The absolute best thing we can do for another is prayer! Whether we find outward ways to support our loved ones or not, we can always pray for them. There is no right or wrong way to pray - it all helps. There are many ways to pray, and it may be helpful to use a couple of different methods. Knowing that prayer isn't for God, but rather for us to see and know the Truth, using different forms may help us see past the appearance that we find so challenging.

One form is of course the traditional, sitting down and talking to God. We can pour out our hearts. God is pure love, and we can rest assured that we are cherished, no matter what we say. Bringing our fear, our anger, anything negative we feel and telling God is a good way to let it out. We'll be more peaceful, more able to trust that truly all is well.

In Unity we have a saying that goes, 'To set it right, we need to see it right.' This means that instead of focusing on the challenge, we begin to envision what we want to happen. If the challenge is health related, we 'see' the person healthy and vibrant. If the challenge is financial, we imagine the person with money in their wallet. If relationships are rocky, we can envision the people laughing together and being loving. The more we can imagine the new picture, including how it would feel if it were already so, the more likely we can keep this vision alive and active in our minds. We end up creating positive energy and stopping the flow of energy to the challenge.

A very simple way to pray is to first, bless the person either verbally or silently, and then 'see' them immersed in light.

Finally, if we are overwhelmed and can't imagine how things could be different, we can 'Let go and let God'. We can surrender. We can trust. God is in charge, and when we allow ourselves to truly let go, we open the doors of our hearts to the amazing creativity of the Universe. Many times I have seen wonderful outcomes that could not have been imagined!

We have tremendous power within us to help our loved ones. We help them, not by fixing their problems for them, but by using prayer to know the Truth. The Truth is that we are each and every one, a beloved child of God. God wants only the best for us. Prayer allows us to know these Truths. We can pray!