I'll be praying for you...
whether you want me to or not. ♥
A good eljay buddy of mine is going through some OMGWTF$$$ type woes and in the comments I said, "I'll be thinking good thoughts for you." They then came back with "Why don't you pray? I'm not religious, but I know you are." After awww-ing and rolling around in gooshy sweet sentiment I replied, "I was going to anyway, the phrasing was just in case you were offended by that sort of thing". I was going to add, "Like stinky smart boys who stink!" but I don't want them to feel like they have to choose sides, ahem.
Anyhoodle, it got me to thinking. Ever since said stinky smart boy who stinks posted his stupid manifesto likening intercessory prayer to masturbation (because he's just that gross, and that's not me trashing him, he'll tell you the same) I've shied away from my usual "I'll be praying for you!" comment because it's just easier to insert "good thoughts" then to have to explain, "No, I don't think you're incapable of praying for yourself, no I don't think God loves me more, no I'm not invalidating your religion, no I'm not calling you weak, I'm simply just asking God to give a little on your behalf."
I find praying therapeutic. A way to let go of the stress and just give it to God to deal with. I've known people who could barely lift their eyes much less their voice unto the heavens to be heard. I believe they appreciate a prayer on their behalf. I believe and have seen the power of intercessory prayer, I believe in the addage that there is power in numbers. I like to think God appreciates the dedication and organization that goes into a good prayer chain.
One of the blessings of establishing relationships online is you can find your exact polar opposite and learn and experience them in a way that may not be available online. I can learn more about atheists, and libertarians because they have a presense online that is notably lacking in Nebraska. We have plenty of gay people, but finding out and proud gay people is a different story. The whole cis/trans/etc movement is one that was pretty completely foreign to me and it's interesting seeing their struggles their champions, etc. Thing is, if I want people just like me, who believe what I do, it's a pretty easy phone call, if I want to see the other side of something I travel online.
This is also part of the curse, because a lot of the people I hang out with online and I can agree on a great many thing, but when we disagree it's on the top 6. For me that's religion, abortion, race, gender, politics, sexuality. I've learned a lot, but many times I've gotten into monumental roes because we simply could not see eye to eye on a matter, and one time it even involved something neither one of us could forgive (he thought I was an imbecile for being Christian, I thought he was a monster for some of his activities) so we parted ways which was sad but necessary.
Point is, rather than hear some rambling rant about praying being this great insult to humanity and it means nothing and no one who says it is ever serious or thinking of you (and I know this sounds like it's ripped specifically from stinky boy who stinks' rant, it's actually a pretty common notion which is sad in great quantity) I just tell them I'm lighting a candle and praying for them anyway.
I pray God's blessings, sometimes I pray for peace of mind, peace of soul. Sometimes for patience, sometimes for strength, just depending on the situation. Sometimes I pray for guidance, sometimes I pray for leniency and understanding, but regardless of what I pray for, I always pray.
I pray for you, and I hope you'll pray for me too.
A good eljay buddy of mine is going through some OMGWTF$$$ type woes and in the comments I said, "I'll be thinking good thoughts for you." They then came back with "Why don't you pray? I'm not religious, but I know you are." After awww-ing and rolling around in gooshy sweet sentiment I replied, "I was going to anyway, the phrasing was just in case you were offended by that sort of thing". I was going to add, "Like stinky smart boys who stink!" but I don't want them to feel like they have to choose sides, ahem.
Anyhoodle, it got me to thinking. Ever since said stinky smart boy who stinks posted his stupid manifesto likening intercessory prayer to masturbation (because he's just that gross, and that's not me trashing him, he'll tell you the same) I've shied away from my usual "I'll be praying for you!" comment because it's just easier to insert "good thoughts" then to have to explain, "No, I don't think you're incapable of praying for yourself, no I don't think God loves me more, no I'm not invalidating your religion, no I'm not calling you weak, I'm simply just asking God to give a little on your behalf."
I find praying therapeutic. A way to let go of the stress and just give it to God to deal with. I've known people who could barely lift their eyes much less their voice unto the heavens to be heard. I believe they appreciate a prayer on their behalf. I believe and have seen the power of intercessory prayer, I believe in the addage that there is power in numbers. I like to think God appreciates the dedication and organization that goes into a good prayer chain.
One of the blessings of establishing relationships online is you can find your exact polar opposite and learn and experience them in a way that may not be available online. I can learn more about atheists, and libertarians because they have a presense online that is notably lacking in Nebraska. We have plenty of gay people, but finding out and proud gay people is a different story. The whole cis/trans/etc movement is one that was pretty completely foreign to me and it's interesting seeing their struggles their champions, etc. Thing is, if I want people just like me, who believe what I do, it's a pretty easy phone call, if I want to see the other side of something I travel online.
This is also part of the curse, because a lot of the people I hang out with online and I can agree on a great many thing, but when we disagree it's on the top 6. For me that's religion, abortion, race, gender, politics, sexuality. I've learned a lot, but many times I've gotten into monumental roes because we simply could not see eye to eye on a matter, and one time it even involved something neither one of us could forgive (he thought I was an imbecile for being Christian, I thought he was a monster for some of his activities) so we parted ways which was sad but necessary.
Point is, rather than hear some rambling rant about praying being this great insult to humanity and it means nothing and no one who says it is ever serious or thinking of you (and I know this sounds like it's ripped specifically from stinky boy who stinks' rant, it's actually a pretty common notion which is sad in great quantity) I just tell them I'm lighting a candle and praying for them anyway.
I pray God's blessings, sometimes I pray for peace of mind, peace of soul. Sometimes for patience, sometimes for strength, just depending on the situation. Sometimes I pray for guidance, sometimes I pray for leniency and understanding, but regardless of what I pray for, I always pray.
I pray for you, and I hope you'll pray for me too.