Prayer

“I know a lot of fancy words, I tear them fro my heart and my tongue. Then I pray.”-Mary Oliver

I think there’s so much one can take form this poem, I’m just not sure whether I am able to fully understand it all. Mary Oliver has such a great way of painting a mental picture through her writings which, I really enjoy because it makes me feel as if I’m right there almost. Reading this poem definitely got me thinking about my own prayer life. It also stirred my schemata of similar experiences when I’ve been outside and as I mentioned before, my personal prayer life.

Sitting outside Friday evening without worrying or thinking about anything specific simply practicing how to appreciate nature as Prof. Corrigan so strongly suggest we do, I found myself thinking about a variety of things some which I never really give myself time to think about. What is prayer supposed to look like? Is there a right and wrong way to pray? What does Mary Oliver mean when she enters into that place where she doesn’t think, doesn’t remember, and doesn’t want? Could prayer be, me sitting on a bench, eyes closed simply listening to and appreciating my surroundings? Or should there be some dialogue? I began asking myself these questions to see what exactly I though or believed about prayer. Going to church as a kid you are always taught to pray when you wake up, before every meal, and then before you go to bed. Now a lot of times I don’t even pray before I eat, I just eat! When I was 12-14 years old my friends and I would try to justify not praying before a meal because it was just becoming a ritual and not genuine as it should be. Of coarse that was just so we wouldn’t feel so bad about not praying. Anyways, I guess what I’m coming down to is that prayer shouldn’t be something you feel forced to do but being open and willing to seek God and knowing that He will meet your need as long as you give him the opportunity to do so. It is not about having a right or wrong prayer but it’s speaking straight from the heart; being honest and sincere. It’s not about using fancy words so maybe those around you will think you’re adequate enough to pray for other or lead a prayer aloud but it’s about your own relationship with God. Also realizing that there will be times where dialogue is unnecessary. There will be times when you will enter that place where you will think nothing and listen.