A Trail of Prayers...

This year I'm taking up a Trail of Prayers.  The "trail" is a journey through my worn and tired bible pages, now marked with brightly colored sticky tabs.  These tabs mark verses and passages that I have begun to pray, plead, and sometimes weep over my children. 

Sometimes, my husband. 

And, always, myself, even though I never intended or anticipated that my great work of prayer on their behalf would actually be more about me and my aching heart. 

This all started several months ago when *another* heartbreaking struggle arose with one of our children-turning-man-but-still-so-far-and-doesn't-even-know-it.  And when I say heartbreaking, I mean it.  I never knew I could actually FEEL my non-physical seat of emotion physically BREAK...but it did. And, wow, did I FEEL it.

Again.  'Cause this wasn't our first rodeo with this child-man or this sin. 

And that led me to a Trail of Prayers.  What started as a desperate hunt for just *some* words of scripture to pray, as my own words were all choked up with tears and sobs, ended in several places of highlighted and underlined passages, sticky tab left to help me remember where to come back. Again and again, because, let's face it, I knew I was in this for a Very Long Haul.

And, yes, the Trail of Prayers began as a Trail of Tears. And, the tears often still come, but not as much.  And that's because...well, Hope.  God's word is everything. And it certainly is the foundation of all Hope. 

And that's what this Trail is to me.  It's growing.  I keep finding more verses and passages to pray. More sticky tabs are filling my worn and well-loved crinkly bible pages.  And I'm grateful.  So much truth to cling to and speak into their lives.  And to transform my own.

So many that the Trail has grown longer than I can hike in one prayer sitting.  I've taken to pray one verse each week for this year.  And I'm allowing these verses to not only be a covering over my family, but a spade for my heart, digging in and allowing the truths to till the soil and hard places that need growth and room for roots to grow strong and deep. 

You're welcome to join me on the Trail.  Everyone needs a good hiking buddy.