There is a marvelous group of ladies at my church, St. Stephen Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth, Texas, who meet each week to knit prayer shawls for people in and related to our congregation. They take them to those who are bereaved, ill, or just basically in need of love and concern. I always thought that what they were doing was sweet, but maybe just a bit silly.
Last August, my partner passed away suddenly of a massive stroke. Both of us were very active in our church and St. Stephen was a great part of our lives. The day after Vern died, the Director of Christian Education delivered a prayer shawl to my home. I looked at it and then put it back into the bag, wondering what I was going to do with this somewhat small shawl. After all, I am a man, and a fairly big guy at that. The shawl stayed in the bag in a corner of our bedroom throughout the remainder of the summer and the fall.
One night in January, I was sitting on my bed watching television and feeling quite lonely. Zoe, who had always been his dog, was curled up beside me. As I began to feel more and more lonely, I also began to feel more and more of a chill. I looked over and saw the green bag in the floor. I am not sure why I reached for it because there were certainly larger blankets and throws in the room, but I walked over and picked up the bag with the prayer shawl in it. Although it would barely go over my shoulders, I wrapped up in it as best I could. The most wonderful sense of love and peace came over me that evening. In that moment, I felt the love and the prayers of my congregation as they began to wash over me, much like a baptism. As I began to feel the comfort, I took it from my shoulders and placed it over our dog. As dogs do, she stood up, circled around, and laid back down fully covered with not only the prayer shawl, but with the love and peace that came from God through the stitches of the beautiful women of St. Stephen Presbyterian Church.
Thanks be to God for their ministry of love and prayer.