I Learned This From My Friend...

It's one of those hard-to-come-by moments.

I am shopping with a girlfriend. We have an agenda, but that doesn't stop us from enjoying quick diversions and moments of connection.

We push through a narrow aisle and stumble upon small objects of beauty ~ things that make us turn to each other with an "Oh! Look!" Things that make us laugh out loud and say, "Remember the time...?"

My friend is gifted in many things, not the least of which is handcrafting expressions of thoughtfulness and care.

She's a little sad, for a moment, as she talks about a recent project. She forms her words precisely, pointedly. "What people don't understand is that when I create, I am praying. Always. I pray for the person who will touch my work. I pray for the people who will look on it. I guess, in a way, the things I make are my prayers."

Her sadness came as she recounted how, sometimes, her offer of the use of her talents is rejected...or disregarded.

I had to admit to her, then, that I hadn't understood the depth of her commitment to her craft or to her friends. I didn't know that she was pouring as much of herself into her work as all that. Of course, I thanked her. But, more than that, I learned from her that day.

I learned that prayers can be solid, lovely, sturdy things.

I learned that the loonies we sometimes leave, just for fun, sitting on park benches or on downtown window ledges could be more than just free coin. They could be touched by our prayer for hope and a future for whomever chances to pick them up.

I learned that homemade cookies and cakes and breads handed out at the door to whichever neighbor happens along first could have prayer worked into them just as deeply as the flour and eggs are.

I learned that thank you notes and cheer-up cards could be so much more than just words on a page. They could be an expression of the petition I raised, that day, for the one who will receive them.

I learned from my friend, that day in the shop. I learned from her determination to keep on crafting, even when her intent is not understood. I learned from her discipline in looking beyond what she holds in her hands and into the mind of Christ for the ones who will, eventually, have her work in their hands.

Her example has changed how I pray, as I've begun to attach prayers to tasks. It takes some of the mystical, 'Oh darn! I forgot to pray for so-and-so' out of the day's conversations with God.

So, who knows? Maybe tonight, when I'm stirring the ground beef or folding the towels, I'll be reminded of you. And I'll talk with our God about you. I learned that from my friend.