Guard Your Hearts

" Brothers and sisters: Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayers and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then, the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." -- [Philippians 4: 6-9].


A medical professional, whom I know well,  reports that her practice is seeing an unprecedented number of young people who are anxious, depressed and on anti-anxiety medications.

My heart breaks over this.

WHY are our young people suffering so?

I am not a medical professional. I am not an economist, a statistician, or a sociologist, or a social worker.

Ask an economist why kids are so anxious and he may say that the competition to get into college is keen, and even when our kids graduate, (with a mountain of debt), there are no jobs.

Ask a sociologist, and she may say that in this time of incurable diseases such as Ebola, and this time of nuclear weapons and terrorism, there is in our young people a deep despair and even primal fear.

As a religious person, I have a different answer-- as parents, we ensure that our kids eat the best quality food that we can afford. We insist that they get an hour of physical activity each day. We fret if they get sick with even a cold. We lecture our kids about proper hygiene and sufficient sleep. We challenge our kids to work hard in school. We even urge them to engage in community service. We are all over our kids' mental, physical and academic overall health.

But, how many of us totally neglect our kids' spiritual side? Or even admit that our children HAVE a spiritual side?

I was taught to pray by my grandmother, who was babysitting one evening, when my parents had gone out. Her demeanor was like, 'Hurry up, kids, and memorize the 'Our Father'  -- and get up off your knees before your mother gets home!'  In praying that way, I felt as if I had done something wrong.

The world is not going to become more peaceful and less scary for us, just because we want it to.

Getting an education, staying healthy and working hard are survival skills in an uncertain world.

But, you have given your children a weak set of survival skills, if you have not taught them to pray.

My son learned to pray at an early age. And yet--- I would say that you can teach your children to pray, but they have to experience the power of prayer themselves, in order to believe it!

One summer, when our son was in grade school, we took a summer trip. Part of our trip included a ride on a ferry. Our son was excited to explore the stern, where jets of water gushed out in a huge wake. We watched a movie, we ate lunch, we dozed in our seats, we gazed out the windows looking for dolphins and whales.

After we docked, we retrieved our car. It was a rainy afternoon. Not too long after we had gotten underway again on the road, my son discovered that his beloved Beanie Baby was missing! He let out a loud cry. He and this little toy had been inseparable for so may years. I was near tears, as well.

We tore the car apart, even trying to lug out removable seats in a downpour.  We did not find our son's  favorite friend. We were not even sure where he had left the toy. We had been on the ferry, in a restaurant, at a gas station.

We had a hard time convincing our son to get back in the car and continue on.

Finally, we returned home, minus our son's Beanie Baby.

As I tried to calm him down before bed, that first night home, I told him that we needed to pray. I promised him that I would call the ferry company the next morning. Our son wailed, Bu-ut, he's my best friend!! My life will never be the same without him!" I told him, "Pray! and pray hard!"

 I reached the ferry company the next day; they promised to look in the lost and found. About 24 hours later, a man from the ferry company called to say that our son's "best friend" had been found!

I thought that my son would rejoice and breathe a sigh of relief, when I told him the good news. But then came the fretting about his "friend" arriving safely in the mail.

Finally, several days later, the package had not yet arrived, and I had trouble getting my son calm enough to go to bed. I told him that he needed to believe, and perhaps to ask for a sign from God.

Suddenly, I saw something flitting about his table lamp in his bedroom.. It was a ladybug. (And, ladybugs are named after Our Lady.)  I pointed out the ladybug and told him, excitedly, 'I bet your package will come tomorrow!'

The very next day, I could not believe my eyes, when the postman brought a small cardboard box, sent by the ferry company. When my son came home from school, we tore the box open. Inside was his "best friend".  We shrieked together. We high-fived. We cried tears of joy. We hugged and jumped up and down.

I said firmly to my son, ' NOW do you believe?!! '

My son is a teen now. He prays all the time. He prays over a small wound on his body, and 24 hours later, the wound is gone! He prays to see his beloved grandfather again in heaven one day.

The power of prayer banishes anxiety. The power of prayer talks to God, and taps into His strength. The power of prayer is REAL. It is a force to be reckoned with.

Teach your kids the power of prayer, and it will guard their hearts.

[Related postings: "Not To Worry", March 3, 2014].

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