August 14, 2012 Pain, Pressure and Prayer

      It has been some time since the last post and for that I am sorry.  There has been quite a few changes happening to family and friends and without going into detail you can assume by the post title that it has caused quite a bit of stress.  It is a funny thing about stress, that I have discovered, a little stress can add excitement or pleasure, but too much stress can cause pain.  My emotional stress has connected itself to a physical pain that I am trying slowly to undo.  I look out into the world to find help in unexpected places.  Perhaps a song on the radio to change and lighten my mood or listening to  noisy political debates on television to distract.
      Another method of finding peace and positive energy is through prayer.  Formal prayer, as in a house of religious worship feels "official", and being surrounded by friends almost always makes me feel better.  Stories also transport me away from my troubles.  The best ones find the hero or heroine in worse circumstances than you and then you feel like your problems aren't so bad. Or sometimes you empathize as the character struggles with the same issues as you do and you wonder what solutions they came up with and would it work for you as well.
       One of my favorite stories in the Bible to illustrate the power of prayer is the story of Hannah (1Samuel 1:2).  She was unable to concieve a child and it caused her deep emotional pain.  Hannah braved her times and came to the Priest Eli to pray for a son.  Her prayer was not voiced aloud because women of the day were not allowed to pray aloud. Hannah came to Shiloh everyday and mouthed a whispered prayer.  Finally, her prayer for a son was answered, but the deal with God was to give this child, her son Samuel, back to God when he was weaned.  In the end Samuel became a prophet and God gave Hannah more children to raise for herself.  Of course there is much more to the story and online commentaries from many faiths are easily found on the internet or from personal discussions with your clergy, but for me, this story specifically illustrates how prayer was used as a method to relieve pain and stress.

     Today, Eli the Priest might have recommended a healthy diet and exercise to go along with that prayer, still a good idea, we can only guess...