Friday, March 8, 2013

draw...move...pray...and a refrigerator

I have found over the years that I am a visual and kinetic learner.
In order for me to learn, I have to see what I am learning (i.e. read or watch)
and I have to move while I am learning.
Hence, the years of doodling and knee bobbing during lectures in class.
I have started thinking I am most likely a visual and kinetic pray-er.
If I try to pray with my eyes closed, I can count on falling asleep in 2.3 seconds.
If I try to still myself and focus on God, I end up focusing on the 17 loads
of laundry in my hallway.
But if I put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, my mind can stay focused,
my prayers can flow like a small river of petitions sent heavenward.
If I am walking and listening to music, prayers of thanks gather at my lips
and fall out with each step.
Weird, I know.
But really, God is creative. Why wouldn't he want our prayers to be creative?
Maybe he tires of only hearing bedside prayers so he made a few us only be
able to pray when we are doing sprints on the track...
or maybe there are some of us who can only focus on praying for others
when we are holding their pictures in our hands -
the touch and feel of frame draws our thoughts towards Jesus.
I have started illustrating my prayers in my journal.
Drawing pictures after different thoughts.
Writing out scriptures in bubble letters.
And this morning I laid hands on my refrigerator.
And not just because I was hungry.
I tend to forget people in my prayers...not because I don't love them
but because my mind is like lizard on crack when I try to focus,
running and skipping and scurrying from one thought to the next.
So I decided to put the pictures and names of our people,
(the ones that God has given us), our dreams (a house of our own),
our needs (money for braces, please?),
our missionaries (the people we believe in and invest in),
and our ministries, (Pathway Church and my books), on the side of our fridge.
A visual and palpable reminder of the people we love
and the work God has given us to do.
That way each morning I can lay hands on them, pray for them by name,
and invite God to bless, heal, maneuver, work, multiply and move on their behalf
and blow our minds with his miracles.
I think He is pleased my FOP (fridge of prayer).
It is a physical representation of what I am offering him each day.
My life. My loves. My passions. My needs.
Now I just need to find a place to mark down each prayer that He answers.
It's a toss up between the SOG (stove of gratitude)
or the DOP (dishwasher of praise).
Maybe I'll do both.

6 comments:

Lora said...

I absolutely LOVE this Sue! What a great idea!!

Lori Riffe said...

LOVE This! I needed to hear this today. I too learn the same and am best when listening to music and typing. Thought I was just a weirdo.

Unknown said...

Glad that you posted this because I usually pray in the shower or when I'm cleaning or driving in the car.

Unknown said...

Sue, I so love your posts. They are anointed little bits of creative goodness that always leave me with an "a-ha". He really comes through in you my friend! I thank God for you and your little tid-bits of creative goodness! :)

Unknown said...

LOL! A lizard on crack you say? hahahahaha! For a visual reader, that was quite a picture...
Love the idea of getting creative with our prayers. My car is my confession booth when I do my talking (and clearly the Holy Spirit watches the driving as I haven't bumped into someone yet while praying!) Looking forward to the DOP pictures soon.

Kim said...

Love it!