About Prayer Chairs and Other Chairs

 

I am musing about

Prayer chairs and other chairs

This morning it occurred to me to write about my chair.

It is a shade of earth tone green. It is big and soft and comfy.

It is where I often tend to start my day.

In that chair. With God's Word. And then in prayer.

Sometimes I am on my knees, and other times just sitting there.

But there is something special about the "Prayer chair".

I used to slide out of bed and onto my knees. For years I did that and it was a good thing.

To start a day in communion with God. On my knees. By my bed.

But then we got this really big mattress and it was, well, kind of  awkwardly tall and honestly uncomfortable to kneel beside, thus proving to not be the best place to have my morning prayer.

So, that is when I started going to my Prayer chair. God meets me there. 

What a blessing we all have to be able to come to Jesus, every morning, wherever we opt to meet Him and know that He is there waiting to commune with us and to join us in our day.

 It is where we ask Him, who dwells within us, for His much needed help and grace and guidance. Where we bring others in need to His Father heart.

 How many of you have ever been to a family camp or on a work trip where there was a "Prayer chair"? One in which someone was slated to be sitting in it at all times; 24/7 (or however many days the event  was for). We would sign up for our time in the chair and spend that time crying out to Jesus about those things pressing upon us. How many of you agree that this might be a good time to gather some prayer warriors together and sign up for time in that "constant prayer" chair:)

And then I saw another chair today.

A blue canvas lawn chair. It was sitting outside a dear resident's room at the nursing home where I work. Last year if I would have seen a chair, sitting strangely and forlornly outside a window, I would have wondered about it. But this year, it makes total sense. This year, it brings a warm response to my heart. 

That chair.

It represents love and connection and involvement. It represents a family member, a child, who misses being able to spend time in the same room with their loved one. Who misses being able to give them a hug. It represents their best attempt at "being there" in the best way they can. For now. During this Covid time.

A chance to look through the window at each other, each on their phone, and share their lives, their cares, their smiles, their tears. As best they can. Love breaking through the glass barrier.

This time is hard. There is no other way to say it.

But how thankful I am for lawn chairs outside of nursing home windows.

And for prayer chairs.