The Power of Prayer

The Power of Prayer

When I was a young girl, at the age of 14, my mother was in a major accident. She was a passenger in a large truck carrying pipe to a vender and the driver skidded off an icy road.  My mom was flung out of the vehicle and landed in a near-by field.  Due to the weather, it took many, many hours for my mother to be found and then receive medical care.

Once in the hospital, she was noted to have had many internal injuries and was on a breathing machine.  We were all told that she would not make it.  My father was asked to reach out to the family and have them visit to say their farewells. My father, grandmother, sisters, aunts, and uncles all prayed for her recovery.

I remember standing at my mother’s bedside with my uncle George. My mom had a large family and we were asked to visit in pairs, I guess to speed up the good-bye process.  Inside my head, I was thinking, why had I been paired with my uncle who was somewhat of a stranger to me... Why didn’t they send me with my aunty Margo, who I loved and adored….  Anyhow, here I was about to say my final good-bye to my mom. I felt awkward, fearful, and very, very sad.

My mom was hooked up to many IVs and tubes and I was kind of scared to touch her.  My uncle pushed me forward and told me to hold my mom’s hand.  In some way, the whole situation was surreal for me. Thinking back, I remembered her as being a kind mom who lived a tough life.  In some ways, she was somewhat of a marshmallow, and definitely let us get away with way too many things.  But I knew that we all loved her dearly and would miss ger greatly! My visit with my mom was brief and seemed way too formal and serious. I wanted to tell jokes and reminisce.

My mother’s side of the family were raised Catholic and during hard times, my mom and two of her siblings spent many years living in a convent.  My mom was a very small girl, maybe only 4 or 5 years old. There just wanted enough money to feed all eleven children. When my mother was injured, her side of family prayed for her.  I prayed for her. My sisters prayed for her. Everyone who knew and loved her, prayed for her. In the end, my mother survived! She had a long road to recovery and spent the next year doing just that but was alive!

Did she survive because of the excellent doctors and medical care?  Well, yes, and I’m sure that had something to do with it.  However, what about our prayers. I don’t believe we should ever forget the power of prayer; the power of God, the divine.Many of us believe we determine our own destiny, but it is God who determines when we will leave this world. Did God hear our prayers? In this situation, I say yes!  Thank you God for allowing me to have many more years with my mother!