“You Are Not Alone”

Beginning in the winter of 2021, our Congregational Care Committee adopted the spiritual practice of giving prayer shawls to those in the midst of emotionally difficult circumstances and situations.

      Prayer shawls are tangible signs of God’s love.  Much like the practice of dropping off a casserole at the home of one who has experienced a death, the giving of a prayer shawl is a way of saying, “You are not alone.  God is with you, and so am I.”  We have all needed, and will need at some point in the future, the assurance of these words. (Now there is a difference between being alone and feeling lonely, but I’ll save that for another blog post!)

         The COVID-19 Pandemic left many of us alone, and without choice.  We were required to remain in our homes except for occasions of necessity such as picking up groceries or medicine.  We were forbidden to mingle with any other than those within our own homes.  It was a time a deep loneliness for many of us.  

       There are other life circumstances that leave us feeling lonely as well:  the sickness or death of a family member; a troubling diagnosis; the loss of a job; the loss of identity; mental illness; chronic disease; a move; divorce or separation; a surprise pregnancy; violence within a relationship; the birth of a child, to name only a few.  In these instances, the giving of a prayer shawl is a tangible, expression of love, something that the individual can pick up, hold, and feel as a reminder of being part of a faith community.

      Our church in Augusta, Georgia gave both me and Rob a prayer shawl as one of our parting gifts when we said goodbye to that congregation.  We treasure the shawls as much or more than any of the other gifts we were give during that transition in our lives.  

      Faith communities need to be places where we can be vulnerable, speak about our deepest fears, and all the while know that we will be loved and cared for.  Reach out to me in the church office if you are going through a situation in which a prayer shawl would be comforting.  I will gladly wrap one around you.