I'll pray for you...maybe...

so many facebook posts and new stories lately have been breaking my heart...

**the young teen, Devin, from Port Clinton, who has brain cancer and chemo isn't working

**a friend of ours (and newlywed) from Indiana who just found out her NEW husband has leukemia

**a friend of mine who's young son cut the tip of his finger off and could possibly lose it

**a friend who's boyfriend got burned pretty badly while in another state

**so many more sicknesses, deaths, and hardships that are affecting friends and family, and community members

So often, to try and make the affected person feel better, we say "I'll pray for you"...or "You're in my thoughts".....I got to thinking...when you say those words, do you really mean it?  I've grown up in a Christian family and those words to me started to seem like a cookie cutter answer to people who tell you their problems.  

Our family has been through trials I would not want any other family to go through...and we heard countless times, "you're in our prayers"

"Thanks"...you say, knowing, half of the time, people say that because they don't know what else to say.

So...lately, I've been catching myself everytime I say those words.  If I do tell or write someone "You're in my thoughts and prayers", I make sure I say a prayer for them right after I type those words.    If I don't think I'm going to pray at that moment (as bad as that sounds) then I won't write or say that.  But then, I feel guilty for not wanting to pray for them at that moment...so I change what I'm doing at that moment, or redirect my thoughts to a prayerful spirit, and say a prayer for them...even if a short one.  I've realized when I see or hear updates on their situation, I'm either thanking God for that answered prayer or keep praying for miracles.

This post isn't to glorify my prayers, or maybe lack thereof sometimes.  As someone who's been through hard times, as I'm sure most have too, it is a good feeling to know people are praying for you, thinking about you, or "sending good vibes".  If you write or say those words....don't wait until later until you might forget about them...say a quick prayer for them at that moment.  That prayer at that moment could be at just the right time.