Iragistahn

He was probably nine years old.  He volunteered to pray at a preteen devotional.  We were eating pizza.  He prayed for the food.  He prayed for the sick.  Then he prayed for the soldiers who are in Iraqastahn.  I’m not sure where to find Iraqastahn.  I would borrow money to bet on the fact that this little boy doesn’t know where Iraqastahn is.  In fact I’m pretty sure that there are no soldiers in Iraqastahn.  There are soldiers in Iraq.  There are soldiers in Afghanistan.  There should be soldiers in Pakistan.  But there are no soldiers in Iraqastahn.  Even so.  This little boy has some vague concept of what soldiers do.  He has an inaccurate perception of where they are exactly; but he knows they need our attention.  He knows they need our prayers.  If there is an Iragastahn and there are soldiers there this little one thinks it’s a dark, scary, terrible place and those men are not home.  So he prays for the people in Iraqastahn. 

There were lots of folks who had no idea of “where I was” when I was in the hospital.  They did not know if I were dying or thriving.  Many have no concept of the incisions that were made, the tubes running out of my face and bag they attached.  Yet even though they didn’t know exactly “where I was”---they prayed for me---they prayed because they knew that I was not where I wanted to be and my family was scared.  To them I could have been in Iraqastahn for all they knew.  Actually I was in Anniston.  But the prayers were still important.  I don’t know where you are when you are in mourning.  I’m not sure exactly of where you are when you are in fear or grief or depression.  I have a vague concept of what it might feel like to be in those far away, dark, scary places….but I really don’t know where you are.  Just knowing you are there and it is bad is enough.  I know it’s not “home”.  So I pray.  Often my words to you and even my words for you are as innocent and naive as praying for the people in Iraqastahn.  My feeble words  demonstrate that I really have no clue.  But they also demonstrate to you that I do care for you even if I don’t fully understand where you are.  I know I really don’t have to know where you are exactly to know enough to pray for you.

I have determined to feel different when a person offers words of comfort that are inept.  I have determined to react pleasantly when the words are trite or condescending.  I have determined that people really don’t have to know where Iraqastahn is to pray for the people who might be there.  I have also determined that even though I don’t know where you are exactly---or even who you are exactly---if I get the idea that you’ve had to travel through Iraqastahn then I’m going to pray for you until you get back.