60 prayers a day

Back when I was going through RCIA to become a part of the Catholic Church, I was asked how often I pray every day. At the time, just off the cuff, I though the answer was about three to five times a day. I liked to pray in the car on my way to work, before meals and before bed. Pretty simple and probably standard stuff. This week I realized that I actually pray waaaaay more often than I thought. I still have my usual schedule, but probably the most heartfelt and desperate prayers come at random times throughout the day. Basically they fall into one of two categories: "Dear God" prayers and "Good Lord" prayers.

The "Dear God" prayers escape from my soul when I look at Addie and my heart explodes from how much I love her... "Dear God, how did I get such an amazing child?" or, "Dear God, thank you, THANK YOU for blessing me with the most beautiful daughter anyone could ask for." Sometimes I can't even find the words because the ache in my chest is so powerful that all I can do is fight back a tear... "Dear God..." He knows.

And then, there are the "Good Lord" prayers. These are usually uttered through clenched teeth and followed by some sort of "why me?". (Note: It helps to use a thick southern accent with this one for dramatic effect. Plus, I am convinced it sends it up much faster. If you're doing it right, it will sound a lot like the word "lowered".) "Good Lord, really? I mean, really? Help me... please!" or "Good Lord, I don't know what I did to deserve this, but whatever it was, I'm sorry." These are much more few and far between than the "Oh, my child is so wonderful" prayers, but when they come, they really come, like yesterday when Addie decided to scream for 45 minutes instead of take a nap.

I have to say that I definitely feel heard in those trying times because most often, a "Dear God" prayer swiftly follows. And when it doesn't we just wait for Daddy to come home. Do I really say 60 prayers a day? I'm not sure, but it sounds about right--one of these days I will try and count. But for now, I will leave you with some of our very best "Dear God" moments from the last few months. Have a great weekend!