Howard's ever-present 3 x 5 card, and what it taught me about praying

One of the first things I noticed when I met my dear father-in-law Howard was his strong sense of time and organization.  There was always a 3 x 5 index card in the front pocket of his shirt.  His day was scribbled on that card – things to be done, who to call, what to work on, what to finish from the day or week before.   The list was often extensive, realizing that some projects were not meant to be finished in a day, but keeping his appointments, assignments, plans and undertakings upfront where they would not be forgotten or fall off his radar.  His little card kept him on task.

And when there was all-too-often too much on his plate and pressing for his attention, the ever-present card helped him to know how to approach, how to navigate, and what to focus on.  As author Steven Garber reminds all of us, “I cannot do everything, but I can do something.”

I thought about Howard’s index card a few weeks ago as I realized that I had told several friends, family and acquaintances that I would pray for them in their work, their sufferings, their deep miry bogs, for wisdom, for healing, for strength, and for both courage and encouragement.

I caught myself one morning asking myself “Who did I tell I would pray for them?”  Had that phrase become a type of smiley-faced greeting like “Have a nice day?”  Did I mean it? 

And could I remember exactly who?

That evening, I wrote down on the first piece of paper I found the names of those I had promised to pray for that week.  As I jotted down, I mused that I was writing on an all-too-familiar 3 x 5 index card.

The next morning, that little white card seemed to wave at me from the counter where I had left it.  It reminded me to pray for my friend’s baby, a young couple who were struggling with some deep decisions, a job change for several others, family conflicts for a woman in a Bible study group, for some children starting school, and for those I do not even know who are facing war and displacement in the Ukraine.

The tiny card helped me to not only remember to pray, but each day and sometimes more than once a day, to pray a little differently for them. 

Not to promise to pray, but to actually pray.  God brings each one to mind, because I had written down their names. 

Lest we forget not just the reasons or the names,

      or forget how God works so powerfully

with prayer as a form of worship,

with this means of loving others,

who we place and lift up

    into the strong grip of the Almighty,

coming before Him,

even with what we may never see in our lifetimes.

God never works in singular outcomes,

    and prayer can't help but get all over everyone.

We may never grasp the answer, or provision, or how the situation plays out, but we can faithfully pray.  And know that God listens and responds and knows far beyond our requests. 

And so when I mention to someone that I am praying for them, God uses that little card to nudge me.  

 

And so, from the day we heard,

   we have not ceased to pray for you...

                          Colossians 1. 9