One thing that I definitely do not have a gift for (at the moment, anyway) is praying out loud. We pray before family meals at home and Jim always is the one doing the talking. I listen closely and if there's anyone or anything I feel that was left out, I add it in at the end. For some reason, it makes me incredibly uncomfortable and when asked to do it, my mind normally goes blank.
I discerned to be Lay Director for the next Christ Renews His Parish and my first duty last night was to pray over the ladies that will be doing a witness during the renewal weekend. Oh my! I almost died when I heard that I would be praying out loud -- and right now! If they gave me a couple of minutes I could probably write down a nice, coherent prayer and read it aloud, but it was totally a deer-in-headlights situation. I have no idea what I said and if it made any sense, but my prayer intentions for today have definitely included somehow gaining the ability to pray in front of a group.
I've been scouring the Internet looking for tips, but haven't found much more than "Pretend you are just talking to Jesus". Well, I'm pretty sure I'd feel a little nervous if Jesus plopped down into the chair next to me for a little one-on-one conversation.
Sorry for the rambling. I hope I can look back on this post in a few months and laugh at the fact that it used to make me feel so nervous! :)
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