Mums' Prayer Meeting

Yesterday we had a "Mums' prayer" meet up. This is a once a month meet up in my living room where local Christian mums get together to pray for each other. I stole the idea from another friend about 18 months ago and set about telling local mums that it would be a time to meet up, chat and pray together. 

We quickly realised that calling it a prayer meeting was overstating it somewhat. Generally the first hour and a half is spent chatting and eating biscuits whilst entertaining our children, making sure they don't try and scale the stairs or destroy each other, then we spend a few minutes discussing what we would like prayer for. 

The actual praying bit comes at the end, when the children are all losing the plot and getting ready for lunch and nap time, and lasts no more than five minutes. Yesterday's prayer time took place to the accompaniment of two xylophones, a piano, and various musical toys; we all prayed with our eyes open to ensure that the children were okay, and most prayers were interspersed with the odd "shhh" here and there.

And yet, God was there; listening above the noise and helping us respond to Him and to each other in prayer. 

I have really struggled with the fact that most of my prayers to God nowadays are said whilst doing other things, or at least thinking about the next thing I need to do. It is something that I need to work on, to try and have some quiet time each day. But I have also come to realise that we do not need to pray in silence for our prayers to be real: we do not need to pray with our eyes closed for God to hear us.

Prayers do not even need to begin with 'Dear God' and end with 'Amen'. In the time we had chatting  yesterday before we even got around to praying, we had God in mind; we were preparing to pray throughout the coming month for the things going on in each others' lives; we were aware of God's promise that "where two or three come together in my name, I will be with them". (Matthew 18v20)

God is bigger than the clamour going on around us: He knows our thoughts, our actions, our lives. He does not need to 'hear' what we say because He can read what is on our hearts. 

Strike Action

The last few days have seen a lot of people taking a stand against the government and the current political and economic situation. It seems that even my two year old is getting in on the act, going on strike against 'the government of Mummy' (referred to from here on as 'the Government'.)

So it seems that this morning, as with most other mornings this week, the representative from the Union of Toddlerhood (referred to hereafter as 'the Union member') has taken umbrage at the underhand tactics of 'the Government' as she has tried to enforce various appalling rules which clearly, he feels, infringe his human rights: rules such as having a nappy changed in the morning and putting a jumper on, for example. 

After much of the week spent in deep negotiations to try to resolve these issues and reach a mutually agreeable solution, 'the Government' finally lost patience this morning and, when all other calm tactics had been attempted and had come to nothing, the last resort was tried: screaming blue murder! Unfortunately, even this had no effect on 'the union member' who appeared totally impervious to all pleas, entreaties and threats and preferred instead to run around cold and naked in his bedroom, screaming whenever 'the Government' attempted an approach. 

The situation remained uncertain as 'the Government' gave up hope of ever resolving the situation and went downstairs to give 'the union member's' brother his breakfast, whilst the union member, failing to realise that no-one was now listening, continued to plead his case alone upstairs. 

Fortunately an unbiased arbitrator was able to step in at the eleventh hour (interrupting his morning shave to do so) and was able to reason with 'the union member'. A solution was reached when 'the union member' was delivered downstairs to breakfast fully clothed and ready to apologise to 'the government' for going on strike. 

Although the problem was resolved, this left 'the Government' to bemoan her ineffectuality in dealing with 'the union member' and suggesting that maybe she should switch roles with the arbitrator and head off to his work leaving him to manage 'the union member' for the remainder of the day.

In this instance the stand-off was resolved with both parties saying sorry and having a cuddle: a happy outcome for all involved. Both parties are aware, however, that this will not be the end of the battle. Further negotiations will commence tomorrow!