Prayer Chair

"I pray for the family at night," my sister, Kay, announced as we began to dip our nacho chips into salsa while waiting for the rest of our party to join us for lunch. "I had to change the order of the names, though. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and realize I fell asleep before I finished praying, so I had to bump a few people."
"I pray in the morning," I added, after expressing my surprise over the manner in which Kay has prioritized her prayers. "So at least we're covered in the morning and at night."
"Then I'll pray at noon," Tiffani piped in.
Kay looked at her daughter and responded, "Perfect. You'll wake up right in time for prayer."
Although that conversation took place almost two months ago, it still makes me smile as I sit all curled up in an oversized chair to write this column. My home is not large, yet there are many other spots I could choose to sit. The most obvious would be at my desk. But there's just something about this chair (bought on a whim, for a great price because of a very small tear on the back) that brings me both comfort and inspiration. It's where I pray. And read. And write. And it will soon be replaced.
Elise, my stubbornly independent nineteen year old, is relocating the chair to Thibodaux, with my blessing. I told her to take the chair last year, but it didn't fit in her apartment. Her new place has room for my old chair, so away it goes.
I'm not sure what Michael and I were thinking, or IF we were thinking, when we not only allowed, but encouraged Elise to move from the security of our home to a dormitory at Nicholls State when she was only seventeen years old. Because we had both graduated from NSU, we knew she would love it, and I naively assumed she'd be content living in the dorm. Well, we got it half right. She does love her life in Thibodaux.
The timing of this furniture transfer seems perfect, for I've sat in this chair and prayed for her a lot lately. Elise has recently encountered a few bumps in the road, and although I would love to drive over there and bring her home, I both respect and agree with her decision to remain on the bayou. I'll just continue to pray and wonder how God could possibly love this child more than I do. That's the true source of my comfort. Not a bargain chair, but a brilliant God who breathed the stars into existence and lights Elise's little corner of the world with His love. May she always turn to Him… whether it's in the morning, at noon, or at night.
Ronny may be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com