‘Chopsticks prayers’: Music to God’s ears

We can pray any time, anywhere, about anything. It is not poetic words that turn the heart of heaven in our direction; rather it is a sincere and contrite heart.

-- DR. DEBORAH NEWMAN

“I don’t feel totally comfortable praying, I get way too self-conscious,” a friend said to me. “I don’t always know what to say, and I’m sure not eloquent, and I feel like I stumble over my words or don’t make any sense. I hope God doesn’t mind. Does this sound silly to you, Cindy?”

I looked at my friend and realized that she was embarrassed by what she said.

“It doesn’t sound silly to me at all because you are just telling me how you feel,” I answered. “It’s not silly, but I do think it’s sad.”

She looked a bit startled and then asked me what I meant. I explained that she needs to realize that when she prays, she is talking to God, not to others. God doesn’t grade our prayers based on their eloquence. God wants to hear what is important to us, what’s in our minds and on our hearts.

“I’ve heard other people pray, and they sound so polished, and I’m not,” she said. “It’s like I’m just a kindergartner when it comes to praying, and everybody else is in college. Or maybe another way to explain it is that it feels like they’re all dressed up, and I’m in my pajamas, bathrobe and slippers. Of course, I always feel comfortable in my jammies, but I think you know what I mean.”

I laughed and told her that I liked her word pictures and that I did know what she meant but that God wants us to feel relaxed with him, like we’re at home in our jammies. I asked her if she’d rather have her children come home from school and tell her what they were thinking and feeling, even if they rambled and didn’t always make sense, or if they came home and said nothing for hours, until they could present a perfectly scripted story.

Of course, she wanted to hear from them right away.

I told her that God is our perfect parent and that he wants us to “come just as we are” and tell him anything and everything that is on our heart. He wants us to be honest with him, and he knows that nobody has it all together.

I also told her a cute story I heard recently from a wonderful woman named Anne Ortlund.

Anne said that a friend who lives in Washington, D.C., took her young son out one evening to hear a famous pianist. Before the concert began, the woman realized that she’d lost her son, but then looked down at the stage and was startled to see her son sitting down at the piano.

He began to play “Chopsticks.” Ushers approached the boy, ready to remove him, but the pianist waved them away, sat next to the boy, and began playing along with him.

Apparently the resulting song was magnificent. Anne said that is the way it is with God, in that we can pray our “chopstick prayers” and God will make them beautiful.

My friend said she really liked the story and it would help give her a sense of freedom when she prayed.

I think that’s what God wants us to feel. So, let’s give God our chopstick prayers and let him add the harmony.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at [email protected] or through the mail at 537 Newport Center Drive, Box 505, Newport Beach, CA 92660.

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