Comfort: Living Frank’s Prayer, Part Nine

“Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console”

Of all the requests in our St. Francis Prayer, this can be the trickiest.

Needing consolation can get some of us really wrapped up in ourselves.

And all we want is comfort.  In whatever form presents itself.

How do I know?

For a short answer, check out this confused and easily-depressed early high school version of myself.  Spending time as a Red Cross Youth Volunteer at a Roman Catholic hospital.

 A friend and I had dared each other to sign up for some unremembered reason.  He was placed in the Emergency Room, and usually came off his shift with some gory stories to tell at track practice.

I was assigned to Pediatrics, where I played  games with pre-schoolers, read to them, and listened a lot.

And was sometimes drowning in the “confused and easily-depressed” part of myself.

Ginger was four and had been badly burned in a kitchen accident.  She was in another season of skin grafts and couldn’t move much at all.  She spent most of the day being pulled around in a red wagon.  She told me I was the fastest driver she’d ever had, so “let’s go again, Joe!  Faster!”

One afternoon we were eating ice cream and watching tv when she asked if I knew what she really wanted.  I shook my head, scooped up more ice cream and listened.

“Be a ballerina.  And dance.”

It got real quiet in that tv room.  She was teaching me lessons I’m still learning.

St. Francis was onto something significant, especially with this line of his prayer.

You and I’ll encounter people today who need comfort.  Pray with me that we’re able to unwrap ourselves enough to notice and respond.

I’d love to hear how it goes; feel free to leave a comment here.

See you back here soon.