Private Prayers

Soddy-Daisy has dropped prayer before high school football games. The Tennessee town felt divinely inspired to avoid a possible lawsuit. I don't live in Soddy-Daisy, but I'm glad to know prayers are more private now. There is not a prayer that's plain vanilla enough to not offend anyone. And honesty tends to shine in individual prayer. In Soddy-Daisy, students and parents can pray for exactly what they hope will happen on the football field. Some will pray that each player plays to his potential and stays safe. Others will be more blunt looking not only for their team to win, but for they themselves to be involved in scoring the winning touchdown. Those in an especially sour mood will flat-out pray for the other team to lose. A few bored moms may pray the game ends quickly. While one cheerleader may pray that the school jock finally dumps his girlfriend, the girlfriend might pray that her wandering-eye boyfriend and the cheerleader get struck by lightening. The principal probably prays that she can avoid the really whiny parents and manage to keep alcohol off school property. The parent running the concession stand prays he won't run out of ice. At least one dad prays that the ex-wife won't run into the new one. At least one mom prays her ex sees her hanging on the arm of her much younger boyfriend--the new one who still has a full head of hair. And the baby brothers and sisters pray the parents will let them stay until the game's over--and that it'll last way past their bedtime. With all of these prayers winging their way toward heaven, I think God gets reminded pretty well that we are human and He (or She) created us.