Looking Back on A Prayer of Thanks

Today is the one year anniversary of the Good Neighbor Day Prayer Vigil, which we hosted at Rising Star in Walnut Cove. It is easy to remember. It is the day that Annie died in 2014. I technically use this day as a marker of before and after Annie when thinking about our coal ash activities. It seems like a lot of things REALLY took off after we lost her.

Prior to the event, I was feeling pretty down. I don’t really know what specific thing I was frustrated about, but I remember feeling the need to tap to clear my negativity. And I prayed about it. As any mom knows, multi-tasking is key to survival, so I have adapted the practice of praying and tapping at the same time. So I basically look funny while talking to God and tapping on my head and face. I need to go back into my journals, but I remember that something shifted through this prayer/tapping. After calming my nervous system and clearing my mind, which is what tapping does, I instantly knew that I need to share a prayer of Thanks for everything good that was happening in Stokes County and to recognize all of the people who have helped us along the way.

It was so hard to see the multitudes of blessings while in the midst of all of our actions, 2016 election season, living with a three-year-old, and just figuring out dinner every night. But there before me was a long list of renewal within Stokes County. Plus a reminder of all of the people supporting us through this journey to healing the burden of living with coal ash in our midst. Wow.

My prayer was pretty long and specific. You can hear it here. After request for guidance, I shared the following list of thanks:

And with that, we give thanks for a few of the countless seeds already blooming here in Stokes County:

The Permanent Forsyth Tech Stokes County Center in Walnut Cove
The Arts Place of Stokes in Danbury
The New Community and Medical Building in Pine Hall
The New Food Pantry as part of East Stokes Outreach Ministry in Walnut Cove
Stokes County’s First Inclusive Playground in Germanton Park
The Make a Difference in King Playground in King coming in 2017
Last week’s Ribbon Cutting for the Walnut Tree Community Playground

There are so many other wonderful dreams and visions growing here in Stokes County. Thank you for giving the people the courage to start these projects. Help give them the courage to continue. And give the community the courage to support these projects with their time and money. God calls us to pray AND take action. For without the support of one another, it is impossible for these projects to grow. We know that this growth in our joy is also part of the healing and the solutions for this wonderful place. We lift Stokes County up in a time of renewal and resurgence of your glory. And we recognize your presence, Lord, through the absence of fear, our unification and the love shared among all people.

Amen

Photo Credit: Dayna Reggero, Climate Listening Project, The Story We Want – Persistence