Here’s a Prayer for all those who collapse
at the end
Who are just holding it together
Somehow
Til the end of the Day
And then lose it
When they get in the door
Or are asked to do a thing
Or have to leave their comfort zone/thing/activity
Here are for those for whom the “Simple” tasks are not easy
Socializing
Being Organized
Paying Attention
Meeting People’s Eyes
Going Outside
Sensory Overload
New Things
Exposure
All the Things the one has to Weather
Here is a prayer for those whose bodies react
with twitches, or sleep disturbance, or accidents
migraines or other body aches
This is a prayer for those who have to acclimate
to this STRANGE thing everyone else calls the norm
I want to tell you, God thinks you are beautiful
and perfect, exactly as you are
and I hope you are safe
and beloved–and you have spots of sanctuary
moments of hope
and experiences of full self
Here’s a prayer for those who experience after school restraint collapse
Like ripe apples or rainbows of leaves in the fall
or tacos that are too full of good things to eat
or cake that is overfull of icing and sprinkles–
We all fall apart sometimes,
Jesus wept,
and ran away
and napped on a boat
and cursed a fig tree.
And went alone to a garden to pray–
but asked his disciples to body double him while he was there.
Here’s a prayer for all of us who collapse, because we are overloaded
May we, like Jesus, rage or weep or pray or rest.
Whenever we need to, and find what we need along the way God.
We pray this in the name of your Counselor and Comforter the Holy Spirit–
Amen.
Rev. Katy Stenta is the pastor of New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Albany, New York. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree in Creative Writing and Public Theology from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. This poem was originally published on her blog.