Every month I feature a different person on the blog. This month is my dear friend Jeanan Glazier. A mother. A wife. A friend. A writer. Jeanan was born and raised in Georgia and relocated to New York with her family later on. Jeanan is a true southern belle with northern sensibilities.
You’d
think a writer would be interested in a book club, but I’ve never participated
in one. Therefore, when I was recently invited to join one, my first reaction
was, “No. I can’t fit this into my schedule.” However, my husband and daughters
thought differently. They shooed me out of the house. It’s a good thing they
did.
The
book is The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. “Praying Circles Around Your
Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears”. Read it or not. Like it or not. However, Batterson’s
main idea really spoke to me. Here it is: Are you praying small prayers or big
prayers?
Guess
what? I’ve been praying small prayers. Why? Because when I look around: at my
family, at my community, at my city, state, country, world…by the time I get to
the world, my so-called problems diminish, and I’m just grateful to be an
American. It’s true, but it never crossed my mind this perception also
diminished my prayers.
"What
do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said,
"Rabbi, I want to see." (Mark 10:51 NIV)
I
think it took enormous courage for the blind man to name what he wanted. In the
context of The Circle Maker, I also think the blind man’s answer was a
huge prayer.
I
never realized praying requires courage. Perhaps that’s because I’ve been
praying small. Praying big is scary, but being a white chick whose basic needs
are met doesn’t make me or my prayers insignificant compared to the rest of the
world.
Yes.
I have more courage than I realized. I’m praying big. What about you? How big
are your prayers?