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Life Enriched By Hopes, Prayers Of Those Who Have Little

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By CAMILLE BEREDJICK

The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 7, 2008

A few days before Thanksgiving, I worked the crack-of-dawn, 40-degree morning shift at Metropolitan Ministries with a school service club.

No, the experience didn't change my life. Rather, it was a thought-provoking day, not because it opened my eyes to a world of good I had never known, but because of the ironic way I learned about good will.

I have never been an overtly religious person. I don't condemn or disrespect those who are, but I don't go out of my way to pray regularly or tell people to have a blessed day. But that morning at Metropolitan Ministries, I volunteered to stand at a table by the entrance and hand out Bibles and prayer requests.

Maybe I was testing myself to see how far outside of my comfort zone I could go. Maybe I just got caught up in the holiday spirit. Either way, I became the Bible lady for four hours, and I honestly loved every minute of it.

When people started pouring in at 9 a.m., most of them were bundled in coats and holding small children. I was hesitant to promote the prayer cards that I was told had been popular in years past.

It's a simple concept - people were asked to write down their prayers for the holidays, whether they were as vague as "happiness for the family" or as specific as "make my relationship with Marvin better." Prayers could be for friends, family members, oneself, or anyone who needed an extra bit of help during the holidays, and all the prayer cards would be displayed in the charity's makeshift chapel and read over by the chaplain, who would pray for each person.

At first, I didn't think people would be comfortable submitting their innermost struggles to a public forum, easily scrutinized by anyone who passed by. Hundreds of people proved me wrong, eagerly scribbling down their Thanksgiving wishes and showing me that a simple act of faith was all they needed to brighten their day.

As people became increasingly responsive to the prayer cards, I became more enthusiastic about handing them out. Soon people were asking their children to write down a wish or taking a minute alone to contemplate and create the most detailed prayer that could ever fit on a 3-inch by 4-inch card.

Some told me stories about the recent passing of family members or the distress they felt because of the war and the economy. I lost track of how many told me they "could use as much prayer as they could get." The curtains inside the chapel filled up with rows of humble wishes, each gently pinned to the fabric.

Bibles flew off the metaphorical shelves as quickly as prayer cards. Copies in English and Spanish had been donated, as had full-color books on understanding the Bible and colorful DVDs created just for the kids. I was awed when nearly everybody who walked by took one or all of these gifts, and reacted as though they'd been given early Christmas presents.

One toddler pointed to the stack of Bibles and squealed to his father that I had his favorite book. An elderly woman explained to me that she already owned every Bible she'd come across, but one more couldn't hurt.

One by one, people filed in, stopped at my table and soon left to complete their Thanksgiving shopping, each more grateful than the next. For some, talking to me and other volunteers may have been the most human interaction they would have for the winter, and by the looks on their faces, knowing that someone was praying for them was the greatest Christmas present they could have asked for.

I left my shift inspired by the optimism and hope that had been ignited in their hearts by a few prayer cards and a free Bible.

It's particularly easy this year to forget what we're thankful for. Times are hard for everyone, and in the matter of a minute, anyone's life could be turned upside down by the shaky economy, the ongoing war, or any number of tragedies. But for those who seem to have lost everything, the belief in a greater good is enough to brave the coldest night.

The moral of the story is that I'm thankful for faith, even if it's not my own. Four hours in a charity's grocery store taught me that the luckiest people in the world are those who believe - no matter what life throws at them.

Camille Beredjick is a senior at Chamberlain High School.

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