A Place to Share

This prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer can be as upsetting as it can be uplifting. Not written by me

When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good", but that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We confess that.

We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it Pluralism;

We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism;

We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle;

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery;

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare;

We have killed our unborn and called it choice;

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable;

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem;

We have abused power and called it politics;

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition;

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression;

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent: to direct us to the center of Your will and to openly ask these things in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen."

The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest.

In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa, and Korea.

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, "The Rest of the Story", and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.

If possible, please pass this prayer on to your friends. "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for everything."

This poem was not written by me. I found it in The Wisconsin Autism Society letter. Author is unkown. But this describes my life. I would like to submit it, it explains why I want friends that listen, not friends that judge me and my kids, and tell me how to raise my kids.

Please don't tell me how hard Ihave things, nor how wonderful you think I am. I have heard many times how special God thinks I am, also how fortunate my children are to have such a MOM.

Please don't tell me how unfair life can be nor that I have had more than my chare to carry. I have heard many times that I am doing an awesome job, also to keep up the good work.

Please don't tell me that you admire me for the things I do, nor that I am a saint and God is smiling on me. I have heard many times how God loves me, aslo howmy life is so blessed.

Please don't walk by when I need someone to talk to, nor pat me on the head like a small child. Ihave heard how can I help, also not wanting to hear my response.

Please don't pretend to be my long lost friend, nor think that I do not know this scares you. I have heard so many wanting to do what they can, also where are you when I cry?

Please don't tell me everything will be ok, nor that it will all work out because it won't. I have heard the hurt in your voice as we try to talk also I know you do care you are just insecure.

Please listen to me tell you about autism, do not tell me my child does that too I have heard it all before but you are not listening then, because my child does it day in and day out all day.

Please just be there for me like you would any friend. I know you can't be there all the time for me. I have heard that other peoples' lives can be demanding, as I am sure you could tell me.

Please let me also be a friend to you, there are times I want to hear how you are too. I have heard that life still goes on outside, and I would love to get a small glimpse of that.

Please don't think me pitiful or lonely this is my life, my children and I wouldn't trade. I have heard some that would change their children, trying to make them like the other kids.

Please understand that this is the way things are, we work with what we have. I have heard my children saying things to me. I did not think I would ever hear.

Please accept these seemingly small accomplishments, for the tremendous feats they are. I have heard others talk about their children growing up, and I look at my angles who continues to grow in their time.

Please if you don't understand something ask about it, autism is unique and seemingly ever changing. I have heard that knowledge chases away fear. I can help with those fears you might have.

Please just be a friend to me and my children.

Sincerely Katie S