The Prayer Flag that Mary Beth Made

To get an idea of how meaningful this prayer flag is, along with the spiritual housekeeping service that the Friends did in our apartmtent last week, you have to look on the bottom of this dispatch for Bob's before and after pictures.

My neighbor, Mary Beth, created this using a Tibetian prayer chain as a model. She came up with Bible verses to go with each color that reminded her of Bob's journey from life to death and back again. Just because she has three kids, a student husband, runs, skiis, swims and counsels eating disorder patients, doesn't mean she can't envision and custom sew a prayer chain here and there. Here it is:

Black: John 1:5, The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.

Red: Romans 8:26-27, In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs so deep that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit interecedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

Yellow: Romans 8:22-25, We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardely as we wait eagerly for our adoptions as children, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is not hope at all. Who hopes for wht he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Green: II Corinthians 5:17, So if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; everything old has passed away; see everything has become anew!

So, the new Bob is almost open for a call to the golf course and to parish ministry. Where will we go? Stay tuned!! That's the next chapter.

Left, Bob before the liver left him, May 2006.

Below, Bob just after the liver came back to him, February 2007. He had already gained back almost 10 of the 40 pounds that also left him. Having a nutritionist neighbor who makes prayer flags is helpful, as you can imagine.

With love, T