Prayer Chair

I have a prayer chair that I picked up years ago via a parish garage sale. It is old with red velvety upholstery. Some would say it is tacky but I love it. I have prayed a thousand prayers, wept a thousand tears, and controlled a thousand temper tantrums, in this chair.

There is something special about having a space set aside for peace and quiet and prayer. When the rest of the house is out of order, I can close my eyes in my chair and feel at ease. When I leave the scene of a family misunderstanding, I go to my chair and gain calm.

When others are having a hard time, I'll invite them to sit in my chair. My children have spilled their stories there. My husband has debriefed from his rigorous days at work. When the baby is fussy, I sit with him in my chair and pray.

Although I have moved too often, my chair comes with me. There was a time when I envisioned upgrading my chair to something nicer. For now I'll keep it, like I would a comfortable old sweater. One filled with memories and prayer.