A Prayer for Faith and Strength
When I stumbled upon the Giving Key necklaces in a little boutique, I knew I had to have one. The store owner told me the story behind the keyes and I was sold. There were only a few keys left, but the one jumping out at me was one with "FAITH" stamped on it. You see, I have the privilege of being a chaplain at a children's hospital, so Faith is something I lean on and encourage in people every day. The store owner warned me about what it would feel like when I met the person I was to give my key too. And she was right. I had my key for months and I told myself that I would not give it away at the hospital because every patient or family I met would likely need the message on my key and how would I ever choose? However, the unexpected happened. I was needed to cover an overnight shift at the hospital, which never happens. A young teenager was lifeflighted to the hospital after enduring life threatening injuries in a car accident. Even worse, I quickly learned that the patient's younger brother was killed in the accident. I was called upon to provide support to the teenager's mother, whose life was torn apart in a single moment in time. In the middle of the night, I showed up to offer my presence and comfort as she greived the loss of one of her children and yet still had to remain strong and faithful for her child that was still fighting for his life. I knew right then and there that she would need FAITH in the hours and days to come. So I passed my necklace to her...reminding her that when her faith wavered that the love of her family and friends would hold her up. It was days later when I saw her again and she shared that she has worn the Giving Key every day as a source of strength. I wore my key almost every day and still find myself reaching for it to put on until quickly remembering that I gave it away. And as I remember, I lift up a prayer for this family- a prayer for faith and strength. I believe this key has bonded thier story with mine for all of time.
