Located within a shop, of all places
In the middle of a shop in Franklin, Tennessee, there’s a small room filled with a thousand voices, each a prayer, handwritten on a tag and hung on a nail. The mission of their prayer wall is to be an open canvas for prayer requests and praises.
The shop is called Philanthropy and it was an amazing and grace filled space I shared with my youngest daughter. Unexpected tears flowed as I read a child’s scrawled words “Pray for my Sissy” with two misshapen hearts drawn below the message.
Another child wrote “that my goats and chickens stay safe.”
Adults wrote too.
“I pray that my son Rick will talk to me again. That we can resolve & mend what is broken. Amen.”
“Dear God, thanks for letting me see another year!”
“For my daughter Ryan to find peace from depression/anxiety and to know your presence.”
“Dear Lord, please keep my family safe from this horrible virus.”
“God. I pray for the little church in our town of Darlington, PA that had a fire. May they be able to rebuild.”
“To know your will for my life’s purpose and my daughter.”
Hundreds of tags, front and back. Hundreds of prayers and worries, wishes and desires, hopes and fears, flowed from hearts through fingertips onto a tiny tag and hung on a nail. Released.
A few days later, on the long drive home, my daughter texted me:
“I was just thinking about what you said at Philanthropy, how it made you feel like you wanted to create something. I got to thinking about how God gives us unique gifts and when we invite Him to be a part of that, how creativity flows more freely. The Holy Spirit was so present there and I could see him having an effect on you and I found it interesting that your desire in that moment was to create something beautiful. Your art and your creative mind is your God-given gift.”
Kind words and answered prayers.
May you have both.
xox