One thing that I miss about being religious is having the option to pray.
For non-religious people, the act of praying may look awfully weird. Like a child writing a Christmas wish list to Santa Claus.
But that’s not how I experienced prayers. It was more like having a quiet moment to sit down and talk to a close friend and counselor who is a great listener.
And the power of pray did not come from the hope that God would use his power to make your problems go away. I never believed that God would answer my prayers by letting me win the lottery, or strike down my enemies. But instead, the power of prayers came from the peace of mind that you get after praying.
Religious people have a great imagery for this: Footprints in the Sand.
For example, when something sad happens in my life, like when a family member get sick, I used prayers to deal with the sadness and powerlessness of the situation. Or when something exciting and unpredictable happens like when I applied for college. I relied on prayers to assure myself that everything is going to be ok and it will all work out.
I understand that it’s all psychological and there are many alternatives such as therapy, drugs, or even yoga…. and that’s fine. But prayers work and it’s free.
Nowadays, I don’t have that option in my toolset.
When shitty things happen, I just stare blankly into space. I don’t know who to turn to, or what to think. The uncertainty of life is just that: uncertain.