The prayer blanket

/ Fran Haley

Last July, my husband suffered a heart attack and cardiac arrest. After thirty minutes of CPR, shocks with defibrillator paddles, an emergency stent (four telescoped stents, to be exact), induced hypothermia to minimize damage to his brain, and a week in the hospital, he came home. He was readmitted a few weeks later with chest pains—another heart attack. We spent two more weeks at the hospital for a “wash” of blood thinners and subsequent bypass surgery.

It was a long, bleak period. Time seemed to stop. We did not know what each day would bring, or how altered life would be.

Throughout this time, cards and calls kept pouring in. Not just from our church, where my husband is pastor, but from churches all across the area. We are praying, everyone said. We will keep praying.

One night, when my husband was home at last, recovering, a friend came by with a special gift: “The Women on Mission at my church made this for you. We prayed for you out loud the whole time we worked on it.”

A blanket of many colors. Big, warm, laced with love, with faith.

My husband healed, wrapped in this prayer blanket.

Life slowly returned to normal.

I share it now with you, Friends, in this bleak period when time seems to stop, when life is unexpectedly altered.

You, too, are wrapped in a blanket of prayer.

32 thoughts on “The prayer blanket”

  1. Ah, Fran, what a gift. I love the prayer blanket and how you are wrapping it around the Slice of Life family and all your readers. Thank you for the prayers. And praise God for getting back to normal after the heart attacks, and soon again after the covid-19 outbreak. Blessings.

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    • Thank you, Denise, for your uplifting thoughts – it’s been amazing grace, all the way. Spreading comfort as best I can in this COVID-19 chaos. This, too, shall pass – and blessings to you and all yours. 🙂

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  2. Thank you for sharing this story and blanket with us. The hard times change us but hopefully, in time, we see for the better. We are more gentle, more grateful, more patient, more empathetic. Praying for all of us now.

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  3. This is a lovely reminder, specially needed this morning as the news of closings, cancellations, endings, fills our in boxes. I’m heading out for a walk to pray and embrace the sunrise, and hope.

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  4. Each one of my children, as well as my husband, has a favorite blanket (we live in upstate NY and take it as a personal challenge to keep our heat bill as as possible!)…there is so much safety in wrapping up in a blanket. I was touched by the notion of a blanket given with such love and intention. Thank you for sharing.

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  6. Your post is beautiful and so timely for me as my kids and I made blankets yesterday. It is actually what my slice today is about, so I can’t wait to share your slice with them.

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  10. “A blanket of many colors” reminds me of Joseph’s coat of many colors. I suspect you too have that allusion in mind, Fran. The blanket looks cozy, and I want to wrap up in a soft blanket, which this community of writers is during these uncertain times.

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    • Yes, I was trying to think of a simple way to describe the blanket’s colors and the phrasing returned to mind, especially as it relates to faith and a gift given out of love, as Joseph’s coat was. It’s an extremely cozy blanket and some nights when I am not resting well I will wrap up in it on the couch, and I will sleep. I hoped the post would impart a similar peace amid the madness to those who read it. I know you will be writing, Glenda, and I wonder what books you might be savoring, if and when you are hunkered down?

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      • I started reading Carolyn Forché’s new poetry collection “In the Lateness of the World” yesterday and writing poem snippets in response. It’s uncanny in its appropriateness right now. This might be my slice tomorrow. I’m reading the audiobook of “Goliath,” which is about how monopolies control us. And Jericho Brown’s collection “Tradition” arrived yesterday.

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  11. It is physical acts of love and faith like this that truly get us through tough times. I love the tradition of prayer shawls and blankets. Not too long ago, I learned that when you accidentally crochet or knit one of your hairs into a project, it binds you to that person…I like to think of it as giving a little bit of myself to the recipient, along with my handiwork.
    Thanks for wrapping us in loving thoughts today.

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  13. This is beautiful. Thank you for being vulnerable enough to share this story, I think we can all learn something from it. Though it was horrific, I am glad that your husband has weathered the storm and had healing prayers literally wrapped around him. We all need a prayer blanket right about now.

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  16. I will admit that as I finished reading your post, I let myself sit in the space of your words for an extra moment. And yes, I felt warm and comforted by your kind and compassionate words.

    Thank you, Fran.

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  17. My church has a Prayer Shawl ministry. Ours are knitted and often when someone in our congregation is going for chemo or some other long term treatment in the hospital someone will visit and give them one. They always carry an extra one to offer someone else who may be needing comfort. We even make little pocket size ones that you can slip into your pocket. I think these blankets are a wonderful and special item to receive.

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    • I have a little prayer shawl knitted by a friend at my church, but have never thought about one for a pocket; that’s a great idea. What a beautiful, important ministry – I am particularly touched by your prayer shawl makers carrying extras for those who might need them. Makes me think of the extra grace we need to carry with us for others … thank you for this, Anna Maria.

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