wfn.org | Prayers of the children

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

Jan. 23, 2001    News media contact: Tim Tanton·(615)742-5470·Nashville,
Tenn.  10-71B{028}

NOTE:  This is a sidebar to UMNS story #027.

By Melissa Lauber*

RICHMOND, Va. (UMNS) -- The following are excerpts of prayers written by
children of the Virginia Annual (regional) Conference for a prayer calendar
that was recently delivered to the state's legislators:

"I pray that you will take care of all the children, because I am a eight
year old child and with out you, I wouldn't be nothing." -- Nichole, 8

"Could you please put some sense into the people who abandoned their
children. Help them realize that everyone is your child. And everyone should
be taken care of." -- Amy, 7

"Please keep your loving arms around all the children of the world. I love
you. Amen." -- Dean, 6

"Dear Lord, I hope the sick and homeless are okay. I wish they lived with us
so we won't have to listen to any sad stories. I'm sorry to interrupt you
but this is important to me. Thank you. Love, sincerely, your friend." --
Stephanie, fourth grade

"Dear Jesus, I am sorry for all your children. Here are some things that
have happened to them: hunger poverty, violence, neglect, fear, abuse,
loneliness, safety, lack of education and homelessness. That isn't all of
them. I feel sorry, Jesus." -- March,  9

"Please help other children smile every day and be thankful for everything
we have." -- Lindsey, 4

"Dear Lord, I wish no one gets hurt. Please help everyone. Please help
people find their way home if they are lost. Please give people homes that
don't have homes. Let people that are scared not be scared." -- Justin, 6

"God, How come some kids don't have anyone at home to help them with their
homework and fix them supper and make them go to bed at 8 o'clock? Please
help these kids and help me and others to help them, too. Amen." -- Graham,
9

"Please let all people live safely. Let all people sleep with dreams of
happiness and love. Let all people have what they need." Amen. -- Caitlin

# # #

*Lauber is associate editor of the United Methodist Connection, the
newspaper of the United Methodist Church's Baltimore-Washington Conference.
She visited Richmond to prepare this report on behalf of the Virginia United
Methodist Advocate and the United Methodist Board of Church and Society.

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
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