Sometimes I struggle
to deal with people
who have wronged me
or whom I distrust.
I know
that I should pray for them.
But what exactly
should I pray for?
A change of heart
in them?
A change of heart
in myself?

I find myself absolutely
stumped.

But tonight I watch
Mother Angelica
on YouTube
as she describes an encounter
with a taxi driver
in New York.

The taxi driver
was a young woman
who is clearly resentful
of her passenger.
She was grumpy
and would not engage
in conversation.
Mother Angelica took the hint
and stopped chatting.

After her short taxi ride
Mother Angelica paid her fare,
gave the driver a generous tip
and said, “God bless you!”

The taxi driver
with huge tears in her eyes replied,
“No. God bless you!”

This simple story
makes a deep impression on me.
Maybe
I’m overcomplicating things.
Maybe
my prayer for those people
who have wronged me
should simply be
three little words –
“God bless him/her!”

I think that, in future,
I’ll try that.
I’ll keep my prayer for those people
simple –
just like Mother Angelica did!

© Claire Murray, 13th July 2024