The legacy of mom’s prayer closet

Her name was Nikki. She was a tiny, solid black kitten found on the side of the road. I am not even sure how Mom managed to spot Nikki that fateful day, but she did. Nikki was soaking wet from the elements and covered in fleas. With her eyes matted shut and a broken, gravelly cry, she barely sounded like a kitten. There was little chance of her survival, even with intervention.
The first time I saw the kitten, she was wrapped in a scarf and snuggled safely in Mom’s hand. Nothing short of a miracle was needed to bring life to Nikki. Nonetheless, the kitten gained strength after many round-the-clock feedings and much tender loving care. One night, I remember hearing my Mom pray, “Lord, Please do not let this baby die in my hands,” and I watched as she performed CPR. Miraculously, Nikki survived that night and many more. Nikki grew to be a favored pet in our home for many years.
I always considered Nikki one of those miracles Mom had the faith to ask God for. Mom had immense faith, and I will always believe her prayers carried a lot of weight at the gates of Heaven. After the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, He explained the power of prayer to His disciples. Jesus said that any request they made in His name, He would grant, which would, therefore, glorify the Heavenly Father (John 14:13). That was the weight of Mom’s prayers; she believed the words of Jesus.
Mom’s prayer closet was quite warm, to say the least. She did not hesitate to ask God for anything, from her most minor request to her greatest need. Somehow, she learned to accept God’s timing within her prayer life. In the waiting, she continued to pray, thankful for His presence in all circumstances. Her prayer closet taught her to seek and accept God’s plans for her life (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
In her prayer closet, she learned to accept when God said “no” to some of her most vital, heart-wrenching prayers. I remember her faithful prayers of healing for my brother. Nevertheless, six years after his cancer diagnosis, her oldest son passed from this life. In her grief, she understood that God’s ultimate healing came on the Kingdom side of Heaven. Even though her son passed from this world, she knew he lived eternally with the Father. I watched as she held to her faith. She knew God’s ways were higher than hers, and His understanding reached beyond her human comprehension (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Amid joy and sorrow, Mom’s prayer closet remained a sanctuary of hope and comfort. As a young woman, she learned to release the anxieties (Philippians 4:6) of this world as she raised her family and taught us to pray. In her later years, age-related dementia led to memory loss and confusion, but it never stole her ability to pray.
In her final days, she would hold the hand of her children and grandchildren to pray her old, familiar prayer. “God bless them as they travel. Put a hedge of protection around them, angels at their wheels, and help them to return safely to their homes.” Today, we continue to travel countless miles sheltered beneath the power of her prayers. And of all the gifts she left to us, I will remain grateful for the legacy of Mom’s prayer closet.

Matthew 6:6 When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.