Paraphrase of Psalm 23

Psalm 23 contains words that offer comfort in the most difficult days:

One of the Sunday school classes at church was studying this psalm. At the same time, the young granddaughter of someone in the class was profoundly ill, recently placed on hospice care. Nana Rylander awoke in the middle of the night the other day and wrote a paraphrase of Psalm 23 as a prayer for Kaylen and her family. The class prayed the paraphrase together this past Sunday morning. Kaylen died last night. Nana gave me permission to share it in this space, in the hope that these beautiful words may offer comfort and peace to other children and their families living in the shadow of death. Please share with anyone you know whose child is suffering from severe illness.

A Prayer for Kaylen

(prayed by Grace's Pathfinders Class, November 5, 2017.)

God, our Father, we pray for Kaylen and her family this morning. We pray that each moment she lives she will sense your Holy Spirit in and close around her, loving her and caring for her like a shepherd cares for a little lamb.

Give her, O Lord, the sense of peace that comes not from being in a hospital, but from being in a beautiful place-- with lush green fields and calming waters.

Let her know, O God, that even though her body is very ill, you are preparing to restore her soul to wholeness. Lead her and guide her and protect her every step of the way, so that she will not be afraid of anything-- even the shadow of death.

Help her to know that she is very special to you-- like one who is anointed and given a feast of celebration and victory, even in the presence of her enemy: the cancer.

And finally, O Lord, help Kaylen to be assured that she makes this journey with you by her side-- a good and merciful Father who will receive her into his loving presence forever. 

We thank you, God, for the Psalm that gives us these comforting words, and we pray in the name of Jesus, who taught us that he is indeed our Good Shepherd. Amen.