Tree Prayer

Tree Prayer

My family decided to brave the state's highway system one recent Thanksgiving by traveling the New Jersey Turnpike south to my sister's house off of Exit 7A. We started on Exit 18, knowing full well that we would hit some traffic before we arrived at her home some 70 miles later. Little did we know that our trip would be a bit of an adventure: not the type we would have liked to participated in either.

It was shortly after the noon hour when our car passed through the EZPass booth. We soon found ourselves traveling past Newark Liberty Airport and the "bucolic beauty" of industrial Linden, NJ. Choosing the car-only lanes seemed most sensible; with enough big rigs and buses on the road we didn't want to subject our midsize car to the wake of a tandem trailer whooshing on by. Soon after making that decision we noticed brake lights more than one mile down the road and a helicopter hovering overhead. Uh oh, this did not look good.

As we arrived near the stopped traffic, police cars and emergency vehicles screamed by along the shoulder. Within ten minutes we were upon the scene: a green minivan had gone off the road and flipped on its side. We didn't want to stare too closely but it did look like as if a small tree was sticking out of the windshield. We all said a prayer for the inhabitants and were thanking God that the rescue workers were already there doing what they do best. Moments later the traffic broke and we found ourselves once again heading south on the turnpike with not a little bit of thanks to God on our part that we were safe.

Holiday travel in New Jersey is fun. Okay, barely tolerable is more like it. If you have family more than 25 miles away, more than likely you will be on one of the major roadways at some point in your trip. It seemed, at times, that the entire New Jersey populace was going where we were going. I only hoped that my sister had a large enough turkey for everyone.

By Exit 8A, traffic had slowed again so we decided to exit the turnpike and follow Route 130 south. Not a great choice as Route 130 is a four lane roadway desperately needing more lanes and less traffic lights. Still, we felt that it beat the turnpike parking lot syndrome.

Near Cranbury we began to experience deja vu all over again as the saying goes. Stopped traffic. Sirens. Emergency vehicles spotted in front of us. The entire highway closed and traffic rerouted. Unlike the previous accident, we weren't going to witness the rescue attempt. So, we said some more prayers for the victims, exited Route 130, and found ourselves following other cars through the town of Cranbury.

At this point, we were in unfamiliar territory, but I didn't mind it. Cranbury is a lovely historic town that seems set in the mid-19th century. Nothing is new, everything is preserved. If you must be detoured somewhere in New Jersey, this town is the place to visit. Tastefully decked out in Christmas splendor, Cranbury looks nicer than Walgreen's town of Perfect. It isn't perfect, but it is real!

Somehow by following signs -- there are places in New Jersey where signs will get you where you are going -- we arrived at my sister's home. We shared our stories of accident scenes witnessed, a detour taken, and a town admired. The highway madness of earlier that day soon faded away as we enjoyed the company of family and our Thanksgiving feast.

In the early evening we decided to take our tired children and head home. Traffic was much lighter and it moved quickly. Heading north on the New Jersey Turnpike, we decided to exit the road and travel north on the Garden State Parkway, which would bring us closer to our home. What had been a two hour trip down was looking like a 75 minute sprint home. Everything was clear and seemed uneventful. How soon that would change.

We noticed in the vicinity of the Union tolls that traffic was slowing down. At first, we chalked it up to the usual bobbing and weaving one must do in order to find the correct toll lane. However, as we made the approach to the tolls we looked over to the southbound lane and saw the all too familiar scenery of emergency vehicles. Not again.

This time the scene seemed even more horrific. Pulled off the road just south of the toll booths was a public transit bus. A police officer stood outside shining a light through the broken passenger windows. We could see all the windows were blown out by a fire that appeared to have consumed the bus. None of us wanted to imagine what happened; we simply grimaced and said yet another prayer to Almighty God for mercy.

The remainder of the trip home found our car engulfed in silence.

Looking back, I certainly can give thanks for not being involved in any one of the three accidents. We don't know if any produced fatalities, but we do know that lives were changed that day. Whether people were speeding, cut off, falling asleep behind the wheel, or for whatever other reason the accident happened, we will never know. Quite frankly, it no longer mattered.

What we do know is this: even under the best conditions and in the best weather, road trips cannot be taken for granted. New Jersey roads are crowded, but serious accidents occur all over the country. That is why our family prays for traveling mercies before we take an extended trip and why we are quick to hold victims up in prayer when we come upon an accident scene.

Life is too precious to do anything less.

This article originally appeared on Townstead.com, a defunct site managed by Matt Keegan. It was part of his "Life in New Jersey" series of articles.

Matthew Keegan is the owner of a successful article writing, web design, and marketing business based in North Carolina, USA. He manages several sites including the Corporate Flight Attendant Community and the Aviation Employment Board. Please visit The Article Writer to review selections from his portfolio.

Prayer $10 Prayer

Of Prayer $5 Of Prayer

A Christmas Prayer $11.56 Snuggle in this holiday season and offer up "A Christmas Prayer." In the tradition of "A Night Night Prayer," this precious little child wanders through the house on a snowy Christmas night offering a prayer of thanks and blessing. The child finishes with thanks to God for the greatest Gift of all. Noting all the characters in the Nativity, this lovable little nighttime prayer book has interactive dialogue and soothing rhyme for a child to repeat as they look around their world at Christmastime. Between the soft Christmas glow of the illustrations and the smooth rhythm of the child's prayer, "A Christmas Prayer" will make every parent and child want to snuggle up by the tree and offer a prayer of thanks to God for His many Christmas blessings.

Personal Items on Prayer Tree, Comeragh Mountains, County Waterford, Ireland $24.99 Personal Items on Prayer Tree, Comeragh Mountains, County Waterford, Ireland - Photographic Print

Prayer Ribbons Tied to a Tree, Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai, China $129.99 Panoramic Images Prayer Ribbons Tied to a Tree, Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai, China - Wall Decal

Tree with Prayer Ribbons, Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai, China $19.99 Angelo Cavalli Tree with Prayer Ribbons, Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai, China - Photographic Print

Tree with Prayer Ribbon, Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai, China $19.99 Angelo Cavalli Tree with Prayer Ribbon, Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai, China - Photographic Print

Tree with Prayer Ribbons, Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai, China, Asia $19.99 Angelo Cavalli Tree with Prayer Ribbons, Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai, China, Asia - Photographic Print

Irish Prayer Tree Of Life Necklace $14.99 This unique design features an overlay pendant with a cut out tree of life and the under pendant is engraved with the Irish Blessing. Arrives gift boxed with a card to match. 1? pendant on 18? chain. Imported.

Demdaco Willow Tree Candle Holder - A Tree, A Prayer $15.65 Strength, beauty and peace each day Hand-formed shapes and rich earthy glazes, these porcelain candle holders are as lovely to handle as to view. The tea light softly illuminates a sentiment on the inside edge. Equally effective as a place to hold pencils and brushes, functional and beautiful Willow Tree!. Unscented tea light candle included. Can hold a votive or tea light Porcelain, resin and paraffin candle. Care: Wipe with damp cloth. 3.5" h X 3" diameter. Type: Home Accents Color/Finish: Multi-Color

Prayer, Return of Prayer and the Saint's Jewel $8.25 "Prayer is an ordinance of God, and that to be used both in public and private; yea, such an ordinance will bring those that have the spirit of supplication into great familiarity with God; and is also so prevalent an action, that it gets of God, both for the person that prays, and for them that are prayed for, great things. It is the opener of the heart of God, and a means by which the soul, though empty, is filled. By prayer the Christian can open his heart to God, as to a friend and obtain fresh testimony of God's friendship to him - I might spend many words in distinguishing between public and private prayer as also between that in the heart, and that with the vocal voice. Something also might be spoken to distinguish between the gifts and graces of prayer; but as eschewing this method my business shall be at this time only to show you the very heart of prayer, without which, all your lifting up both of hands, and eyes, and voices, will be to no purpose at all. Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to the Word for the good of the Church, with submission, in faith, to the will of God. 1. For the first of these: it is a sincere pouring out of the soul to God. Sincerity is such a grace as runs through all the graces of God in us, and through all the actings of a Christian, and has the sway in them too, or else their actings are not anything regarded of God, and so of and in prayer, of which particularly David speaks, when he mentions prayer: "7 cried unto the Lord with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue. If I regardiniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psa. 68:18). Part of the exercise of prayer is sincerity, without which God looks not upon it as prayer in a good sense. "And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart" (Jer. 29:13). The want of this made the Lord reject their prayers in Hos. 7:14, where He says, "They have not cried to Me with their hearts (that is, in sincerity), when they howled upon their beds " But for a pretense, for a show, in hypocrisy, to be seen of men, and applauded for the same, they pray. Sincerity was that which Christ commended in Nathaniel when he was under the fig-tree: "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile" (John 1:47). Probably this good man was pouring out of his soul to God in prayer under the fig-tree, and that in a sincere and unfeigned spirit before the Lord. The prayer that has this in it as one of the principal ingredients is the prayer that God looks at: "The prayer of the upright is His delight." Bunyan (1628-1688) rose from an humble beginning to being a preacher to a little house church, to 12 years in jail because he would not agree to quit preaching, to a huge church in London. He wrote 66 books, nearly all while in jail. Goodwin (1600-1679) was rightly described as ''

Willow Tree Figurine - Angel of Prayer $14.85 Since 2000, Susan Lordi has been creating these figurative sculptures that speak in quiet ways of deep emotion and inspiration. Artist Susan Lordi carves each original sculpture, then pieces are cast from her original carving in resin and individually painted by hand. Expression is conveyed by gestures only - a tilt of the head, a turn of the body, or placement of the hands. The simplicity of form and the absence of facial features signify Willow Tree. Emotions are left to the viewer to interpret, which makes them powerful and personal. It is Susan Lordi's hope that these pieces be meaningful to both the giver and the receiver. Type: Statues and Sculptures Color/Finish: Multi-Color

Serenity Prayer Tree of Life Pendant 24 inch chain $29.95 Hope. Paired disks of inspiration display a cutout Tree of Life and stamped Serenity Prayer on polished and brush-finished stainless steel. Crafted in USA. 1 1/4" long on 24" chain.

Buddhist Prayer Flags Around the Bo Tree, Anuradhapura, North Central, Sri Lanka $24.99 Dallas Stribley Buddhist Prayer Flags Around the Bo Tree, Anuradhapura, North Central, Sri Lanka - Photographic Print

Willow Tree®: Angel Of Prayer $14.99 ">>Willow Tree Angel Of Prayer Figurine>> >Sentiment on enclosure card: >"For those who believe in the power of prayer"> >Susan Lordi's sculptures communicate a loving and personal connection to others and the world around us. Their simplicity and serenity bring warmth and grace to any home, and are perfect gifts for any occasion.> >Measures: 4" x 2" x 5" >Product made of resin.> > >"

The Prayer $6 The Prayer - Russell Watson-Lulu

The Legend of the Christmas Tree $8.99 A father's prayer for his family to understand the deeper meaning of our Christmas celebrations becomes a reality during the search for a perfect Christmas tree. The family discovers the meaning behind one of their favorite Christmas traditions in The Legend of the Christmas Tree.

The Prayer Circle $28.99 "Ida, Ruth, and Mary were all imprisoned by the society they were born into andshameful family secrets that kept them confined to a world in which women weredeemed chattel and liberation was a distant dream. Their prayers, in front of anenormous Oak Tree, unlock the chains of racism, sexism, and generational curses tobirth a revolution of strong, powerful and courageous women ministry leaders thatcontinues to exist today. The explosive debut novel of The Chronicles of Eden, beginswith a murder, but ends with a life altering revival that lasts more than fifty years.Inspired by the triumphant struggles and victories of Christian's everywhere, ThePrayer Circle is an inspirational celebration that is suspenseful, heartwarming, and adelight for the human soul CEO and Attorney, Michelle D. Rhett"

Tree People $14.99 Track Listing: 1. Tree People, 2. King and the Haircut, The, 3. Bing Bang Boom!, 4. My Lucky Day, 5. Prayer Stone, 6. Lolo Shuffle, 7. Journey, The, 8. Footsteps, 9. Sleeping Beauties, 10. Back to Fusion, 11. Grind, 12. Proclamation, 13. There and Back Again