Photo by MiRea

By Wendy Choy-Chan

Recently, I have succumbed to “checklist praying.” It all started out in the summer when several mishaps came about in my family.  I named them one by one, handing them over to God.  And then, another mishap.  I still remember saying to God, “There are so many little things in life that could happen that I don’t even think much about. Thank you for watching over us.  What would I do without You?”  Then, I would mentally go through all the activities of the day and try to cover all aspects in prayer.

Last week, my daughter hurt her big toe in gymnastics and had to put on a boot to let it rest and heal.  It was a big blow to her, because she had been looking forward to playing a badminton match at school, and now no gymnastics?  This was her biggest nightmare.  When I was praying the next morning, I caught myself thinking, Did I forget to pray for safety for her?  How would I know to include protection for her big toe in?  Do I have to name all her body parts in my prayers?

That was when I realized that I had fallen into a trap.  I had begun treating prayer like insurance coverage: name the things I want the policy (in this case, God) to cover, but if I forget to include some on the checklist, there will be no guarantee of protection.

I don’t know how I slipped into that.  Well no, actually I do.  I’ve been very busy, so each morning, instead of really spending time with God, I have been just giving Him a report of what my schedule is like that day and a list of people/things that I want Him to take care of for me.  And off I go with my day.

It took a big toe to stop me in my tracks, to nudge me into reflection.

Today, her big toe is still in my prayers — no longer a checklist though.  I am thanking God for healing her, and she is finally off the boot.  And I am thanking God for using her big toe to teach me a valuable lesson.

Wendy Choy-Chan came to North America from Hong Kong when she was 15.  She is now a full-time mom and part-time student at Fuller Northwest studying for her MA in Theology.  She lives with her husband and two daughters in Seattle, WA.