Changing the Atmosphere

My little town on the prairie is a happenin’ place. The announcement of the world’s largest pea protein processing facility opening here, followed by the announcement of Simplot’s plan to double its production, is breathing optimism into the atmosphere. I’m no economic development expert, but it doesn’t take a genius to know the ripple effect means all this good news is only the beginning.

As it should, much praise has been poured out on our municipal councils, city and RM staff, provincial officials, and all involved in making these industrial dreams come true. It takes the efforts of many people working together and putting in long hours to make massive projects reality. We applaud you all!

Today, though, I’d like to suggest there just might be an element to this success that is being overlooked in our media, board rooms, and coffee shops. A catalyst that no one can see. A force at work behind the scenes. Dare I speak of it? Consider the evidence and judge for yourself.

In 2014, my church (Prairie Alliance) embarked on a prayer journey where we discerned what God is calling us to be in our community. This led to the start of 24/7 prayer weeks, where ordinary people sign up to pray in one-hour slots, so that prayers go up around the clock for that week. I’m not suggesting for a minute that ours is the only church praying. A movement is definitely afoot across Portage la Prairie’s community of faith. Ours is simply the one with which I’m familiar.

During these prayer times, folks are given a list of specific things to ask God for. This list would fill three of my blog posts by itself, so I’ll point out a few items as they relate to recent news headlines. You can decide whether a connection exists. 

The list includes a section where we pray for our front-runners. It names our city and RM council members by name, as well as other community leaders. We ask God to deliver our citizens from pessimism to optimism, from a victim mentality to an empowered one; from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset; from fear to joy; from caution to vision. Are you seeing a link?

We’ve been praying for creative partnerships in Portage – for organizations committed to similar goals, that they can leverage resources for greater effectiveness. Have you seen this happening anywhere?

Here’s a sentence lifted right out of the prayer guide:

“Pray for the success of industry and business in Portage; that the resources generated by this success would be poured back into Portage for the good of the city.”

You can call it a coincidence. Or you can call it psychological, that what we pray for we somehow, subconsciously, cause to happen. Or you can consider the lyrics to the Chris Tomlin song we’ve been singing for years, “God of this City,” or the promise of the Bible where it says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (II Chronicles 7:14) 

However you see it, doesn’t it make you curious to know what else is on that prayer list? It’s not top secret; anyone is welcome to jump on board. Trust me, if you live here, you’re “on the list.” You are being prayed for. Momentum is building. Oh, did I mention the repeating tag line in that song? “For greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city…”

A Few Random Thoughts on Community

Our recent move triggered a few more thoughts I feel compelled to share. After this, I promise maybe I’ll move on to something new. Perhaps.

Awesome neighbours

It may be one of the best-kept secrets in Portage la Prairie. The Sunset Drive/Yellowquill Drive neighbourhood is the finest you could want and we will miss it. Each summer, residents hold their garage sales on the same day, ending with a community potluck. They get together at Christmas and send around gifts and cards when someone is sick or bereaved. In the four years we were privileged to live there, we participated in only a few of these events, but felt deeply touched to receive a lovely plant when Jon’s dad died. These folks raise the bar for what it means to be a community and I want to say, keep up the great work and thank you for showing us what a good neighbourhood can look like.

Muscles r us

A priceless crew of friends turned out to move our eclectic belongings and they pulled it off in a morning. (Thanks Nate, Shaun, Laura, Malachi, John, Barb, Nathan, Paul, Ferdi, Evan, Jean-Marc, Alli, and Chris! We appreciate you all.) Stuff flew out of that house and into the new one faster than I could give directions of where it should go.

If only the unpacking went that quickly.

Who knew?

Now that my walk to work takes me over the Tupper Street bridge, I’ve discovered a plaque on each end telling when it was built (1964), who contributed to the cost, and who served on City Council at the time. Did you know its official name is “Skyline Bridge?” I sure didn’t. Wonder why no one ever calls it that?

Prayer Walks

Speaking of neighbourhoods, how do you feel about yours being prayed for? From August 4-11, my church (Portage Alliance) will enter into a 24/7 week of prayer for our town, where people can volunteer to sign up for time slots around the clock and ensure prayers go up for Portage and surrounding communities 24/7, hopefully with no areas getting missed. We have done this many times before, but this time we are taking advantageous of our brief summer and taking it to the streets. 

So don’t be surprised if you see more than the usual number of folks taking a walk past your house or business. You may or may not be able to tell that some of these will be “prayer-walking,” asking God to rain blessings specifically on you and your home, for protection from harm, reduction in crime, and so on. I’ve signed up myself. You don’t need to attend our church to participate. You can sign up or find more information at www.portagechurch.com. Click on “24/7 Prayer.”

I don’t personally know anyone opposed to these prayers being prayed in their corner of town, although I suppose there might be a few. Unlike the “anti-fogging” appeals for mosquitoes, I am not aware of a number you can call to request a “prayer-free” zone around your house. Sorry.

 

It’s hard sometimes to keep believing in what you can’t see, isn’t it? May you see the results of answered prayer in your neighbourhood soon. If you don’t believe in prayer, I assume you at least trust it can’t hurt.