Reconnecting Through Prayer ~ Mackenzie Twomey

When I first came to UW Madison, I thought that I was going to have nothing to do with religion, prayer, or God. Because I went to a Catholic school, most of my school years had to include something about those things, so I thought that I was going to have this big change in college. Clearly, that didn’t happen. It was around this time last year exactly that the itch started. The itch was wanting to go back to church or pray or do something related to God because while everything seemed to be going well, I felt like I was lacking something. So I found a friend (shoutout to Ashley) and I went to church (as in the Catholic church). But it still didn’t feel right.

As I was walking home from Mass, I looked up at the sky and it was filled with stars. For me, this was a sign that God was with me. Stars have always been a thing of faith, comfort, and safety for me since before I can remember. It was this night, I prayed for the first time in a while. I just sorta talked to God and tried to figure out where my faith was leading me. Praying is what led me to Pres House. Praying is what helped me cope with the loss of my childhood religion. Praying is what reconnected me with God.

For me, prayer is staring up at the stars and talking to a mythical force called God, sitting silently by myself, and reciting a written prayer. One of my favorite prayers is called the Serenity Prayer. This was a prayer I use a lot just during the day or whenever I just need a little God in my day. I learned it in French:

Mon Dieu, donnez-moi la sérénité d’accepter les choses que je ne puis changer, le courage de changer les choses que je peux, et la sagesse d’en connaître la différence.

For those of you who don’t speak French, it is:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

This prayer reminds me that I cannot control everything, but I can control my reactions. It helps me recenter and ask God for help. So if you start to get that itch for faith or God or just need something to get you through the day, try prayer. It might help you recenter and keep looking forward.

Mackenzie is a sophomore studying Global Health and Microbiology with a Gender and Women’s Studies Certificate.