Thoughts on ‘The Help’ and Prayer

A few weeks ago, a friend sent me an article on Kathryn Stockett, author of New York Times best seller and current film, The Help. Turns out Stockett received 60 rejection letters from agents before her novel was accepted. My friend is also a writer and we tend to motivate each other when success in our fields seems hardly attainable. After reading the article, I knew I had to pick up a copy.

While the story was riveting, it was the writer’s unyielding determination that continues to motivate me. I brought the book with me to Spain and on my way back to America three women approached me to say how much they loved it while I proceeded to tell them the tale of the author’s 60 rejections.

Maybe it was because I just experienced World Youth Day and felt more in tune with my faith, but there were sections in the book that mentioned prayer that stood out to me. In Chapter 2, Aibileen, one of the maids, began praying for Miss Skeeter and said, “That’s the way prayer do. It’s like electricity, it keeps things going.”

After I went to confession, I made a promise to myself and God that I would pray every day. Truthfully, this was harder than I thought. When I tried to pray, I just felt like my thoughts were rambling in my head. A few chapters later, Aibileen mentioned how she writes down her prayers.

“Can’t be much different than writing my prayers every night. Find I can get my point across a lot better writing em down. I write a hour, sometimes two ever day. Lot a ailing, sick peoples in this town.”

It never occurred to me to write my prayers down, but I decided to give it a shot. I found the journal Farrah gave me last year for my birthday and decided this would be the perfect place to start. So, last Wednesday, and every night since, I’ve been writing down my prayers and I have to say, it isn’t as difficult as I had imagined.

Annie Reuter, is a freelance writer and music blogger who covers concerts and music festivals around the country. In constant pursuit of the next show to attend and band to interview, Annie keeps up her own music blog, You Sing, I Write, where she uncovers what it's really like to spend the day with a rock star.