I See That Finger

I See That Finger

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,to sing praises to the Most High.It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,your faithfulness in the evening.

Psalm 92:1-2

I grew up in a large family, where we usually ate together around the dinner table. We also observed certain traditions. One of these was to pray before eating. Sometimes, for fun, my dad held up his index finger. As each of us noticed this, we quickly held up ours, because the last one to do so had to pray.

Many pastors, missionaries, and other Christian workers stayed with us over the years. My dad often used the finger method when they were at the table. I remember when one man had begun eating his roll without thinking. My dad’s finger went into the air, with all of ours following like lightning. When informed of what this meant in our family, the man bowed his head and prayed, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name” (Psalm 103:1, KJV). I never forgot it.

Toward the end of his life, my father valiantly battled Parkinson’s disease, which caused him to fall frequently. When he took his final spill, it happened that I was on my way there to visit. When I arrived at the house, it was empty, and a note had been left on the table for me. I rushed to the hospital to find him in the emergency room with a small monitor on his finger. As he lay in the bed, his hand was elevated. The first thing I saw was his index finger pointing toward the ceiling. I laughed and said, “What are you doing, trying to get someone to pray for you? I’ve been doing that already.”

—Max Elliot Anderson

Father, thank you for giving us prayer so we can communicate directly with you, the almighty God of this universe. Amen.