KNIT ONE PRAYER TOO

by Ann and Jay Boekhoff

A PASSION  FOR KNITTING  
I have been knitting since I was a child and find it to be a relaxing hobby and creative outlet. I had read about the Prayer Shawl Ministry at Shepherd of the Valley, but I had not taken the steps of better understanding the mission and getting the knitting directions until about ten years ago. My husband Jay was very ill with a protein deficiency in his blood that was causing his liver to fail. One of the characteristics of his condition was that he was cold all the time, so I knit him a prayer shawl. It kept him warm and served as a vehicle for my own prayers which were answered six months later when he had a transplant.

CONNECTION AND HEALING  
I could see the value of participating in the mission for both Jay as the recipient and me as the creator, so I have continued over the years. The prayer shawl provides physical comfort and a closer connection with the church. Knowing that the knitter or crocheter has prayed for them as they knit provides spiritual support and can inspire [the receivers] to use the prayer shawl as inspiration for their own prayer traditions. 

The name of the person who made the shawl is included with the shawl when it is given. I have received appreciative thank you notes and comments from some of the receivers, their relatives, or the friends of the person in need. One widower regularly reminds me that his late wife had one of my prayer shawls which I knit in red, white, and blue. Those are the Minnesota Twins colors, and she was comforted to wrap up in her prayer shawl and watch their games. These interactions foster connections and healing. Going full circle, last winter Jay asked me to teach him to knit and he now makes prayer shawls. The Needles of the Valley knitting and crocheting group which meets at 1:00 PM on Mondays at SOTV, also knits prayer shawls. As we see how many prayer requests are made each week, we see the importance and broad reach of this mission.

In April of 2024, Pastor Peter gave a sermon on John 15:5. “I am the vine and you are the  branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you  will bear much fruit.” He had the congregation pass skeins of different shades of green yarn around the sanctuary until we were all connected. It was a meaningful visual representation of our connectedness with God and with each other. It inspired Jay and me to incorporate some of those green yarns into the prayer shawls we are now making, expanding the range of SOTV.  

GET INVOLVED AND KNIT PRAYER SHAWLS  
If you are interested in joining this ministry, you can participate in Needles of the Valley or you can contact Jill Johnson, the staff person in charge of this ministry. She can be reached at jill.johnson@ sotv.org or by phone at 952.985.7381.