There’s a song I don’t much like. It’s a very popular song, but I think it’s too often represented as a hopeful song. There’s actually a lot of despair within the lyrics.
I used to change the radio station when I was driving and this song was played. I still do, but I take a moment to pray first.
What changed?
We went to a funeral, a couple of years ago, for a young man who had taken his own life. Because he was a music fan, family and friends were encouraged to wear concert t-shirts to the prayer service. And on the back of the prayer card, where there’s usually a prayer or a Scripture verse, was the first verse of this famous song, which begins,
“Imagine there’s no heaven.”
Imagine the despair behind that line. Imagine the utter lack of hope that it takes to hold the view that heaven does not exist. It’s easy, the songwriter maintains—but it’s not easy at all. It’s heartbreaking.
In my book The Handy Little Guide to Prayer (Our Sunday Visitor) I encourage readers to create prayer cues: little reminders to pray for a specific person or need. These can be as simple as praying for an out-of-state friend ay time you see a car with a license plate from the state where your friend lives.
“It’s easy if you try,” as the song goes. Prayer cues like this are easy to implement, and once you start using them, you’ll find more and more ways to incorporate this type of prayer into your life.
“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Using prayer cues can help you do exactly that.
“I hope someday you’ll join us” … in the hopeful practice of using prayer cues.
After that funeral, I added a new prayer cue to my playbook. When I hear that song, I take a minute to pray for a young man who identified so much with an anthem of despair that the least hopeful lyrics imaginable were printed on his funeral card.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Author bio: Barb Szyszkiewicz is a wife, mom of 3 young adults, and a Secular Franciscan. She is editor at CatholicMom.com. Barb enjoys writing, cooking, and reading, and is a music minister at her parish and an avid Notre Dame football and basketball fan. Find her blog at FranciscanMom.com.
Author social media: @franciscanmom on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Barb Szyszkiewicz is the author of the book “The Handy Little Guide to Prayer”. 
In this brief booklet, author, mom, wife, and Secular Franciscan Barb Szyszkiewicz helps you strengthen your connection to God through prayer.
You can find her book today at Amazon – click here.
Your connection to God in prayer can happen anywhere, at any time. No special equipment is needed, and no dress code, no reservation, no admission fee. All you need is an open heart and a willingness to engage with our Creator.