The Prayer Chain

What a terrible lesson.
What a sad eye-opening insight.

Just because friends love you and care for you does not give them the right to share your traumas and trials around the community, under the "guise of a prayer request."

No.  What REAL love would do, would be to pray fervently, knowing that God knows the situation even if we don't have all the details.  Love would humbly wait for the updates and permission to share, from either the patient or the family.

The Prayer Chain - mind you, not the one at the place I work.  The one at the place I work is comprised of thoughtful, humble, people with a patient desire to see God work.  They do not gossip about what comes across the prayer chain, nor do they speak about it outside of the prayer chain. They do not share information without express permission from the person to be prayed for, or that person's family.

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There was a man, a friend of the patient.  As soon as he heard about the potential injury/illness he took it upon himself to alert the community.  This was even before the family knew.  It was a breach of privacy - even though it came from a loving, well meaning heart.  The immediate family was still trying to reach the rest of the family, this is before the family has had an opportunity to speak with the Doctors / patient or get the pertinent information, in order to be able to even share an accurate prayer request. One of the family members saw it before the family had a chance to tell them.  It ended up being kind of bad.  (Ya think?!)

This man crossed a boundary, stepped out of line, and refused to recognise that he had carried out an insensitive, rude act.

One thing I have learned, both from serving as a missionary and working in a church: everyone has the right to pray. No one has the right to share private information, no matter what their loving heartfelt desire is.  It is just not right.

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So at this point, I don't imagine that I would ever share any requests for prayer with any church's prayer chain.  Particularly in this small town, as people are too quick to talk and there seem to be several who need to "feel they are a part of the drama" and make it their own.

Nope.
I am so done with that.