Once when asked about his campaign for the presidency, John Kennedy responded that the process of campaigning is a daunting task, plagued by doubt that constantly lingers in the back of the mind. Kennedy's words apply in both a presidential campaign and in the four-year academic campaign of a Valparaiso University student. From the time they arrive as first-year residents until they graduate, students press forward through a campaign of hard work and choices, all the while coping with fears and doubts. Left unchecked, these doubts can eat away at confidence and ability. Prayer is not an isolated aspect of my life, it permeates it.
Prayer begins a task and ends it.
I look to God in the beginning of each endeavor for guidance and support, and as the task continues so does my dialog with God. It returns full circle at the end of the task through thanksgiving. My bookshelf serves as a simple analogy of how faith and prayer fit into daily life. A row of upright physics, chemistry, calculus and biology books soon will fall if not secured by two bookends. Faith strengthened by prayer acts as bookends to daily events.