It started with a prayer, one of those earnest, hopeful moments shared among friends when life throws a curve:
Years ago my husband and I belonged to a couples prayer group. One of the men lost his job and we all began to pray, for a NEW job.
Turns out we prayed he and his family right out of town because the new job was in Indianapolis.
That’s when I first said, half-laughing, half-sorry: “Be careful what you pray for.”
So yes, let’s be careful. Pray for the kind of change that doesn’t erase what made a place special in the first place.
As communities pray for change, revitalization, investment, energy, we sometimes forget that what we pray for matters just as much as the act of praying.
Growth is good, but what kind? And at what cost? Let’s ask for growth that does not ignore the past. For restoration that restores beauty. For new life that repurposes old bones.
Pray for vision that sees value in old storefronts, worn brick, and hand-carved trim.
Pray for the courage to restore, not replace.
Because when we get that kind of answer, when preservation becomes part of progress, Main Street doesn’t lose its soul. It finds it again.
FYI: The format on the blog page looks differently because it is more mobile friendly to read. The blog is now published on Sunday and Wednesday.
I hope you will keep me company on those days, one story, one prayer, one step at a time.
Main Street Rocky Mount 