This December, 75 blankets were donated to the Lutheran Home’s Parish Nurse Prayer Blankets of Hope ministry. These 75 blankets were delivered by parish nurses to members of adult day service Cherished Place, a program of Lutheran Life Communities in Arlington Heights and West Dundee, Ill.
 The Prayer Blankets of Hope Ministry gives blankets made by a volunteer or donor to those who need them. Blanket recipients are given a tri-fold pamphlet of explanation that includes selected Bible verses. Each blanket is prayed over and delivered with the hope that it will remind the owner of the love God has for him or her, and inspire the warmth and security of His love in his or her heart.
The donor of the blankets, Lois Zima, spent the past year crocheting them. Each blanket is crocheted with the same pattern and white trim, but the colors vary, making each blanket unique. Lois has been making blankets and donating them to various not-for-prophet organizations for the past eight years. Each year she crafts 75-100 blankets and then makes sure they are given, not sold, to people who need them. Zima, a retired nurse, got the idea from her nursing days. The blankets are the perfect size for putting over the shoulders or covering a lap, light, and easy to remove or put on.
Louis delivered the blankets with her husband and some parish nurses to the Cherished Place members in Arlington Heights. There were smiles of surprise and delight as members awed at the craftsmanship and beautiful colors of their personal blankets, wrapping them around themselves and smoothing them over their laps. Then, everyone joined in singing Christmas carols. Visiting with each other, everyone was able to enjoy the spiritual warmth of the prayer blanket ministry.
The blankets from the Prayer Blankets of Hope ministry are meant to remind the recipient and their families how God loves them, and to inspire and uplift them. Lois’s blankets are sure to be treasured, and in this coming year, she will crochet more to be given to people next December.
Meditating on the blanket donation, Prayer Blankets of Hope Ministry organizer Judy Baran said, “Our Savior was wrapped with one(swaddling blanket) when he was born for us. These blankets are given as a humble, warm and cuddly reminder of His everlasting love for each recipient. They are a visual and tactile reminder, to keep “in touch” with Jesus through their daily conversations/prayers.”
To find out more about Prayer Blankets of Hope, please contact Judy Baran, Parish Nurse Coordinator for Lutheran Life Communities at jbaran@lutheranlifecommunities.org.
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