Make A Prayer Package- Helping Someone Through Loss, Grief, Or Trauma

When we are close to someone who currently experiencing loss, grief, or trauma, it can be hard to know what to do to help. Sometimes it feels like there is nothing we can do. This idea is similar in concept to a spiritual bouquet, but with a twist. If you’re new to the concept of spiritual bouquets, you can read my post all about spiritual bouquets here. 

When I experienced miscarriage and also going through my divorce, I had a lot of people that were amazing and helped tremendously. I also experienced people that meant well, but said or did unhelpful or even hurtful things.

One thing that a very close friend did for me during the hardest part of my divorce was give me a “blue box”. The basic concept is that it’s a small box full of little presents, and when you’re really sad or alone or having a super hard day or time, you open one. 

The one she gave me was actually a “purple box” because I’m the queen of purple lol. Some of the things she put in the box were little cards or notes to encourage me. Others were things like purple nail polish, purple jello, a candle, some candy… simple silly things. But in my worst moments, I knew there was someone who cared. Someone who wanted to cheer me up. It actually granted comfort to me in my times of most need.

I don’t have any pictures of the box I was given because I was obviously too depressed and grief stricken at the time to be photographing… well… anything. But more recently I had someone close to me go through a similar situation, and I made a variation for her… I made a prayer package. 

Who Could I Give A Prayer Package To?

• a person experiencing grief, loss, or trauma
• a homeless person
• someone in a hospital
• someone bedridden
• a person who recently received bad news
• a person you want to bless
• anyone who is in need of love and uplifting encouragement

Making a blue box for someone doesn’t have to be pricy. You can put the items in a shoe box or other disposable box. We used a tin I had leftover from some chocolates someone gave me. The box couldn’t close and I didn’t care lol.

The items could be anything, but they DO need to be wrapped. That way there’s a little “surprise” and you never know what you’re going to get. You can pick up a pack of monochromatic tissue paper to wrap the things very quickly and affordably.  You could also use envelopes or “prize bags” for children’t parties to wrap them. I wrapped ours in blue tissue paper and embellised some of them with washi tape designs. But most of them were blank.

Because I needed to create our prayer package on the cheap, I decided to get a favorite candy of the person I made it for (in this case, salt water taffy) and wrap a few pieces with either a prayer, scripture, or inspirational phrase. Most of the blue box was comprised of these packages.

Being someone who has been on the receiving end of a similar package, I think the combination of just a little candy and an uplifting message was a good combination in these times for me.

Ideas of Items to go in a Prayer Package: 

• Prayers, inspirational phrases, or a scripture in combination with an individually wrapped candy (the quotes can be simple- hand written on a post it note)

Optionally you could include some small trinkets mixed in, such as…

• a scented candle
• some fun stationary and/or fun pens
• holy cards
• a rosary
• a bookmark
• perfume
• other personal or beauty items
• lotion
• a favorite food or snack of the person
• a small gift card, such as $5 for Starbucks or Amazon
• items from the dollar tree or other “dollar spot”
• single serving fruit cups
• microwave popcorn
• small piece of jewelry
• nail polish
• a small cross, statue, holy water font, or other small religious object

Again, the notes can be simply written on any paper, but because I am who I am (lol) me and Lydia made designs ourselves using swirled ink over Elmer’s glue, and printed the patterns on paper. Here’s my snapchat video of how we made the paper that day…

After making the patterns, we cut them into different fun shapes.

I let Lydia choose and write some of the phrases and scriptures. Our box included a mixture of both religious phrases, and other inspirational phrases.

I hope this idea blesses people that need uplifting. As always, love you guys, and remember to walk the narrow path! <3