Dequindre Cut
Detroit, Michigan
March 30, 2025
It may seem like sheer coincidence, but there have been multiple times during park bench prayer where my eyes have landed on something in the physical world and it almost seems like a tiny message from God. What’s interesting is that every single time when I happen to notice these things, it has been right about 20 minutes into my prayer. Some examples:
Day 26 of park bench prayer: On a bench along the Dequindre Cut in Detroit, having repeatedly breathed deeply and prayed, “Help me, Jesus, to build my hope in you,” my eyes then landed on the words “No sweat” spray-painted among the graffiti. Cute answer, Jesus. Cute.
Day 141: Because of the spacing, my mind read the carving on this park bench as “A+” and “V,” and my heart felt as if God was using that to say, “A+ Val, on your park benching efforts.”
Centennial Lakes
Edina, Minnesota
July 23, 2025
Day 143: A tiny message left behind by a kind soul who had previously been on this bench, but perhaps also a little thank you from God “for leaving your kind fingerprints on the world.”
Centennial Lakes
Edina, Minnesota
July 25, 2025
Who would have ever thought the Mall of America could feel like a sacred space?!
Yet after park bench prayer on 40+ benches there, that’s exactly what it is to me.
Day 354: St. Thérèse of Lisieux defined prayer as “a surge of the heart; it is a simple look toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” While meditating on this, I reflected that “a cry of recognition and of love” is what I feel when I see a park bench and what’s in my heart when I’m on a park bench thinking about God. Then I caught sight of a sign in the distance at Nickelodeon Universe that said “Back at ye!” As if God also experiences a “cry of recognition and of love” when he sees me (and joins me) on a park bench! Aww, shucks.
Nickelodeon Universe
Mall of America
Bloomington, Minnesota
February 21, 2026
Day 356: Ah, what an excellent quote that resonated with me from a Lent Pray40 session on Hallow, which I then used for my meditation this day: “Sometimes the Lord asks us not to understand right away, but simply to remain with him with the questions.” Whew. I thought a lot about some of the prayers in my prayer box where this could apply, admittedly even wondering a bit if God is even paying attention to those prayers, and then I spotted another sign across the way in Nickelodeon Universe…as if this was God’s answer: “Practice patience like a true ninja!” Ha ha.
Nickelodeon Universe
Mall of America
Bloomington, Minnesota
February 23, 2026
Day 378: Due to the chilly forecast and anticipated spring break crowds, I made sure to be at the Mall of America early on this day for park bench prayer. Just as the sun started breaking over this section of the glass ceiling, I noticed the outstretched hand, which made me think of a hand extended in blessing. Then the sun (and God’s blessings) just completely washed over me on my bench. Impossible to hold back tears at that point. I did ultimately figure out the hand belonged to Aang from Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. Amazing what God can use.
Nickelodeon Universe
Mall of America
Bloomington, Minnesota
March 17, 2026