Her tree is always prayer-full
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on September 24, 2014 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/BOBBY WILLIAMS
Georgie Teachey looks at the names of people she's praying for on her prayer tree. She has more than 1,100 names on the tree, and when there's no more room, she will put up a second tree.
Georgie Teachey keeps a 7-foot artificial Christmas tree up all year. It's not because she wants to celebrate the holiday year-round, but because it contains the names of people she prays for every day. There are more than 1,100 names on the tree, some of which have been on it since Mrs. Teachey put it up 18 1/2 years ago.
It came about after the she lost her husband 19 years ago due to a massive heart attack. He was just 58.
"Instead of sitting around feeling sorry for myself, I decided I wanted to do something for other people," the 79-year-old said.
She asked God what he wanted her to do.
"He planted it in my heart to start a prayer tree," she said. "I believe in prayer; it's the key to the kingdom, and faith is what opens the doors. I just love people, and I wanted to do something. At my age, I'm limited to what I can do. I can't even drive anymore. I like doing my prayer tree."
The green artificial tree sits out on the glass-enclosed front porch.
"I may have to fix another tree because this one is running out of room," Mrs. Teachey said. "If I do, I'll put it on the other side of the porch."
She uses little pieces of colored paper in the shape of a person, about two inches tall, to put the names on her prayer tree.
When someone calls asking to be put on the prayer tree, Mrs. Teachey stops whatever she's doing, writes the name on a colored figure and hangs it on the tree.
As word has gotten out about the prayer tree, Mrs. Teachey has had people from as far away as Arizona, Texas and Florida call wanting to be included.
Some are having family problems, some are sick, some are having financial problems.
"I prayed for a woman doctor because she had a lot of responsibility," Mrs. Teachey said. "Then there was this salesman who used to come by the hospital when I worked there, and he asked me to pray for him. I've prayed for a lot of teenagers, too."
The youngest person on the tree was 3-year-old Lilly Herring.
"I prayed that she would be special and would grow up to be a Christian," Mrs. Teachey said. "She's my great-granddaughter."
Then there was her daughter, Bessie, who had very bad asthma, was pregnant and got sick. Mrs. Teachey started praying for them both before she even had the prayer tree.
"Bessie was on a ventilator," Mrs. Teachey said. "The doctor didn't think the baby would make it. But the baby made it and that baby has graduated from high school and two years of college. I put my daughter on that tree and pray for her every day, just like I pray for my other two daughters, Dorcas and Ronda, my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren."
Mrs. Teachey gets up every morning between 6 and 7 a.m. and spends an hour in her prayer room. And if she has an early-morning doctor's appointment, she gets up at 5 a.m. With 1,100 names on her tree, she can't remember each one, but she sends up a prayer asking God that whatever their need is, God's will, not hers, be done.
Each month on the 15th day, Mrs. Teachey turns the white lights that adorn the prayer tree on for the entire day and that night, too.
"I burn the lights so that people riding by will see them and might ask what it is," she said. "I've got plain lights because it's the light of Jesus. I'd love to burn the lights every day, but I can't afford to."
In addition to her prayer tree, Mrs. Teachey also started a prayer book two years ago, which she keeps in her prayer room. Each day if she feels the need to say a special prayer for someone, she writes the name and date in her prayer book.
"I think everybody needs prayer. I think that's the least that I can do to help others."