Answers to Prayer

One of the things I miss most about New Hampshire is the kid’s class on Wednesday nights at church. During our prayer time, the kids would offer for prayer almost anything that came to their mind. Some of them were very serious, some of them a little odd; but most of them very sincere. Children pray for everything! Shouldn’t we?

I know the Lord answers prayer every day. But sometimes I fail to see that. And sometimes I simply don’t ask. I mean, God is big. He takes care of big things. I’m little. I can take care of my little mundane life, right? Truthfully, I don’t give much thought to the mundane which means I don’t pray much about it. Until lately.

The buying and selling of a car is – for me – a HUGE thing. So, I prayed about it a lot. I began praying about every little thing concerning it: the mechanics wouldn’t find anything wrong with my Mazda, the cashiers checks I was paid with would go through, everything would be fine at the Motor Vehicle Department, etc. I prayed I wouldn’t have to get four new tires (I only had to get two!) and the day would clear up just enough to wash it (I washed it in the rain, but that was great because I couldn’t get the hose to work so the Lord’s gentle rain rinsed it for me). These wonderful things have taught me to pray for other things. Things that may be a bit silly, but they’re important to me. Like…

The crystal on my watch finally bit the dust after it’s been cracked for nearly a year. The band has been in bad shape for over two years. But buying a new watch is a pain, and I hate spending money on it. However, I was going to be in need of one during my recent trip. So I went to Wal-mart praying the Lord would provide for me a decent watch for under $10. How does a nice watch for $7 sound?

I needed to get a gift for someone, but I couldn’t think of what to get them. After my first idea fell through, I noted a book we have in the house I thought would be perfect. But the only way to get it before I leave on my trip was if the Christian bookstore in town had it in stock. So, I prayed that if this was the gift to get the bookstore would have it. They did! And they gave me a coupon so I got 20% off!

I was praying all last week for the school in North Carolina to call and let me know about the job I applied for there. I was quite ready for a no-way, a quick cry, and a rebound to what’s next. It was Friday evening, though, and still no call. Then the phone rang! And I’m still a bit stunned that I have a job interview for a 4th grade teaching position in Winterville, North Carolina on May 8th at 12:30. With that my plans for a trip to the Carolinas for a writer’s conference turned upside down and started all over again. I have been praying this week that the traveling plans would fall into place: where to stay on the way down there, when the visit my friends I was going to visit after the conference, etc. And while there have been some detours…the plans are nearly in final order. Just some directions to get, a few final details. Praise God!

And now the job interview itself. And the job itself. And what getting a job like this might mean. But a lot of that hasn’t come about yet, so there’s no reason to start plotting like a fiend. And as for the rest of it, I have peace. I feel like I should be worrying about something, but I can’t conjure up the nervousness I think I should be feeling. Come what may, I just know that this is the Lord’s path for me right now and I am safely on it. And, truly, I want nothing more than God’s will to be done. And the grace to do it.