Years ago, we knew a young fellow who used to love to say grace before meals.
No matter how briefly or fervently he prayed he always added this comment: 鈥淎nd dear God, help our food to turn to energy and not fat.鈥� As you may have guessed, his family was dedicated to staying slim and fit. I have no doubt that if they have kept up their routine, their persistence has ensured that his prayers were answered.
Going back even longer than that, one of my childhood memories is of my pastor preaching about prayer.
Tudor Jones was a short man from Wales, filled with fervor and the ability to reach my heart those decades ago.
鈥淏e careful what you pray for, Linda,鈥� he used to tell me, 鈥渂ecause God answers prayer.鈥�
It鈥檚 taken me a lifetime to learn that His choices are always right 鈥� not always easy 鈥揵ut always right. I鈥檝e had to learn the hard way that while there are some things we can and need to do as our part in the process, there are times when our best efforts enhance the results we鈥檙e praying for.
During the past few weeks and months, I鈥檝e been reminded of the need to support one another in prayer. No matter what or who, each of us is feeling the effects of this pandemic and its accompanying isolation; loneliness has no exclusions these days. What鈥檚 wonderful, though, is that we do have the ability to cheer up one another. Here are just a few ideas: a phone call, a hand-written card popped in the mail, some baking, a smile even to a stranger.
I challenge each of us this week to think of a way we can do that but remember, like energy versus fat, good intentions alone aren鈥檛 enough.
鈥溾�ray for one another鈥︹�� (James 5:16)
Amen.
