Keep Praying

Let me tell you a little story about answered prayer.

One day last week, I had a meeting at the library on Broad Street in the middle of the afternoon. Parking can be a problem, but I know there are some good spots right there across Broad in front of the library. So I sort of casually asked God if I could get a spot there. I came down the block, and lo and behold, there was an open space.  I circled to get a better angle.

While I was waiting at a light, I took off my rings and put them into my lap to rub a little lotion on my dry hands.  The light changed, I turned right, got into the parking space successfully, got out of the car, fed the meter, and went to wait on a bench in front of the library, as I was a few minutes early. I sat there reading a book our dear Maylou Holladay recommended (Middlemarch by George Eliot) until everyone else arrived for the meeting. As I stood to meet my friend, I realized I didn't have my rings on, and immediately--with that sinking feeling one gets--knew that I had forgotten they were in my lap when I got out of the car. 

"I have lost my rings. I need to go check my car and the street," I quickly explained. Well, you know I prayed as I waited for the walk signal, I prayed as  I ran to my car, and I prayed standing there scanning the street.  I'll spare you the suspense, and tell you that I found both my wedding band and my engagement ring right away--incredible!--right there on Broad Street and found the other little gold ring I had been wearing on my right hand when I came back to feed the meter forty-five minutes later.

On the way home, I reflected on God's goodness to give me that parking space and then to allow me to find my rings. It was a wonderful reminder of His care for even the small things in life. But what about the big things? I confess that I felt a bitterness creeping into my thanksgiving because of the really "big" prayers I've offered up for months and years. What about those things? Who cares, really, about rings? They are not eternal souls. It was a little bit of a crisis as I drove along. I had no answers.

But on Sunday morning, we heard a wonderful testimony of a huge answer to prayer, and I was reminded to keep on offering prayers for eternal souls. Over and over I've heard to not give up in prayer. Luke 18 relates the story of the unjust judge who granted a woman's request because she refused to take "no" for an answer. This story illustrates the truth that we "ought always to pray and not to faint."

I don't understand how prayer works and why some prayers are answered right away and others are delayed. But I do understand that I "ought always to pray and not to faint." I can follow instructions, and by faith I will keep going to God for the big as well as the small needs I see. I am grateful He can handle all of them.

--Sherry Poff