The Little Things

Some memories are stored in my mind's eye like a movie. I can see everything around me. I can remember all of the subtle details, even details that have no importance. For some reason, this is one of those memories.

When I was a business owner, it always seemed like it was pay day. Of course it wasn't always pay day, but it was one of those tasks that required my attention in many different ways. The most important thing I needed to know was if there was enough money in the payroll account. Some months were smoother than others. I don't remember any of those. It was the times when things were running a little too tight for my comfort level that I remember best. But as the old saying goes...

God is never late, but seldom early.

Waiting often causes me to cling to Him all the more. And I have found Him to be faithful to me in those times, even if it seemed I was down to the last possible moment.

Anyway, this particular incident happened while I was away from the office for the afternoon. I knew today was the last day a check could arrive in time in order to meet payroll. But long before today, I had been bringing my need before the Lord.

Listen, this was before cell phones, or iPads or texting, my friends.

I happened to be close to my father's house and decided I'd stop there to use the phone to call my office to see if the mail had arrived. To find out if the check was there. I explained the situation to my father as I stood by the breakfast bar with the phone in my hand. And I told him I had been praying about my situation. I just remember him telling me that God didn't care about stuff like that. I was wasting my time. I immediately responded with a somewhat hurt but confident, "Oh, yes He does!" I made the phone call and found out the mail had arrived. And the check was in the mail. Of course, I was so encouraged, and so very thankful. No, I don't think that made my father change his mind about wasting my time nor God's for that matter.

When my children were little I would pray a little prayer as I would head out grocery shopping or to run errands and ask the Lord to provide a close parking spot. It was hard sometimes having a very independent two-year old and a very dependent baby. I cannot even tell you how many times I would find a parking spot right in front of the front door. "Thank you, Lord!" I guess I never learned there were some things you just didn't pray for.

Imagine the smile that came upon my face and the flood of joy that filled my heart when I read these words once again:

Childlike confidence makes us pray as none else can. It causes a man to pray for great things that he would never have asked for if he had not learned this confidence. It also causes him to pray for little things that many people are afraid to ask for, because they have not yet felt toward God the confidence of children. I have often felt that it requires more confidence in God to pray to Him about a little thing than about great things. We imagine that our great things are somehow worthy of God's attention, though in truth they are little enough to Him. And then we think that our little things must be so insignificant that it is an insult to bring them before Him. We need to realize that what is very important to a child may be very small to his parent, and yet the parent measures the thing not from his own point of view but from the child's. You heard your little boy the other day crying bitterly. The cause of the pain was a splinter in his finger. While you did not call in three surgeons to extract it, the splinter was a great thing to that little sufferer. Standing there with eyes all wet through tears of anguish, it never occurred to that boy that his pain was too small a thing for you to care about. What were mothers and fathers made for but to look after the small concerns of little children? And God our Father is a good father who pities us as fathers pity their children. He counts the stars and calls them all by name, yet He heals the broken in heart and binds up their wounds.

The Power of Prayer in a Believer's Life
by Charles Spurgeon

1 John 5:14-15
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Remember to pray for the little things too...

Listen. Learn.

I wasn’t raised in a Christian home. I do have a fond memory of being a little girl of about 8 years old and walking up an old country road to a little Baptist church. I was going there to attend Vacation Bible School. On the Friday that ended the week, I found myself answering the “altar call” and prayed with an old lady named Mrs. Romine (I’m sure she wasn’t old at the time, but she was old to me). I remember asking Jesus to come and live in my heart. I’ll be honest to say I really didn’t know what that meant. I just knew I wanted Him to come and live there. This new found faith wasn’t fostered where I grew-up, but I never ever forgot the Bible verse I memorized that week.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

It wasn’t until 1989 (nineteen years later) that I came to know Christ and made Him lord of my life. But I will have to save that story for another time.

I have no memory of ever hearing anyone pray. Now I’m not talking about a “thank you” prayer at meal time. I’m talking about, you know, praying-praying. So, what did I do? I just talked out loud, next to my bed, on my knees, and always started with these same words, “Hi. It’s me.” And then I would just talk to Jesus like he was sitting right there next to me, as my friend. I didn’t realize at the time that (1) he was, and (2) he was.

Now it came to pass that I heard about a Concert of Prayer taking place not too far from where I lived. I hadn’t ever heard of such a thing, and looking back, it may have been the first time it was ever held. Thousands of people were going to gather to pray. I wanted to be a part of this prayer service. It may not be for the reasons you might think.

I remember walking into this massive room with hundreds and hundreds of chairs that were being filled with people. Praying people. I already knew what I was going to do and got busy looking. I was looking for something very specific. It didn’t take long. I found what I was looking for up toward the front, and a little to the right. I can see the scene very clearly in my mind’s eye. It was a group of white-haired black women.

In my heart, I knew there was something to learn from people who had suffered, and suffered greatly. These little old white-haired ladies’ eyes had seen many things. I just walked right up to where they were and took my seat. Sure enough, a little later, chairs were moved, a circle was formed, and I was the lone white girl in the middle of these little old white-haired ladies. We held hands. I do not remember their prayers. I don’t even remember if I said anything. I will tell you this, I have never forgotten that moment. And I have never ever forgotten what I learned that day. Prayer changes things.

One of my favorite Bible verses found in Psalm 46 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” God honored the deep desire of my heart that day.

I hope someday to once again take the hands of these sweet ladies and thank them for the impact they made on my life. I’m sure they have long since died and gone to be with their Lord in Heaven. They never knew how God used them to change the life of a young woman who wanted to know how to pray. I learned by listening.

Sometime I’ll have to tell you about my 3 a.m. wake-up calls.

Pray on!