You Might Be an Answer to Prayer

Photo credit:  Free-images.com

My husband and I were browsing the gift shop in the beautiful Hocking Hills State Park Lodge that sunny afternoon when a young man approached Ted and said, “Excuse me, sir. Do you know how to tie a tie?” He looked to be in his early 20s, wearing a dark suit and crisp white shirt. Ted said, “Sure, let me have it.” He put it around his own neck and tied it while the young man watched intently. As Ted pulled the tie up over his head and handed it back he asked, “Are you going for a job interview?” The guy answered, “No, I’m getting married downstairs!” With a quick “Thank you!” he turned and hurried toward the staircase.

I can’t imagine being so laid-back that you don’t worry about a detail like knowing how to tie a tie for your own wedding. Maybe this young man had prayed with confidence that he would run into someone who could tie it for him. Maybe he was so trusting of God and his fellow man that he knew he’d find someone who would help him out when the time came. If that’s the case, then Ted was the answer to his prayers. 

Another time, I was driving home at night and there was a detour because of construction. GPS technology was new and still not very reliable. Praying I wouldn’t get lost, I stopped at a gas station to confirm what the GPS was telling me. The woman working behind the counter reassured me I was on the right route, saying, “I lived in Akron. I go that way all the time.” When I thanked her she added, “I wasn’t supposed to work tonight but I filled in for someone else.” She was in the right place at the right time to help me.

Think back to a time when you found yourself in a situation to help a stranger, even in a small way. Maybe you held the door open for a mom pushing a stroller. Maybe you invited the new coworker to join you for lunch. No matter what the circumstances, when you helped a stranger you were doing the work of our Lord. Maybe the mom had left the house knowing that getting the stroller through the doorway would be difficult, and prayed that someone would hold the door for her. Maybe the new employee decided not to worry about being alone at lunchtime and trusted that he’d know what to do when the time came. Maybe people every day wonder how they’ll handle a particular challenge, and pray that God will help them find a way.

When you’re in the right place at the right time to help a stranger, you could be the answer to their prayers.

“Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers and sisters, especially for strangers.” – 3 John 5

“Lord, guide me to serve You in the strangers I meet.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

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He Hears You

Photo credit: Free-images.com

The small child grabs a toy off the shelf and puts it in the shopping cart. Dad takes it out and puts it back. The child doesn’t know why, and starts wailing. Maybe the toy isn’t age-appropriate, is too expensive, or will be given to him for his birthday. Dad could be showing his love by not giving him the toy. The child doesn’t know this; he knows only that he isn’t getting what he wants right now. His cries grow louder.

God hears all our prayers, whether they’re whispered or cried aloud in pain. Sometimes we get the answer we hoped for; sometimes we don’t. We might never know, in this lifetime, why God answers the way He does. Sometimes, we look back and thank Him for not giving in to our demands. Sometimes, we realize that our challenge prepared us for something better. When we pray, ‘Thy will be done,’ we trust that whatever God answers will bring about the greater good for ourselves and our loved ones. 

It’s natural to ask, “Why?” when we’re suffering. It’s natural to feel discouraged when the problem doesn't go away.  

“The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow and every day. Either he will shield you from suffering or give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings.” – Francis de Sales

Remember, God doesn’t give us difficulties and illness, but He does permit them. In His wisdom, He knows that challenges draw us closer to Him. We may be complacent while things are going smoothly and then, when we’re struggling, we call on Him for help. Struggles also tend to bring about our greatest growth: it’s not until after the storm has passed that we see how much we’ve learned by going through it. This experience might help us later. Also, others’ challenges often bring out our most generous selves: We might be the answer to their prayers.

Imagine our Lord saying to you:

You feel anxious and are worried about many things. I hear you and see you. I know what that feels like because I, too, felt agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

I know what it feels like to be frustrated and discouraged because I felt that when my apostles didn’t understand what I was trying to teach them.

I hear you. I am with you. Come to Me and open your heart to what I want to tell you.

Put your worries on My cross. Let Me share your burden, and then your suffering will have purpose. Let Me use it for a greater good: your salvation and the salvation of the world.

Every prayer you utter, I hear and I answer. Listen in your heart for the answer I’m giving you. 

I love you.

“Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people… Listen from your heavenly dwelling...” – 1 Kings 8:30

“Lord, I trust in You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!

If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

You can also find my posts on Facebook!

P.S.

Pray for peace in Ukraine, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.