Prayer

I have so many thoughts swimming around in my head.  Some are "post worthy" and some probably don't amount to a hill of beans.  I didn't plan to post except once a week or less as I'm sure people would get tired of numerous posts, However, I just can't get this out of my head and feel I just have to share.  I pray you will find it beneficial.

From the time I was very young I was a very prayerful person.  I prayed about everything, large and small.  I want to share a couple of things that were obtained through prayer.....or at least I feel they were.

Back in 1966 when we were coming back to the States by ship.....21 days of sailing if I remember correctly......Doyal entered a chess tournament.  He was a pretty good chess player back in the day but for the final match his opponent was very good as well.  So, being the good wife that I am, I prayed for him to win the tournament.  And, of course he did!  I was excited to tell him that I prayed for his win. He thanked me but cautioned,  "We shouldn't be bothering the Lord with trivial things like chess tournaments."  From then on I was more cautious about my prayers.  I weighed whether I should bother the Lord or not.  Once Doyal realized the effect his statement had on my prayer life he apologized and encouraged me to get back on my schedule of praying about even the smallest of things.  He still encourages me, as I will admit that I don't go to the Lord with the faith of a little child as I once did.

 

 

I don't think this was the ship that we returned home on.   It is one of the old P & O liners that traveled the Oceans back in the day though.

 

The next example I want to share with you is quite interesting.  We had one of the native Islanders visiting with us from September until early December in 1966.  Fiapati was born in the Ellis Islands and later moved to The Fiji Islands.  Of course he had never seen snow.  It was fresh on my mind not to bother the Lord with little things, but I thought and thought that it would be so neat if Fiapati could experience snow since he never had, nor probably never would.  I also wished and wished, but didn't actually ask God for it.  Then it happened!  The earliest Snowfall (1 inch or greater): 4.0 inches - November 2, 1966 recorded in Huntsville!

 

 

Fiapati Elisara in Fiji 1967.

 

The children and I coaxed Fiapati outside and pelted him with snowballs.  He joined in and we had a good snowball fight until it got too cold for that Islander's thin blood.  He stayed inside quite a bit of the time until the snow melted, but he did get to experience something most Islands only dream of.

 

 

We only have slides of Fiapati in the snow.  Here are Claudia age 12 and Frank age 3 with their first ever snow man.  The snow was beginning to melt when this was taken.

 

A few days later I asked Doyal,  "Do you think God answers prayers that we just think about and wish for but do not actually ask for."  He knew right away what I had done and asked,  "Did you pray for that snow?"

And the final story for today.  We moved to North Dakota in 1970 when our oldest son, Allen was almost 14 years old.  Deer hunting is BIG up there and Allen soon began to want to hunt.  Doyal hunted some when he was younger, but never was interested after we married.  You know good daddies, they will move mountains for their children.  So, within a few years Doyal and Allen looked forward to deer season.  I can't remember for sure, but I think it was the last year Allen was at home that the following happened.  They had been out a couple of time and had no luck. The last day of the season they went out for one final time.  I had to take some of the other children to Grand Forks, about 60 miles away, to the orthodontist that day and on the way there and back I prayed they would get a deer.  I requested that if they both could not get one, to at least let Allen get one.  We arrived home to find Mother standing out back.  She almost shouted,  "Guess what happened today?"  She had a smile on her face so I knew it was nothing bad.  I parked, walked around the garage and there was Allen with HIS deer.  I confessed to Doyal that I had prayed for that and how I prayed.  He grinned and replied,  "Next time ask for me one too."

 

 

Allen's senior picture.  The picture we have of him with his deer is a slide.

 

Now, don't get me wrong.  I have always prayed for important things like sickness, travels etc. and have thanked God for answers to those prayers as well as many other things, but I've been more careful about the little things.  Starting now I am going back to talking to Him about everything, both small and large.  And, the next post will definitely be of interest if any of this has.

I know some would disagree with me about my views of prayer and that's okay.  I love you just the same!

 

"And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive."

Matthew 21:22