Showing posts with label prayers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prayers. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

The Faith of A Little Child

 

little child with great faith smiling with hat

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect; no chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way six blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store with the big Red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing! She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally, she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

“And what do you want?” the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. “I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen in ages,” he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

“Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,” Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. “He’s really, really sick and I want to buy a miracle.”

“I beg your pardon?” asked the pharmacist.

“His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?”

“We don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry but I can’t help you,” the pharmacist said, softening a little.

“Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn’t enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.”

The pharmacist’s brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?”

“I don’t know,” Tess replied with her eyes welling up. “I just know he’s really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can’t pay for it, so I want to use my money.”

“How much do you have?” asked the man from Chicago.

“One dollar and eleven cents,” Tess answered barely audibly. “And it’s all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.”

“Well, what a coincidence,” smiled the man. “A dollar and eleven cents – the exact price of a miracle for little brothers!”

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the miracle you need.”

That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn’t long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. “That surgery,” her mom whispered, “was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?”

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost…one dollar and eleven cents….plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need. A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law – facilitated by the force of faith in little steps and action. Why not take those steps and back those intentions of yours with some action today? They could be all you need to step into your long-awaited miracle.

–  Author Unknown

Meditation: So Jesus said to them, “…for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” – Matthew 17:20

Monday, March 21, 2022

God Answers Prayers

 

purple sky with flashes of lightning serving as reminder that God answers prayers

Dr. Abraham, a well-known cancer specialist, was once on his way to an important conference in another city where he was going to receive an award in the field of medical research.

He was excited about the award and so boarded a plane to the venue. However, two hours after the plane took off, it made an emergency landing at the nearest airport due to a technical problem.

Afraid that he would not make it in time at the conference, he immediately went to the reception to make inquiries. He found out that he would have to wait 10 hours for the next flight to his destination! He rented a car and drove himself to the conference city which was four hours away.

Soon after he left, the weather changed and a heavy storm began. The downpour made it difficult for him to see so he missed a turn he was supposed to take.

Driving in the heavy rain on a deserted road, feeling hungry and tired, he frantically began to look for any sign of civilization. He came across a small tattered house and knocked on the door. A beautiful lady opened the door. He explained his situation and wanted to use the lady’s telephone, but she had no telephone. She, however, asked him to come inside and wait till the weather improved. The doctor who was hungry and exhausted accepted the offer. The lady offered him something to eat and drink.

She asked him to join her in prayers, but he declined. According to him, he believed in hard work, not in prayers!

Sitting at the table and sipping his tea, the doctor watched the woman pray many times beside a baby’s crib. Feeling that the woman might be in need of help, the doctor asked her what exactly she needed from God and asked if God ever listened to her prayers.

When he inquired of the child in the crib, the woman explained that her son was down with cancer. And they had been advised to see a doctor named Abraham, who could cure him, but she did not have enough money to afford his fees.

She said that God had not yet answered her prayers, but said that God would create some way out one day. She added that she would not allow her fears to overcome her faith!

Stunned and speechless, Dr. Abraham began to weep! He was forced to say out loud, “GOD IS GREAT” and recounted to the woman, all the sequence of bad events: malfunction on the plane, a thunderstorm, and how he lost his way. All of which had happened because God answers prayers and wanted to give him a chance to come out of his bondage of materialistic career pursuit and give some time to a poor, helpless woman who had nothing but rich prayers!

God may not answer your prayers YOUR WAY but he will always answer HIS way. Behind the scenes, He will move men, the weather, events, circumstances, and so on, in order to work out the best for you!

Do not stop trusting!
Do not stop hoping!
God is busy planning your dancing this year!
Hold on!
Hold out!
Look up daily!

– Author Unknown

Meditation: The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God…” – Psalm 14:1