Answers

   I pray about a lot of things. Sometimes they seem pretty insignificant, but often I pray about them anyway, many times just so that I won't worry about it. I found myself praying a couple days ago about not running out of gas in my mower. It really wasn't that big of a deal if I did. Worst case scenario, I had to go home and get gas and be slightly inconvenienced. I found myself at the very last stretch about to make it with a short strip and a half left to go when my mower sputtered and ran out of gas. Even though it wasn't a big deal, I still didn't understand the purpose in me running out with that little bit left to go, and yet I did. So I went home, got gas and came back pouring just a little bit into the tank because I didn't need very much, but it wouldn't start so I added more, and finished the job.
   Tonight I was heading out to mow, and dad told me he hoped I had gas in the mower because he had just given the rest to someone who had run out in town and was needing some for their vehicle. Dad has told me for years that it is uncanny how often I drain the tank in the mower of gas without a drop to spare. That thought popped in my mind as I went out to check the mowers, and I was trying to figure out other arrangements of when to mow. I checked the one I usually bagged with and it was totally dry. We had a couple others, but I wasn't sure how well they bag or if we even still had one that fit so I had ruled them out. We looked around for the other mower that bagged well and I realized that it was still at the house I had mowed at a few days before. Then I remembered the prayer I had prayed, and how I had to fill it with even more gas in order to get it started.
   It's a simple illustration and life definitely would have moved on quite normally had I not been able to mow that lawn tonight, but it reminded me of a deeper principle that I have seen demonstrated over and over in my life (often with guys I like who don't like me back or vice versa.) That principle is God answers prayers in accordance with our needs and not always with our wants. This is not always easy to understand in the moment when we really want something, but it is such a comfort when we do understand not only the concept, but the love God has for us. One of the last guys I liked I thought had everything I wanted. He was very attractive, had a good sense of humor, was easy to talk to, but even more than that he had the love and devotion for God that I long for in a guy. He was everything I thought I wanted, and yet God told me no. It was not an easy pill to swallow, but the prayer that kept coming back in my head was, thank You for what I don't understand, but I know is in Your control...
   It was not my quickness that taught me this prayer, but rather God showing me His faithfulness over and over and over. In little things like allowing me to have enough gas to mow a lawn, and bigger things like saying no to a guy so that I could go without hindrance to the place that I truly believe is where I can serve God best. He really is an awesome God.

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20,21 (NIV)