Grandma's Prayer
My wife and I just finished probably the busiest three-day stretch of our lives. Johnna went into labor just after midnight on July 25th. We closed on our new home at 1:00 the same day (Johnna signed papers at the hospital, a first for the closing company). Our newest baby girl, Hadassah Elle, was born at 4:45 that same day. Two days later, our anniversary and the day after Johnna was released, we moved into our new house.
Now, I am not asking for a pity party; I’d rather have a praise party. We could not have gotten through all of this without my brothers and sisters in Christ. What a wonderful thing it is to have a family who cares!
It is impossible to name all the ways individual Christians have helped. The day we closed on our house one sister, who works near our new home, was opening the doors for carpet cleaners, plumbers and utility companies.
Throughout the weekend, both young and old helped in various ways. Three different sisters helped clean our disgusting new bathrooms (the home was previously repossessed and needed a major cleaning). A couple of sisters organized the kitchen and washed the floor three times before it was clean. Three different brothers in Christ helped with painting.
Two or three different people helped remodel our utility room and helped us rip out old carpet and padding in the living room. Several helped install the missing light fixtures. My dad installed shelving and bought some too as a housewarming gift. Many different women brought delicious meals for the workers and our family (I never thought I’d gain weight while sweating so much, but it happened!).
One brother rented a U-Haul for us. Several men and women helped carry boxes and heavy furniture. A couple of our little sisters in Christ helped organize closets and bathrooms. Some brothers have filled in preaching the past couple Sundays. Folks have dropped off new outfits, totes filled with hand-me-downs and packages of diapers and wipes. Different Christians have helped watch our other two children while we were at the hospital or busy moving. Different people have made calls and e-mails for us while our phone and e-mail was out of service. The list goes on and continues to this day.
Yet, my grandma’s prayer a few days before these events may have started this whole chain of help. I would be remiss if I did not express my thankfulness for her help. Four or five days before she left a message on our answering machine saying, “I just want you to know I’m thinking about you and praying for you.” Looking back on it, that prayer may have been what we really needed. God, in His providence, took care of the rest.
As I think of grandma’s prayer I am reminded of 1 Timothy 5:5, “Now she who is really a widow...trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.” May we never underestimate the value of those who can do little more than encourage and pray for us.
James 5:16 says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” As I read this verse, I have often wondered “how much is “much”? Yet, in this case, all I need to do to answer my own question is reread the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th paragraphs of this article. That’s how much prayer helped and it was far above my expectations.
I must admit that I was quite worried during all of this. I was worried my wife might have complications, worried the deal on our house would fall through and we’d have to live out of a van, worried that I wouldn’t be able to move an entire house without my wife there. Yet, our worries can be easily calmed as we realize others are praying for us too.
Jesus said, “...seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
I should have known better than to worry. After all, I had grandma praying to our watchful God. 1 Peter 5:6,7 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God...casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Think about it.
August 2007