ANSWERED PRAYER

As a part of my Lenten discipline last year, I read a chapter of The Purpose Driven Lifeby Rick Warren each day. That got challenging on Thursdays, the busiest day of the week for me. I led a Disciple Bible Study class from 9:30 a.m. until noon, then usually stayed to help make and occasionally deliver sandwiches for a local food bank. When I returned home, I would be very busy in the office.

Marcie, my friend and co-worker, usually covered for me in the office, but on this particular Thursday, she was not working due to illness, so I had not only the afternoon orders to handle but also the orders from the morning.

That morning’s chapter was about relationships and living a life of love. God says that a life of love starts with our relationships. Mother Teresa said, “It’s not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters.” Busy-ness is the great enemy of relationships. We become preoccupied with making a living, completing our volunteer tasks, attending committee meetings and accomplishing goals as if these tasks are the point of life. The point of life is learning to love – being in relationship with God and people. The question to consider for this chapter is: “Honestly, are relationships my first priority? How can I ensure that they are?”

As I finished reading the chapter, I prayed the prayer that was printed there: “God, whether I get anything else done today, I want to make sure that I spend time loving you and loving other people, because that’s what life is all about. I don’t want to waste this day.” Then I read the scripture passage for day six of the Disciple Bible Study class. The passage was about Martha, the busy sister, and Mary, the sister who understood the importance of listening to and being in relationship with Jesus and others. As I reflected on the reading, I thought to myself, as I always do when I read this scripture passage, I am so much like Martha, I wish I could be more like Mary.

Before I left for my class I rushed downstairs to complete a couple of tasks in the office. As I was frantically trying to finish so I could get to the Bible study class on time, the phone rang. A friend from church was calling to ask if I might have some time to get together and talk about a concern that was on her heart. My first, brief thought was of my very full schedule. But then I remembered that prayer I had prayed less than an hour before. I replied to my friend, “Of course, I have time.” We set a time for her to come to my home. That afternoon, we spent a very special hour together being in relationship with one another.

Coincidence? NO! God-incidence, Yes! Answered prayer? Absolutely!

— Rita Heeter

Courtesy of The Church of the Good Shepherd United Methodist