My First Adventure in Prayer

Nearly twenty years ago, I taught at a very rural high school where I had the leisure of an entire school year to explore my profound inability to discipline tenth graders.  The school was so rural that when students heard my California accent, their first question was to ask me if I was from “off”.  This referred to anyone that came from outside their county of around six thousand citizens.  “Yes,” I assured them, “I am from way “off”.  And it was here, at this little country high school that I learned that God answers prayer in crazy ways sometimes.

I had a co-worker I will call “Jane” who was very good at corralling tenth graders.  A petite brunette, she had a quiet sweet personality and was one of the only teachers that extended me any friendship at the high school.  I think she was from “off” as well.  As I got to know her, her story slowly unfolded and I began to realize her reserved manner was, in part, hiding a tremendous desperation.  Jane had two sons, one of whom was autistic.  Her husband was incapacitated by disease and could in no way support them.  She was several months late on her house payment, her son needed medical treatments that she could not afford, and she carried the full financial load of her little family on her little salary which was under $30,000.  I could understand her financial desperation; after all, I supported four daughters on my own on that meager salary.

She did not seem angry at God, just resigned to the idea that He had abandoned her.

I began to pray for her.  My prayer was not merely that her needs would be fulfilled but that she would know that God had supplied her need.  It was really important to me that God be given the credit for this because as a single mother, alone in the deep South, I knew how important it was to understand that God is on your side.  And for all intents and purposes, I was a widow and so was Jane.  I have always believed that God particularly notices single moms with children and takes up their cause. And boy, did He answer my prayers for her.

About a month later, she came into my classroom in between periods.  Jane had a quizzical look on her face.  “Alice,” she asked, “Have you been praying that God would give me money?”  Awkward silence ensued.  “Yes,” I said.  I was surprised.  I had not told her I was praying for her, but God had, apparently.

The story she told was a strange one and encompassed more than just money.  Jane’s mother, some twenty years prior had an affair which lead to the divorce of her parents.  The man with whom her mother had had an affair had contacted Jane.  He had become a Christian and after repenting of his various sins, had come to the conclusion that he needed to make reparations to her for having participated in her parent’s divorce.  He had come into some money, from where I do not remember, and had sent it to her with an apology.  He asked Jane to accept it as restitution, though he knew that money could not really make up the damage.  The amount was over five thousand dollars, enough to bring the mortgage current, pay for the special glasses her son needed, and give her a cushion.

The letter and gift enabled Jane to forgive this man and let go of some of the pain of abandonment she had felt as a girl.  How like God to fill her physical needs, but to pay attention to her emotional ones as well.

I believe that God wanted to heal her of her sense of abandonment so that she could receive comfort and begin a relationship with Him on new terms.

Since then, I frequently pray that God will reveal Himself to people.  I want them to know that God has seen their needs, both physical and emotional, and His generous heart is moved to heal and provide.

 Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: ²⁹ yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  Matthew 6:28-31