Answered Prayers

It's a mystery how God answers prayer (other than He simply does!). You may pray for an item, an attitude, a situation and weeks, months, perhaps years later you see how that was answered surreptitiously, under the radar.
A blogging acquaintance prayed for slower days, feeling the need for time to process and hear the Holy Spirit in her life.... Her daughter contracted mono. The doctor recommended quiet in the house. The whole family is coming under their physicians guidance for the one child and slowing down, playing quiet games and engaging in crafts. You know how it goes, "Be careful what you wish (pray) for."

In 1999 we returned from 3 years in Canada with our trusty 1985 Jetta. We had 3 growing children and the small sedan. We knew we had to move into minivan country yet we were without any funds for such a transition. We prayed.

November of that year, driving home from Wichita, back to Denver, right after Thanksgiving...we are 3 miles from Colby, KS when bam, crash, screaching brakes...we hit a 5-point buck. The car is smashed and praisefully no one is hurt. We limp into town and Holiday Inn puts us up at a discount. Blessedly some work colleagues are driving on I-70 back to Denver the next day. Three of us get picked up in their Jeep for the 5 hour drive. Dave and Emma stay behind to get the Jetta in working order to make those last few hours home.

The insurance company totals the car and we get a nice hefty check. What do we do with that money-get a van-a VW van!

Fast-forward to 2007. We have a huge Ford Club Wagon (our VW van gave up the ghost 3 years ago). It is a gas-guzzler. Dave drives up to St. Louis quite a bit to visit parishioners in the hospitals. We recognize our dire need for a second car, something that will not drink the oil like water. We pray.

3 Weeks ago the van is parked outside our house. We get a knock at the door and our neighbor across the street, apologizing profusely, explains she backed into our driver's side door. Insurance is called, estimates are made and a week later we receive a check for repairs. Now, what to do? Do we use that money to make superficial, cosmetic repairs or do we put it toward a second car? We've been researching cars for about a year and settled on a Ford Freestyle. And there's one at a great price in Kentucky, about 2 hours a way.

To make a too long story short -- we have a second car and we love it. No one wants to drive the lug of a van anymore (especially Ian).

Suffice it to say, God does answer prayer - not the way you expect Him too - but your prayers will always be answered.