"Jolie prays for you every night. She doesn't know who she's praying for, but she prays for you every night."
These are the words of my friend Jim to me last night. Jolie is Jim's 4 year old daughter.
Last summer, when Jim found out I had leukemia, he told me he'd be praying for me -- and I have no doubt that he has been, he and his entire family.
These words stuck with me. The last time I saw Jolie, she was primarily occupied with sleeping, eating and drooling. Not a lot of time to bond there. So he's right: from her side of things, she really hasn't got a clue who this Quiara person is or even, I'm sure, what leukemia is. But it also doesn't matter. She prays with the heart of a 4 year old, faithful that God will answer even the prayers she doesn't quite understand.
Yesterday I'd been thinking about the awful things that are happening in the world every day: genocide, murder, famine, poverty, sickness, needless death and senseless violence. Struck by how huge the problems were, my prayers turned immediately to, "Why, God?" I understand that we as salt and light are supposed to meet the needs of the world, but sometimes it seems there are more needs than we have hands. Why, God?
And why am I exempt?
I don't mean that my life has been problem free or that Very Bad Things™ haven't happened. But daily, I don't have to worry about where I will sleep, what I will eat, whether ongoing civil war will tear my family, my home apart. I don't worry constantly that my loved ones will be murdered, cut down because they happen to be the wrong tribe, the wrong faith, the wrong shade.
Do I ask God "why" because I think he hasn't seen what's going on? Do I think he doesn't care or can't help? No. I ask because I'm nearsighted. I can't see what God has done and will do with this an many other situations in the world. I ask why because I don't understand. I pray for people I don't know about things I don't understand, knowing God will hear. But I'm asking the wrong question. Unlike Jolie, I have a responsibility concerning even the things I don't understand.
The question has never been "why?" The question is "what would you have me to do?"
5 comments:
Quiara,
I think that a 4 year-old's prayer touches the heart of God in a very special way. I, too am praying for you. May God heal you and continue to dwell in you through his Spirit.
Man, I love reading your posts. Frankly, they leave me a bit speechless and I don't have a clue what to say in response! So I thought I should at least let you know that I'm reading them and enjoying them.
My friend, Dennis -- the one in prison that you've read about on my blog -- quit smoking a couple of months ago. My 3-year old son prays for him most every night. "Thank you for Mr. Dennis and help that he doesn't smoke." It's very sweet, and the prayers are working. Of course, now he prays for pretty much everyone we know not to smoke -- his grandfather (who doesn't smoke, by the way), our friends from church, HIS friends from church, and then the other night he prayed, "...and help that I don't smoke." We certainly hope that God answers that last prayer, too! :-)
I didn't know about your leukemia scare. I'll pray for you, too. I kinda like you! *grin*
I too am encouraged by your posts and your comments on other posts, mine included. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I'll pray for you.
Q: I, too, have been on the receiving end of the prayers of a child. My husband and I tried for years to have a child and had both been through some pretty humiliating medical procedures. All our friends had prayed and prayed for a miracle but after so long they gave up. All but one little 5 year old boy named Landon. Every time he prayed he prayed for us to have a baby. It got embarrassing for his family when we were over for dinner and Landon mentioned this in his prayer. And then miraculously, or rather in response to a child's prayer, I was pregnant and our son, Max, was born. Today he's 12 1/2 and still a miracle. Landon's family moved away years ago but he is going to be a freshman at ACU this year. I hope he and Max will become more than acquaintances. Landon could teach Max alot about life and prayer. I'm praying for you too, Q. Your posts are a big part of my day and I always go away thinking deeper thoughts. thank you.
Q,
Nice to see your site, via Damien, via Mike Cope, etc. Really like your comments on both sites. Come by and say hello sometime.
All the best,
Teresa
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