Your mission today is to be the answer to someone’s prayer.
It was a cutesy poster I saw in a church once. The photo showed someone embracing a raggedy child. While the photo engaged me, it was the caption that stayed with me long after.
Your mission today is to be the answer to someone’s prayer.
There are at least two ways of ‘being the answer to someone’s prayer.’
First, when we deliberately plot this. We consciously choose to go and be with old so and so who really needs… to be listened to, some chicken noodle soup, 2 chocolate Tim Tams or a beverage of something fabulous or a combo deal.
This is convivial, enjoyable and fruitful. The mystery is that the less that is said, the more that is accomplished. Further, we often discover that poor old so and so is actually the answer to our prayer. We just didn’t realise it when we set out and often we don’t realise it until much later.
The other thing that happens more frequently is when a conversation bubbles back up after a long period of hibernation. We didn’t set out to do anything much and in fact we had forgotten all about the chat. Not so for the other party. They took our words to themselves and the words are still ringing loudly in that person’s heart and lives. This is not something you can contrive or write into your diary with carefully chosen words and phrases. The process happens almost externally to ourselves. Not because of us, but in spite of us.
You can do this. I have watched you do it, especially in those times when you were just being you. The hard bit is accepting this sublime truth and rejoicing in the undeniable fact that we are all the answer to someone’s prayer.