God Answers Prayer

Yesterday something was wrong with our 8 month old son Beau.  He was lethargic.  He didn't eat much.  He smelled funny.  He had diarrhea which is probably why he smelled funny.  He had a slight fever.  He just wasn't himself.

In light of some recent sermons I've heard and stuff I've read I'm trying to make prayer my first option rather than my last option.  So I prayed for Beau.  It wasn't anything special.  It was a quick and informal prayer.  I simply said, "God, please get rid of any toxins or sickness in Beau's body."  I didn't even close my eyes and don't even think I said amen.

God must have been listening because 10 minutes later Beau threw up all over me.  Not a little spit up.  It was the real deal.  We both had to completely change clothes, take off the couch cushion covers, and put everything in the washer immediately. It was so bad I even threw away a pillow!

Nevertheless you could tell he felt better.  His smile came back and he wanted to play.  A few minutes later I realized my simple prayer had been answered. "God, please get rid of any toxins or sickness in Beau's body." I mean I wouldn't have chosen for it to happen that way but it did.  I would have chosen a cleaner, less smelly and disgusting, more magical answer to that prayer.

It was just a simple reminder for me that God answers prayer.  He answers but rarely how I would answer.  He answers but usually on a different time scale than I would answer.  But He listens and he answers.