...of the simplicity of praying

…I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20 NIV
Friday evening and Saturday served as introductions for a new understanding of that scripture.

Lately I’ve not been communicating with God, instead, “shout-outs” have been offered up just to say that I prayed for the day. A movie that we’d rented was due back Friday evening by ten p.m. After dinner and baths, I told the kids that we were going to take a ride. Our truck didn’t start. "Cameron" had been playing in it earlier in the day and left an overhead light on. The time was 915 p.m. I was upset and lashed out at him. He asked, “What we guna do? We haf to gid-out and go back in da house??” I told him no and that I was going to pray. God was asked by me to please let the truck start and I told Him that I knew He could do it and that I didn’t want another late fee because we were trying to be more responsible with returning movies on time.

I turned the key again but it just clicked. Sit. Text. Tell kids to quiet down a bit. Plead with God again by confirming my belief that He will start it. Turned the key again and IT STARTED!!! As I banged my head against the steering wheel, I thanked God; told Him that He is awesome and repeated thank You Jesus about three times. Then, "Cameron" says, “Mommy! I prayed for da truck too!” “Thanks man. God heard you too!” We
made it to the movie drop off point ‘round about 940 p.m.!

After drying one load of laundry on Saturday, the dryer stops! There are two wet sleeping bags that need to be dried and two more loads of laundry to do. Anton was not home and I really wanted to get those sleeping bags dried and start at least one other load. Nothing was jammed in the door to stop it from closing completely, the dryer was still plugged in and nothing else was disconnected. Throwing my hands up, I was then in a “whatever” mood and did not feel like dealing with it. “Anton will check it when he gets back,” is what I thought. The sleeping bags were hung over two doors to dry.

Throughout the day, I checked the dryer; it had to be about four times and I finally said, “Forget it,” and left the house for a while. When we returned, of course I checked it again…but still, nothing. I did a little more tidying up around the house, braided my cousin’s hair, fed the kids and bathed them. In the middle of it all, I began to wonder what could have been wrong with that dryer; at what expense would we have to fix it.

While I was vacuuming, I perked up at the thought of Friday night’s “episode” and said, “If I prayed for the truck to start, why can’t I pray for this dryer?” So I first thanked God again for the truck starting and also thanked Him for reminding me about it. Then I asked God to please let us know what was wrong with the dryer and that it be a simple fix. In saying that, I was assuming that it would be a simple fix that Anton could do so that we would not have to call someone in to do it. A little later, I had to go into the laundry room for something and when I retrieved it I proceeded out of the room. Right then, I was prompted to try the dryer. Turn the knob, IT CAME ON!!! Wow, I shook my head and started thanking God over and over again. I couldn’t believe it, (you know what I mean)!

That’s when I realized that the simplicity of fixing it was in asking God. In spite of my lack of communication with God over the past few weeks, He answered. In spite of my “I’ll-talk-to-God-when-I-need-something” attitude, He gave. Also, I have realized that my faith, which is small as a mustard seed, pleases God. Lastly, I’ve also realized that with that mustard-sized faith of mine, believing that God will answer the “small” stuff that some deem as insignificant. Lastly, I am so happy that God has shown me that He wants me to pray about everything…it’s okay, there is nothing that I can not pray for, as long as I ask in faith, the size of a mustard seed.