I Asked God For A New Winter Coat And He Got Me A Job

It’s 6 am and I’m nasally (probably not a word) challenged.  Can’t breath very well because of a “code in my nose.”  Maybe sitting up for awhile will help clear the airways.  Might as well write a blog while I’m sitting up!

Just finished reading “A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World,” by Paul E. Miller.  (Isn't this a good year for Millers, with a new TV show called “The Millers,” and a movie called “We’re The Millers?”  I don’t recommend the TV show, or the movie, but I do recommend the book.)  My son and his fiancé gifted me with a Kindle edition of the book on the recommendation of their pastor.  I learned several new things about prayer.  Here are a few:

·      Instead of correcting others like your spouse or your children—go to God about it and see what He will do.  (Our son, his fiancé, Chris, and I just went through a traumatic experience thinking that the 6-year-old granddaughter had lost both of her jackets.  The mystery was solved when her mom and dad got home from celebrating their 10-year wedding anniversary with a motor home trip to the ocean.  The jackets were packed securely in her suitcase. I did go to God and He put on my heart that several things had been lost over the years by adults.  I probably couldn’t keep track of my clothes either, when I was 6.)

·      Instead of requesting selfish things from God, get in touch with what you really want.  (Now for the coat story.  I did ask the Lord for a new winter coat many years ago and His answer was to get me a substitute-teaching job.  Later Chris got a job, which had a low salary but abundant stock options.  Suddenly the stock went up and we were able to help our church with a few items needed, several other missionary opportunities, as well as buying anything we wanted, including taking off on a 40’ sailboat for Mexico and Tahiti, and being retired for seventeen years now.  So maybe it wasn’t the coat I really wanted but the ability to have enough money to buy what I thought I needed.  On my side of the family we really have to come to the end of our rope before we will buy anything.  We figure as long as we have food, clothes, and shelter we don’t need anything else. But the party did end and we are back to where we were those many long years ago—struggling to only buy what we need. This is my prayer request now, Proverbs 30:8 Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches ; Feed me with the food that is my portion, 9 That I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD ?" Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.

Now as our prayer group is praying for our church to grow and for a children’s ministry,  our church is able to rent to 5 other churches, and we have 70 children meeting on Wednesday nights for AWANA. It wasn't what we had in mind but we trust this is God's answer.)

Well, enough about me.  What about you?  Have you ever had surprising answers to prayer?