Answers to prayer often unfold slowly, so I forget that in other instances, God answers right away. He always answers prayer just as we need because His divine timing is perfect, bringing Him glory in the process. This week, I was reminded of His providential care and my faith grew as He answered my prayers almost before they were vocalized. Hopefully, I will remember these circumstances and little miracles the next time I am feeling discouraged, overwhelmed, or feel God is taking too long because no matter my human perspective, His timing is always just right.
Problem #1 – The Missing Dog
Monday was stormy. A frigid wind howled through my yard, and just like the big bad wolf, blew a section of my fencing down. It was on the side of the house where I could not see out the window, so I would not have known except for the fact that I couldn’t find one of my dogs in the yard.
Prayer #1
“Where’s the dog?” I asked God.
When I walked to the west side of the house, I found his hindquarters. Like the slinky dog from “Toy Story”, his wagging tail was on my side of the fence while his large block head and shoulders poked through the other side.
Immediately, I praised God that I found not only the dog, but the hole in the fence before the dogs ran away. I ushered both dogs into the garage and walked over to the neighbor’s side of the fence to assess the damage. One whole picket had blown off the rail and was lying in their yard. My husband was working out of town, and they were gone, so it was up to me to try to fix it.
Problem #2 – The Broken Fence
I picked up the stray board and hauled it around the corner, through my front yard, and back into my back yard. I searched for nails, screws, and a drill. None could be found until after I called my husband. Nails were with him, but he described where to obtain the other items.
Prayer #2
As I walked back around the house for the third or fourth time, with all that I needed, I prayed again. “Lord, please let me either be able to fix the fence or let someone see me in need and come to help.”
The wind whistled and I shivered. I lined up the eight-foot board and grabbed my drill, but there was no way my small five-foot frame could balance the board while holding the drill and screw steady. No matter what I tried, I didn’t have the skill or coordination. I looked around. No neighbor was in sight. Discouraged, I grabbed the board and headed back into my yard to contemplate my next step.
Just then the phone in my pocket buzzed. I looked down seeing that it was my son. “I will probably be by later,” he texted.
Quickly, I snapped a picture of the hole in my fence. “Can you help me with this when you come?” I asked.
“Ya probably,” he responded.
Prayer number two answered! Help would be on its way in just a few hours.
A Temporary Fix Brings Problem #3
In the meantime, I rigged a shelving unit, an old wheelbarrow, and a rusted trashcan to block the dog’s path of possible escape. I sent another pic to my son, and he laughed.
When my son came over later that evening, he fixed the fence and all was well. Except that somewhere along the line, I cut my hand with rusted metal. Although the cut was not really bad, the next morning, it was red and itchy.
Prayer #3
Again I prayed, “Should I go to the doctor and get a tetanus shot?” I asked God.
Tuesday was a whirlwind of activity, and it was late before I had time to consider calling the doctor to see when I last had the TDAP immunization. I added up the hours since I cut my hand, a little over 24 hours. How much time did I have left before a tetanus shot would no longer be effective? I searched the Internet and discovered that I should get the shot by Wednesday if I needed one. That was tomorrow. I looked down at the time. By now it was 4:50 pm and the doctor’s office would close at 5:00 pm.
Problem and Prayer #4 – Time Crunch
Again, I talked to God. “I only have 10 minutes to call before the doctor’s office closes. What should I do?”
I was worried, so I picked up the phone to dial the number to dial the doctor. The first time I called, the line disconnected. The second time, it rang through to the billing office. They couldn’t help me. The third time, I reached medical records, and they were able to look up the date of my last tetanus shot. It had been in 2008, about 15 years prior, therefore, I needed the immunization.
I hung up the phone, discouraged. By now the clock read 4:48, two minutes before closing.
Prayer #5
“Dear God,” I prayed, “If I am supposed to get a tetanus shot, please let me get an appointment for tomorrow.”
I dialed the number one last time. It rang and someone in scheduling picked up. “Praise the Lord! I got through!”
The man at the other end said I should come in, and they had three appointments left. Thankfully, one was so early the next morning that I would be able to get the shot and also get back in time to teach my classes without finding a substitute teacher.
Praise the Lord! Another prayer answered!
Answered Prayers
All went well: I received the shot; I made it to class on time; and my hand is healing well. This may seem like a small miracle to you, but in all my years of phoning the doctor for a quick appointment, it has never gone this smoothly. This was definitely answered prayer staring me directly in the eyes.
Reminders
As I navigated a lost dog, a broken fence, a rusty cut, and a doctor’s appointment, I recalled the comforting truth that in every situation, God listens to our prayers. He responds even to the small ones, like the ones above, and He always does what’s best. I understand that God does not always answer so immediately, so I won’t get discouraged when things don’t go as smoothly as they did for me this week. However, thinking back on answered prayer grows my faith and causes me to give Him praise and glory for all that He does in my life.
What do you think? Feel free to share your praises and prayer requests below.
