Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Prayer is what makes it a wonderful life

Sometimes prayers get answered in such unexpected ways.

My son is buying a house.  He is buying our house.  This is the house I wrote about a while back.  This house had been a rental property of ours.  The last tenants we had in this house were members of the 47% Mitt Romney spoke about.

"There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it -- that that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what. ... These are people who pay no income tax. ... [M]y job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."  (and btw, the fact checker at CBS says Romney was right on the money when it comes to the percentage of folks paying no income tax)

If you recall, I said of the four people living in the house; the baby, the grandmother, the father and the uncle, the baby was the breadwinner of the family.  And that's the way the 47% roll.

And, if you recall, I mentioned they lived like animals.  (I'll let you pick which animal, but you cannot choose homo sapien.)  Everything in the house was broken.  Cardboard was taped over broken windows.  The stove was non-functioning and the refrigerator was full of rotting fast food in bags and styrofoam containers.  I could go on and on, but it's Christmas and I don't want to kill any sugar-plum buzzes going on out there.

Ever since we got the very bad tenants evicted from our house my son and my husband have been cleaning and painting and ripping out horrible, very stinky carpeting and replacing windows and tiling bathrooms and fixing plumbing and repairing kitchen cabinetry and replacing light fixtures.  They have been working so hard.  My son is learning how to be a homeowner in one super-crash course of home repair.

My son is becoming a man.  I've prayed for my son ever since the day he was born.  Every mother prays for their children.  But I'm now beginning to see a glimmer of an answer to prayer I had given up on God answering.  Seeing my son move toward independent living and being a homeowner is something I didn't think I would get to see.  Motivation and being a self-starter has never been his strong suit.  For some reason, and I'm not exactly sure what it is, there seems to be a huge number of adults falling into a condition I call "extended adolescence."  My son is 25, so I don't see him on the older end of this condition, because I've seen it in adults even older than he, but he has this condition, nevertheless.

I've watched the way my husband and son interact.  I've watched their relationship grow.  I think I've seen my husband become the father he wished he had.  I've seen him display patience and love and respect to my son and really show him what being a man is all about.  I've developed a stronger appreciation of the gifts of kindness and gentleness and sweetness he possesses.  I'm appreciating what he is and not focusing so much on what he is not.  My husband and I are growing as parents.

Yet, God is good and God does answer prayers.  He uses his own good time and you have to keep your eyes open.  You aren't going to be seeing me sitting back and putting my feet up and relaxing in this answer to prayer.  I'm going to keep on praying for him and for his success in living this life here on earth.  I certainly don't know what the future holds for him, but I do know he is on his way and held safely in God's hands.

I think back to the movie, It's a Wonderful Life and the scene with George's friends and family praying for him.  We hear the prayers being lifted to heaven.  I feel the power of those prayers and I believe in the power of prayer for my son, as well.

The prayer scene at the beginning of the movie.

Mr. Emil Gower: I owe everything to George Bailey. Help him, dear Father.
Giuseppe Martini: Joseph, Jesus and Mary. Help my friend, Mr. Bailey.
Ma Bailey: Help my son, George, tonight.
Bert: He never thinks about himself, God, that's why he's in trouble.
Ernie Bishop: George is a good guy. Give him a break, God.
Mary: I love him, dear Lord. Watch over him tonight.
Janie Bailey: Please, God, something's the matter with Daddy.
Zuzu Bailey: Please bring Daddy back.    

I know there was a time when I doubted God listened to my prayers.  I wondered what the point of praying was if there were no answers forthcoming.  I believed my prayers for my son were noble and should be on the top of God's list.  I was impatient.  Now I see how God used my prayers to change me and my vision of my son.  God gives us the opportunity to pray so he can use those prayers to change us.  He's not a vending machine.  No prayer is more noble than the next, but all prayer changes us to be more of what God wants us to be.

726.  Christmas movies
727.  Courage to ask for a raise (you can pray about that for me if you like)
728.  Seeing answer to a long time prayer
729.  Seeing prayers answered quickly
730.  Getting Christmas cards from old friends
731.  Poinsettias
732.  Cars with reindeer antlers on them
733.  The blessing of not having to enter the house until all the work in it is complete.  My son wants me to have the Big Reveal


Linking with Emily at Imperfect Prose on Thursday.


11 comments:

  1. Oh, I just love this and am so glad I read it. I am a praying (Strong willed) mom of one strong willed, beautiful girl. And Sometimes my fears are bigger than my faith...God is still growing this mom and girl...but not easy. I love It's A Wonderful Life- fave Christmas movie. Thank you for encouraging me for my journey is all uphill right now and seeing the fruit on the tree at the top is so far, unclear and not so sure from my perspective. 
    In His Grace, Dawn

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  2. very cool...i am glad your husband and son have come together in this and that their relationship is blossoming...very cool...and it is neat how the circumstances come together in this...

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  3. I'm so excited to read this news about your son; I've prayed for him, too!

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  4. It's a Wonderful Life is my fav movie.  Love it.  I've been praying for a son too, who is just slow to take responsibility and prefers to react rather than take initiative.  He's on his own, but tends to take the easiest road.  He's just married a gal who is probably not going to help him grow.  I've been praying for years, too...and I get impatient too.   Both my son and his wife need the Lord, they need to recognize that they need God.  They are cynical and a bit self-absorbed.  I fear God will never get a hold of them.  But I also know He loves them more than I do, and He has a plan.  So I keep praying!

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  5. A wonderful post. Just what I needed to hear today. Thank you. God be with you and yours.

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  6.  Thank you so much.  I can't tell you how much it means to me to have this little blog bring Christians together to support one another.

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  7. I'm rejoicing with you in this answered prayer for your son! :)

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  8. Sometimes the answers come later - I see that in my own life.  That's so awesome that your son will move into this house he is helping to renovate.  

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  9. how encouraging to see long awaited answers to prayers for your son...Yes, God is not a vending machine, and He does change us as we pray...Grateful...Blessings to you :) how sweet that your son wants to show you the house all fixed up :)

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  10. i'm glad about your hardworking son. i'm sorry about your disrespectful tenants. but i'm sad about the disdain you have for one half of america, including the working poor, the elderly, and people on disability. there is a lot of our story you don't know.

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  11. I can understand this dynamic of wanting so bad for someone to be something.  I have family members who for the life of me I cannot motivate or get to be any different than they are.  Lord knows I've tried.  I've learned the fine line between enabling and helping.  God has taught me much!!

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