Quote of the Day

There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers.
— St. Theresa of Jesus

Verse of the Day

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" 
— Luke 11:9-13

And then. . .

Prayer has been a very important part of my life. My family gathered in the living room every evening regardless of the time or who was visiting us and said the rosary on our knees — all eight of us children with mom and dad and whoever might be visiting us when it was time.

We prayed for many things and we saw many answers to our prayers, though not always the answers we expected.

In the mid 70’s our entire family spoke at a Full Gospel Business Men’s meeting in Hutchinson KS. A man and his wife came up to my wife and I after the meeting and asked us if we could go home with them and pray for their severely mentally retarded son. Since we had come in the same vehicle as my parents, I explained that they would have to drive us back to Wichita. They lived in a small town outside of Hutchinson and it was about a hundred mile round trip for them.

We went to their home expecting God to heal their son. We prayed with faith. We prayed that he be delivered. We knew that God was doing a miracle but couldn’t see any response. Finally, about 2 AM, he drove us home. I felt bad and told him that God had begun a work, not to lose faith.

Several years later, my wife and I were speaking at another FGBMFI meeting in Nickerson KS. The man came up afterward and told us whom he was. I asked how his son was doing. He explained that he had gotten much worse and they had to institutionalize him. I didn’t know how to respond.

He then told me that he was a mailman and several days after we were at their home, he was delivering mail when a car struck a young boy. He rushed to the boy who was lying unconscious in a pool of blood.  He cradled the boy’s head in his hands and prayed, “Oh God, Heal this boy!” He said that he could feel the bones in the boy’s skull firm up in his hands. The ambulance arrived and took the boy to the hospital. The boy received several stitches and was released.

“I don’t know why He didn’t heal my son, but I know that He is Lord! He gave me a sign.” I don’t know either, but I do know that God’s ways are not our ways. He loves us more than we can love our own.

Last update: 3/6/00