The Story of the Wish that Didn't Deserve to become a Prayer
I loved hearing Bill Johnson share in a message he was preaching about how God answers our prayers. He went on to say that God is so good that he liked to answer a wish that didn't even deserve to become a prayer. I think his example was some small thing he had really desired (like a certain pocketknife or something), never even asking God for, but God gave it to him. God just likes to bless his kids. :)
Well now, I suppose you are wondering about my wish. I will tell you. You may remember my wish for a casserole fairy, that I posted on facebook. This came true! My most recent wish I never told a soul about. The past few weeks I had pain from baby growing and have had to take it easy in order to avoid unbearable pain in my lower abdomen. Taking it easy when you have a 3 and 5 year old, basically means allowing your house to descend into utter chaos.
So, as you can imagine, about this time I was wishing for a cleaning fairy. Having a nasty house is never any fun. It's even worse when you spend a lot of time sitting around looking at your nasty house.
To my complete and utter amazement, the cleaning fairy came! Well, it was actually our friend's church group. We were their outreach. Their church has this really cool concept they call "scattering" where the take every sixth Sunday off from a typical meeting and go out into their local community to help people. Lucky for me, the other neighbors declined any help so our friend's scattering was looking for some other pathetic souls in the neighborhood to help. Naturally we came to mind. :0)
I have to admit that it was terribly humbling to accept help (especially from some people who we hardly knew). It brought me to tears to see a man I had met one time, outside cleaning up my dog's poop and other mothers of small children scrubbing my toilets and polishing my kitchen. I was so humbled and so blessed. Our friend even washed our dog! (talk about an act of service!)
The funny thing is how alien it feels to have people invade your life to help you. As Christians, this should be normal. We should be part of other's lives, helping each other clean up our messes when they get out of hand. Yet, as American Christians, we prefer to soldier on, not allowing others to see our weakness. This not only robs of the chance to be vulnerable, creating real relationships, it robs others of the opportunity to give.
Yes, it's humbling. Yes, it's embarrassing to admit you can't do it all on your own. But yet, cleaning fairies do exist. Through them we can learn that we serve a God who loves his kids so much he can answer a wish that doesn't even deserve to become a prayer.
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Well now, I suppose you are wondering about my wish. I will tell you. You may remember my wish for a casserole fairy, that I posted on facebook. This came true! My most recent wish I never told a soul about. The past few weeks I had pain from baby growing and have had to take it easy in order to avoid unbearable pain in my lower abdomen. Taking it easy when you have a 3 and 5 year old, basically means allowing your house to descend into utter chaos.
So, as you can imagine, about this time I was wishing for a cleaning fairy. Having a nasty house is never any fun. It's even worse when you spend a lot of time sitting around looking at your nasty house.
To my complete and utter amazement, the cleaning fairy came! Well, it was actually our friend's church group. We were their outreach. Their church has this really cool concept they call "scattering" where the take every sixth Sunday off from a typical meeting and go out into their local community to help people. Lucky for me, the other neighbors declined any help so our friend's scattering was looking for some other pathetic souls in the neighborhood to help. Naturally we came to mind. :0)
I have to admit that it was terribly humbling to accept help (especially from some people who we hardly knew). It brought me to tears to see a man I had met one time, outside cleaning up my dog's poop and other mothers of small children scrubbing my toilets and polishing my kitchen. I was so humbled and so blessed. Our friend even washed our dog! (talk about an act of service!)
The funny thing is how alien it feels to have people invade your life to help you. As Christians, this should be normal. We should be part of other's lives, helping each other clean up our messes when they get out of hand. Yet, as American Christians, we prefer to soldier on, not allowing others to see our weakness. This not only robs of the chance to be vulnerable, creating real relationships, it robs others of the opportunity to give.
Yes, it's humbling. Yes, it's embarrassing to admit you can't do it all on your own. But yet, cleaning fairies do exist. Through them we can learn that we serve a God who loves his kids so much he can answer a wish that doesn't even deserve to become a prayer.
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Comments
Yes!! Yes yes. what a wonderful vision & lesson. I am so thankful that God gave these people to you & pray that he continues to surround you with community in all its vulnerability & nearness. I want some, too.