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Dear Minister

I’m sorry I don’t know your name.  I heard about you from some kids in school. Maybe you can help me. I’m sick.  The doctors don’t know what’s wrong with me and medicine’s not working.  I’m sick all the time and I’m real thin.

Yours truly

Todd

P.S.   I tried praying but it didn’t work. Maybe you’ll have more luck.

T.R.

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Dear Todd

I’m sorry to hear you’re sick but glad that you’ve written to me. I will be happy to pray for you. I would say you should keep praying as well. Together our voices can rise to heaven.

Sincerely

Pastor M. Lehrer

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Dear Pastor Lehrer

Is that where prayers go?  Like I said, I tried but nobody seems to be listening.  I’ve tried praying to lots of different places. They don’t work.  I don’t feel any different.

Todd

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Dear Todd

Perhaps we need to talk about praying.  First of all—it’s not magic.  It doesn’t just work ‘poof’ and you’re better.

Know who you’re praying to. God alone answers prayers.

Sincerely

Pastor M. Lehrer

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Dear Pastor

What good’s praying if nobody’s going to fix me?  I prayed to all the top guys—you know, like that Buddha guy and Mohammed or Ally or whoever and god and none of them are interested.

Todd

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Dear Todd

I see we have some work to do. God (always spelled with a capital G)is the Creator of the universe. He is the only God and He made us as well, in His image which means we look like Him.  He gave us a free will so that we can choose to know more about Him, or turn our backs.  He loves it when we call upon Him for help, but He demands our respect and our full attention.

I won’t ask how you pray, but you need to find a quiet place and close your eyes so that you will not be distracted. Then you can pray.

There is no other ‘top guy’.

Pastor M. Lehrer

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Dear Pastor Lehrer

Oh. You mean the more the merrier doesn’t apply to gods?  I figured if I covered all the bases, I’d get better.  I figured one of them would zap me.

Okay.  I’m interested. I know a cool quiet place, but I haven’t any idea how to pray.  How do you begin?  Do I just shout His name, or say it over and over in a spooky voice, or what?  I’m not too good at talking to somebody who’s not here.

Todd

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Dear Todd

I’m glad you have your quiet place. Choose a comfortable spot, but be sure to leave room for someone to sit beside you. Then start talking as though there really is somebody there.

You can address Him as ‘Father’, or Lord. Either of those two names will be good for starters. Be respectful. He’s not ‘Creator Dude’.

Just start talking. He’ll listen as long as you talk.

Blessings

Pastor M. Lehrer

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Dear Pastor Lehrer

You’re right.  I tried it.  I didn’t hear anything, just the birds and the wind in the pines, but I felt a whole lot better.

Do you think He’ll fix me?

Yours respectfully

Todd

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Dear Todd

The wind and the birds were God’s special effects just for you. They helped to calm you down and make you less nervous, I’m sure.

God can fix you, but I do not know if He will. Only He knows the answer to that. It will take more than one conversation and His answer will become clearer each time you talk.

I will continue to pray for you and will leave you in God’s capable hands from here.

Any time you want to know more about Him, please contact me.

Sincerely

Pastor M. Lehrer

Why am I thankful?

 

My heart is filled with joy and thanksgiving.  I am loved by God. I know beyond a doubt that I am. How is it possible you say? Well, for one thing, I know because of answered prayer.

I won’t go into a long list of things I’ve prayed for over the years. The list will no doubt look just like yours. But a few things stand out in my mind.  One in particular.

When we lived in the country, I had planted a shrubbery garden along the driveway.  In it was a stand of white birch.  They were beautiful.  I don’t remember how many there were but I loved them. And then, I started to notice holes in the bark of the trunk.  A whole lot of them and I quickly became familiar with the sound of the yellow-bellied sapsucker responsible for those holes.  It girdled the trees—many rows of holes and the trees bled to death.  There was nothing to do but cut them down and use them for firewood.

We found more white birch saplings and planted a new stand—five of them beside the creek, at the top of the ridge.  They grew quickly and they too were beautiful. But one day, as I worked outdoors, I heard the call of the yellow-bellied sapsucker once again and sure enough, it was at the birches.

So, I figured I may as well go to the highest Authority and I prayed, “Lord, there is a forest full of white birches and other trees this bird likes.  Would You please send it away so that it never comes back here to bother my trees again?”

And He did.  Because He loves me.

I am able to worship Him freely.  If I want to sing, I may, if I want to shout (which I don’t usually), I may and if I want to visit Him in His house, I may freely do so without fear of harm.

I have a loving husband.  He’s always ready to hug me, tries to be understanding when I’m annoyed with dumb things in life. He has made our house a home with the hundreds of nails, screws, pieces of insulation, plasters and drywalls, coats of paint.  He’s put together a fine greenhouse. When I need something for the garden, it may take a while but he’ll make it.  He loves our children and grandchildren.  He’s an awesome grandfather, ready for fun. He never minds helping with anything.

I have an amazing, loving family. We love and respect each other, and we’re sad when we’re apart. Our children-in-law are God’s gift to us and we love them. Our grandchildren, all of them, fill our lives with joy.

I have a good home.  It’s filled with the memories of happy times before we all turned grey—times at Christmas when we had the whole clan together, birthday celebrations, times of sorrow. And now we fill it with our own memories—grandchildren playing, climbing the trees, swinging on the swing, helping in the garden or raking the leaves—happy times and they continue.

I have great siblings—each one unique—each one a piece of my patchwork. All of us brought up to honour the Lord, and each one of us trying to do so in our own way. All of us brought up to love and respect each other, and we try to do so.  Sometimes we do dumb things, and the others get angry, but each time, God gives us the grace to forgive and move on.  Sometimes our own lives get in a tangle, and then we pray for each other—often it’s the best thing we have to give.  And we know the others are praying for us.

My in-laws are fine people.  Some of us go back a long way and have many memories. Some of us don’t know each other too well. But we all get along.

I am thankful because I know, if ever we need anything, there will always be a family member somewhere who will be there for us, no matter what we need.  We’ve not always been able to talk about our needs, but over the years we have learned that together we are strong. And when God walks with us, nothing can hold us back. But we’re still discovering the truth of that.

I’m thankful that our baby grandson is making progress. That’s another reason I know God is faithful and He loves me.  He has blessed us all with a smiling little child whose health was compromised, but who is on the mend, with God’s help and protection.

As I leave, I write one of my favourite passages in the Bible:

“For You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

 

God is so good.