Five Minutes can Make a Difference
Luke 21:36 Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it
through everything that's coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man."
(THE MESSAGE)
I was looking forward to going home! It had been a hectic day at school and as I
hurried to set up my class for the next day, give some feedback to my colleague
in training, and gather up my things to leave, I was already anticipating my
far-too-brief overnight reprieve from all of this. Just as I was walking out the
door, however, my trainee remembered a question she wanted to ask me. Sigh. My
trip home would be further delayed . . .
Fortunately it wasn't a question that required a long response, and just five
minutes later than anticipated, I was finally on my way. Sometime during the
day, the dreary, chill world had become changed into a winter wonderland. White,
fresh snow covered up the bare grayness that had been with us for so many days,
transforming the stark bleakness into living splendor. But I have lived in
Canada long enough to know that with all of its beauty, the snow could also
transform the roads into skating rinks! Caution would be a necessity for today's
homeward trek!
I was happy to see that the highway seemed to be moving at a decent pace. This
usually meant that the roads weren't too slippery. Just before the mall exit,
however, the traffic slowed to a crawl. I casually wondered what might be
happening up ahead. Maybe a snowplow was slowing down the traffic, or perhaps
someone had lost his dog and was stopped in the middle of the highway. Instead
of worrying about it, I began to sing along with the praise music that poured
from my CD.
It was a few minutes before I was close enough to the cause of the slow-down to
discover what had happened. A badly damaged vehicle with a front end that
resembled an according was in the ditch, its driver slumped up over the steering
wheel. There was a truck and another damaged car blocking the right lane as
well; but there weren't any police cars yet. That meant that the accident must
have just happened, perhaps during the last five minutes . . .
Not knowing what else to do, I started praying for the driver. While I was
praying, I was overcome with the impression that if I had left work at the time
I had wanted to, just five minutes earlier, I would have been the motionless
driver slumped over the steering wheel. I wasn't 100% sure that this thought
didn't originate in my imagination, however. Had that five-minute question from
my student teacher REALLY been my lifesaver?
I was still pondering the whole thing when my wife arrived home from work. She
was barely in the door when she asked: "Did anything happen around the time you
left work?"
I stared at her. Why would she ask THAT? But before I could gather my wits about
me enough to ask, she said, "Around 3:30 today I had this urgent need to pray!"
I shook my head, my mouth hanging open in amazement. This was confirmation! God
really HAD used that five-minute question to protect me from disaster!
So often you hear people wondering why they should pray, if their prayers really
make a difference. After all, God knows everything, doesn't He? And His will
WILL be done, no matter what!
But no, our prayers DO make a difference. All through my prayer life, I have
seen God at work performing miracles. He cares, and He wants us to be in a
loving relationship with Him. Without prayer, communication with God would be
impossible. Prayer is like oxygen for our soul.
Prayer is never a one-way communication, however. God always replies to our
honest conversation with Him. The problem is that we are often so preoccupied by
our own circumstances that we don't listen to His response! But when our hearts
are open to the prompting of His Spirit, prayer makes a difference.
If you don't believe it, just ask my wife!
Do you have five minutes to communicate with your Maker? It could mean the
difference between life and death. Come to Him and enjoy His loving embrace.
Rob Chaffart