Praying for eggs

Grandpa’s stories continue…

Food was a problem for the missionaries in the beginning. When the Africans come and greet the missionaries, they always come with eggs or chickens. Occasionally, it is hard to buy those things. Once we tried very hard to do so but it seemed the nationals had gone on strike, and for what reason we don’t know even to this day. We sent our workers out to buy them, but they came home with nothing.

One forenoon I thought I would go out myself and perhaps they would have more respect for me than my workers, and thus sell things to me. I walked all morning searching for places to buy eggs and I came home with six rotten ones. After this we prayed much about it.

Since our mission station was near the river I got the idea to go fishing. I asked one of my national workers to go with me but he was very reluctant. I found out the reason later when he told me this was not the fishing season and no one would get any fish now. People would laugh at anyone fishing out of season. But I begged him to go and get the fishing rod and line and show me how the people there fish. He was still reluctant to go, but finally yielded and went with me. We walked by his house to get his rod and line but he was ashamed to tell anyone for what purpose we were going down to the river, fearing that all would laugh.

I had barely gotten the line out in the water before a nice sized fish began to bite. Now my friend’s attitude about our fishing changed completely. Returning home again he was not ashamed to tell anyone about our going fishing, and he told everyone how God had given us that fish. We went home, prepared the fish and the entire family was fed that day.

Grandpa's story reminds me of a repeating sequence in my life with God:

1. I encounter a problem.
2. I seek to solve it in several ways.
3. I fail. (Sometimes I get what I seek, only to find it’s “rotten” and not beneficial.)
4. I then pray much about it.
5. I take steps in a new direction, which may not make much, or any, sense to others.
6. God solves the problem.
7. He solves it in a way I didn’t anticipate, and in a way I wouldn’t have first thought to try.

I’m not thinking that God is mad at me for taking steps 1, 2 and 3. I pray nearly every day that “His will be done here on earth, as it is in heaven…” I do believe we should use our brains and our resources to live out our lives. Yet, I do think that I become too anxious and/or discouraged when those efforts aren’t fruitful. It’s at this point (number 4), when I talk much with Him about the issue. And it’s often after that, when He inspires me to try a new direction.

Knowing I’ve been heard by the living and active God gives me the energy and hope needed to explore a different direction, wondering how He may be going to answer my need… I have no doubt that when I call out to Him, He does lead me and He does answer. I may pray for eggs and get fish, but that only adds to the excitement of following Christ.