The answer, my friend, is blowing in
the wind
Many years ago, when my children were only 7 and 8 years old;
talking about coincidences was in vogue, it seemed that every other
conversation was about this subject. Then,
as now, I would find that my coincidences’ seemed to come in answer to prayer. With both these elements in mind, I thought I
would tell you a true story.
I am also reminded of when I lived in the North of England, a 14
year old would constantly come and talk to me about eternal things. He was puzzled and sometimes annoyed with my
answers, particularly any that involved prayer and its results. One day he knocked on my door at 36 Wilton
Way, when I answered the door and he
looked at me with great confidence, he said he had dropped in on his way home
from school and had been thinking all day about my so called answers to prayer,
‘so called’ is how young ‘Langys’ described
it. I smiled at his enthusiasm as I looked at him
though the open door, observing his obvious new found confidence. I said, ‘oh and what is the answer then?’ He said with delight, “they’re just
coincidences!” “Well,” I said, “thank you for that, but it seems funny to me that
when I pray I get a coincidence, which seems like an answer to prayer to me.”
Now I am sure that there is a much more complex discussion
needed than what I said to that 14 year old, however, there isn’t the space
here. But I have tried in other places
to discuss this further, what I really
wanted to do this time is to just tell you one of those coincidence stories, and let you make up your own mind.
As I was saying, this is a story about my two young children aged 7 and 8; I had signed
a form to say that they could go on a school trip, the terrible thing was that
today was the day I had to send the money with the children to the school. It was breakfast time, and both girls where looking into my face
imploring me for £5.00 each for the school trip. This was £10.00 which I genuinely did not
have and did not know where to find it from; I was regretting that I had signed
the form in the distant hope that by the time came to pay the money I would have
the required tenner! It hadn’t materialised. What was worse, I now had two strident little girls nagging at
me, demanding to know what I was going
to do about it, and they, let me tell you, were worse than facing the school
authorities or the teacher.
I tried some suggestions, how about if I came and talked to
the teacher. They remonstrated with me; that,
apparently was far too embarrassing, everyone else, so they said, had already
paid! “I tell you what,” I said humbly,
“I will come and see the school secretary, perhaps I can pay a little off each
week.” That, it seemed, to the two
little girls, was an even worse idea, loud cries of, “oh Dad how could you!” Where echoing throughout our breakfast time.
Breakfast now over, and
the time for them to leave for school had arrived. We stood ready to go, with the girls still
firing off angry comments at me. I interrupted them as they stood there, angry
and forlorn, coats and scarves on, school bags on their shoulders, faced with
telling the teacher they had no money and could not go on the trip. I said, “Why don’t we stop right now, pray
and ask God to do something as I really don’t know what else to do as you obviously
don’t like my suggestions.” They
reluctantly agreed. We bowed our heads
and I explained to the Father that I did not have £10.00 even though I had said
I would pay £10.00 for the children’s school trip, and I said, “I don’t know
what to do for my children, so will you please, please help me!” I think you can see that my prayer was
heartfelt, whatever the children’s position was.
So that the discussion did not re-start, I immediately said,
“Okay let’s get to school!” I opened our
kitchen door to walk through our side entrance to our front door. We still live in the same house and it’s a
bit strange in that we have two front doors, the main door is accessed through
a corridor. When it’s blustery, this corridor turns into a wind tunnel. It was one of those windy November days, and
as I opened the door a gush of powerful wind blew in, bringing with it all the
leaves of the neighbourhood. I didn’t go out, instead I moved the children back out of the way and
asked my wife for a dust pan and brush, deciding I needed to get this mess
cleared up before I taking the children to
school.
I began sweeping up the leaves, and to my amazement, and I have to say
wonderment, in the middle of the great pile of leaves was a ten pound note,
swept in by the wind with the leaves.
The children were impressed, I was Impressed we stopped and said, “thank
you Lord!” I don’t know if someone lost
it, or if it was a special delivery from God, however it seemed to me a very,
very immediate answer to prayer. Needless to say, they went on the school trip.
Well I don’t know how well my children remember that
happening all those years ago, but what is your take on the story, another
coincidence or does God answer prayer?
Adrian L Hawkes
For Blogspot.com
W 994
Edited By Technicolour
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