Praying Impractically

I live most of my life in the most impractical ways.

Practical wears me out, to be honest.

But I’m ok with it because it’s much more exciting that way, and I’ve always wanted to live an exciting life.

I think one of my worst fears, actually, is wasting my life. So most of what I do revolves around being determined not to waste my one life.

I think it would be wonderful if I could have nine lives—like a cat—because then I would have so much more time to try so many more things. As it is, I have to choose carefully.

The only person who has ever understood and felt the same is my mom. Apparently I am her offspring.

So I’m still trying desperately to make the best use of my one teeny tiny little life.

Dreaming up wild ideas is one of my favorite pastimes.

Most of the time, the ideas leave as quickly as they came. But now and then, I decide to pray towards one of them. I usually have to dig around for courage first because it takes courage to pray for crazy things.

Someone told me, “Be careful what you pray for because you just might get it.”

I stand to testify. I have never actually regretted praying for something, but it has come pretty close.

Sometimes the answers are much harder work than expected.

One day, I heard news that a woman in my local town had been murdered during the night. Her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend decided to take her jealousy and bitterness out on this lady and now her two young daughters were orphans in the world.

Bitterness is an ugly thing.

This happened about five minutes from my house but I didn’t know the family at all, neither were there any connections.
My heart went out to these little girls, and especially the older one, as she was the one who had run to the neighbors for help.

Why do we have to live in such a hateful and broken world?

I felt compelled to pray for these girls. I remember praying specifically for God to cross my paths with this child who had experienced the worst kind of pain at five years old. I asked Him to give me an opportunity to love her. I suggested to Him that she could come to our girls club.
And then I left it go.

About 2 years later, I drove in the lane to pick my neighbor girl up for girls club. Her mom met me at the door. Pointing to the house down the road, right around the corner from my house, she told me about an eight year old girl who had just moved in with her aunt. She explained that her mom had been murdered a couple years earlier and had recently moved into our neighborhood. She wondered if I could pick her up and take her to girls club with me.

I have never been the same.
God hears. He answers.

We pray—He moves.

He wants us to believe in Him; He wants our faith.

The story is still unfolding and I don’t know what the final results will be of the small prayer I prayed.

I thought it was a big prayer.
God knew it was actually a small prayer.
I think He had fun building my faith that day.

If you’re bored with life—or even if you’re not—pray a big prayer.
Dare to pray impractically.