Prayer truly is the most exciting thing there is. The most exciting thing!
Okay, I volunteered to host a fund-raiser–a garden party–without praying it through thoroughly. Thinking it through, yes, but not praying it through. (A goal of mine is that thinking and praying should be the same thing, that I should filter thoughts through the sieve of prayer. I have not attained that goal!)
It gradually and increasingly looked like it was going to bomb, big time–and few people were going to come–and I was going to look bad. I was getting obsessed and upset about it. It was stealing my peace and joy.
So I prayed and prayed about what I should do about it. How on earth could I get out of it without looking bad, worse than if I went through with it and it flopped, as by all appearances, it was going to?
Could not hear God. The only thing I heard was to do nothing more about it.
Instead, in the time I set to seek God on this project, he gave me clear direction about two other big issues in my life. Not something I was even seeking him about, and not direction that will be easy or pleasant to follow at all, but which will have wonderful effects in my life if I obey. Which I intend to.
I also received direction that I should never again organise parties. I had done it often before; it has always been stressful and difficult for me; I often don’t hugely enjoy it, but continue doing it from force of habit, upbringing, social conditioning. Foolish. Okay, Lord, never again, but what do I do about this thing I have set in motion?
Silence.
I praised God anyway, for what I had learned from the fiasco in the making. Not to do this ever, ever again. Phew!!
And then, deliverance came. We received a call from a lawyer, saying our two girls have been nominated for prestigious fellowships from a Trust, and the interview was on the very day that this event was going to be.
So I guess a perfect reason to cancel. An infinite relief. And I will never again organize these events, but focus on my work.
When one asks God for guidance, ask him to act, he steps in and moulds circumstances in unexpected, miraculous ways. When one asks God to act, one has to accept by faith that he is going to. Praise God!!
