Never give up! - 09/26/00 11:09 PM
From Daily Guideposts 2000, c.1999, Guideposts, Carmel, New York 10512, p.183
Monday, June 19, 2000:
When one of my thirty-something-year-old children asked me to pray about a particularly painful trial, I immediately did so. But when I didn’t see much result, I wondered if my prayers were really making a difference. Was God really hearing me? Discouraged, I was about to give up the battle as I headed to the mailbox one hot morning in June. I’d written what I hoped was a letter of encouragement, but I wasn’t certain that I should mail it.
As I stood hesitating at the mailbox, I heard a loud commotion overhead. I looked up, shading my eyes with my hand and squinting into the bright sunlight. An unbelievably tiny bird was screaming loudly as she chased a huge hawk. Again and again they circled in the sky above a small wooded area. Were the little bird’s babies there? Relentlessly, the small bird pursued the enormous hawk, darting in front of him as if daring him to catch her. At last the hawk began to grow weary. Fascinated, I watched as the exhausted hawk flew slowly out of sight and the victorious little bird returned to her babies. I continued to stare up at the cloudless sky long after the battle was over and the birds were gone, and listened with my heart.
I thought I heard clearly: You can’t imagine how effective your prayers are. The enemy is growing weary. “Yes!" I said out loud joyfully, and I dropped my letter into the mailbox. Even as I walked back to the house, I prayed for my child with new energy.
Marion Bond West