Answered Prayers

Funny things, answered prayers.  As humans who are not privy to the thoughts and plans of God we send up prayers on a regular basis, some fervent and some barely tepid.  Many times we aren't even terribly sure that God will answer.  When He does answer we sometimes miss it because it may or may not be what we are looking for.

The Twist family has had two prayers answered in less than one week.  The first answer indicates what I  have always known, that God has a sense of humor.  Last week I began praying, of the fervent sort, that my boys would be better friends.  As opposed to the fighting and bickering that goes along with brothers close in age and living quarters.  Two days after I regularly started praying for this the two of them came home from the skate park and announced that we needed to talk and that they would take whatever consequences necessary.  This is not how parents want to begin a conversation with their children!  At the park was a pretty good skater who decided to talk a lot of trash to our boys, saying they would never be good skaters.  #2 can only withstand so much of this type of thing and he decided to unleash some of his mixed martial arts skills on the older boy.  Then #2 walked away.  The older boy thought it would be a good idea to attack #2 from behind which caused #1 to go a little crazy with his mixed martial arts skills.  So my boys actually had their first fight, together, for a few minutes until #1 decided they should just walk home.  I had to be responsible and let them know that as a girl and a mother I cannot condone violence, especially since #2 started the actual physical fight.  Inside I was pleased that they worked together and backed each other up.  I knew right away that this was God's very odd way of answering my prayer.  Donald, of course, was delivering high fives all around and was pleased as punch!

The second answered prayer came just a little bit ago.  This morning Donald and I were, once again, discussing our future options, what we'd like to do, what should we do and does any of it match up with what God would have us do.  That cyclical conversation.  Once again.  Donald received a phone call from the job option in Virginia to let us know it is no longer an option.  The reason why is a bit maddening but really doesn't matter.  The point is we can cross Virginia off our short list.  The list really only contains the potential job in Washington and the fact that we would love to explore jobs in the UK.  As we were talking this morning the boys were doing school and #2 left us a very interesting insight on his math test.  He wrote:  Walk by faith, not by sight.  Hmmm.  Out of the mouth of babes.  So that is what we will continue doing.  We will walk by faith and keep praying fervent prayers for God's direction.  We appreciate your prayers as well.  It is clear the answers will come.