Depression Getaway with Wendy Love

What does a black cow have to do with prayer? Well, let me tell you my black cow story first and then I will make the connection. My husband and I had been away in St. Jacobs, Ontario for a few days. As we enjoyed our breakfast one bright winter morning, in a wonderfully windowed dining room overlooking the St. Jacobs Farmers Market and Stockyards, as well as several empty parking lots for outlet stores, I saw a big black blob which caught my interest. As I watched it I thought I saw movement, but no, I concluded, that must just be the wind, it is probably a big black garbage bag. I continued enjoying my tea and then I saw the big black bag, walk across the road! It was a cow which had escaped from the stockyards! What unexpected fun, and a great show for me to watch during my holiday breakfast. The cow slid a bit on some of the pavement, then headed out to a road behind the hotel.

Prayer is one of the simplest yet most powerful form of self-expression. Today I would like to share a favourite story from "Streams in the Desert, Book 2" entry date May 12. The story is told of a shabby old gentleman who every day at twelve o'clock would enter the church, stay a few minutes, then leave. The caretaker was concerned for the valuable altar furnishings. Every day he watched to be sure nothing was taken, and every day just at twelve the shabby figure would arrive. One day the caretaker accosted him. "Look here, my friend, what are you up to, going into the church every day?""I go to pray" replied the old man politely. "Now come", the cautious caretaker said, "you don't stay long enough to pray." "True enough. I cannot pray a long prayer, but every day I just comes and says 'Jesus, it's Jim'. Then I waits a minute, then comes away. I guess He hears me though it's but a little pray...

At each of my daughters weddings I received the most delightful revelation. At both weddings I was invited to welcome everyone at the reception and then pray before we ate. At each wedding, as I reached the podium and looked at my daughter and her new husband I realized something: "this is the one I have been praying about all of these years!" Let me explain. When I first became a christian I was about thirty years old and my daughters were 3 and 5. I was excited about everything to do with my new found faith. I devoured my bible and read books telling me how other christians led their lives. One christian woman said how she started praying for the spouse of each of her children, while those children were still young. I decided I would do that too! And so I started praying for a little boy I hadn't met yet, but who God had already chosen for each of my girls.