An Answered Prayer
A few months ago, I lost my Beats earbuds. I accidentally tossed them in the trash while sitting in McDonald’s. I was mad. My Samsung phone only functions with wireless earbuds, not hard-wired earplugs.
The next day, preparing for my walk, I remembered I didn’t have my earbuds. “No music, no walk,” I thought, but that was a lame excuse not to exercise. I’ve been walking at least two and a half miles four times a week. I didn’t want to stop now. Annoyed, I started walking to get exercise checked off my list for the day.
Leaving our cul-de-sac, I heard a hawk squawking in the distance. I wanted to find it and steer clear. I have a fear of one landing on my braided bun. I heard him again, and this time he seemed close, but I still didn’t see him.
In that moment, I recalled a prayer I recently lifted to God: Lord, open my ears and my heart to hear you speak. Ain’t God the funny one? I asked, and I received time to listen for and to God without the distraction of any music.
It felt uncomfortable not having a beat to get my walking pace just right; but I kept moving.
Early on, I noticed the heat; it seemed too early to be so warm. Soon, a cool breeze brushed the back of my neck and upper back, enough to keep me from whining about the heat.
Settling into a steady walking rhythm, I breathed in the morning air. I heard weed eaters and lawn mowers. I heard the clicks of sticks being mowed over and shredded by the blades into pieces.
I passed a man with earphones trimming overgrowth with a weed wacker. “Good morning,” I greeted him. He gave me a What’s Up head nod in response.
Getting into my groove, I heard the fountain in one of the ponds. Splashing sounds were made as the fountain poured into the pond, while Canadian geese noisily flapped their wings while bathing. I heard - what sounded like - someone hammering nails on a board in an off-and-on rhythm. I bet that’s a Woodpecker! I looked but didn’t see him anywhere.
On the second half of my trek, I began to have ideas for a stalled project. Removing my phone, I noted the ideas. Putting my phone away, I exhaled and said a prayer of thanks. I began to hear and see birds calling out to each other and chasing each other. I heard the breeze as it moved through the branches and leaves. The low traffic was merely background noise to the symphony of nature around me.
Returning home after walking close to three miles, I eased into a rocking chair on the porch. I was exhausted but grateful. This was an example of God responding to a prayer I lifted many times before. Sometimes God’s answer to prayers may not look like we expect it to look. But in our obedience, we will see He is faithful in answering our prayers in his divine time.
