Taking the back roads into town a few days ago, I drove over a hill and could see a train in the distance. I grumbled aloud about having to stop at the railroad crossing.
From the backseat, AJ suggested, "We could pray about it."
As I continued to drive ever closer to the crossing, AJ prayed aloud, "Dear Jesus, please make the train go faster so it gets out of our way."
Figuring this was as good a time as any to explain that praying doesn't always mean we'll get our way, I told him, "AJ, you should know that even though God answers our prayers, it isn't always the answer we want. Sometimes, he..."
And right then, before I could finish the thought, and before I even got close enough to need to hit the breaks, the last car on the train cleared the crossing.
From the back seat, a delighted little boy giggled and proclaimed, "I'm magic!"
Determined now that he needed to learn this lesson, I waited for another opportunity. Spotting a red light in the distance, I suggested rather dryly, "Why don't you pray for the light to change to green.
"Dear Jesus," he dutifully prayed, "please turn the light green."
This time I was at least able to finish my sentence about needing to be patient and accepting that God may have a reason for giving us something other than what we prayed for. But I doubt it sunk in. Because seconds later, and before I got close enough to the intersection to have to stop... you guessed it... the light turned green.
I'm taking it as a sign that God is perfectly happy with AJ's way of thinking.
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