In my office, answering mail, adding to the list for the day, I hear
\nmy neighbor and his father under my second story window.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have everything you need for the tests, Dad?\u201d<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t hear his answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs there anything else I can get for you?\u201d<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t hear an answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, good luck with everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019m pretty sure silence was the response here.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad, would you like to pray before you go?\u201d<\/p>\n
This answer was clear and loud.\u00a0 \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unseen, but heard, my ears caught,<\/p>\n
\u201cDear Heavenly Father…\u201d<\/p>\n
I surprised myself my dropping my pen and bowing my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cDear Heavenly Father -\u201d I began, in cadence. I couldn\u2019t discern the words but I matched the rhythm.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really don\u2019t know these two men well.\u00a0 But a son is sending his father off
\ninto a world of unknown tests.\u00a0\u00a0 I would hope that they both know a sense of peace
\nand purpose about whatever is facing their family at this time. \u201c<\/p>\n
I kept my head bowed and my mind still until I heard the speaking beneath my window stop.\u00a0 I heard the shuffle of heavy feet, the click and reluctance of an old car door and an engine turning over. I wondered (to God, in the way that musing of this sort seems\u00a0\u00a0 heavenly directed) how often I am this close to a prayer being uttered and I cannot hear it, or see it, or do not notice it.<\/p>\n
Then I imagined a falling leaf and couldn\u2019t be certain that it was God answering back, ?\u201cThat\u2019s prayer.\u201d
\nI recalled the gentle perseverance and beauty of the incoming tide at dusk.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s prayer.\u201d
\nI pictured the surprise stalk of the volunteer sunflower back of our bird feeder.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s prayer.\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled.\u00a0 Knowing I\u2019d heard God\u2019s answer.<\/p>\n
– \u00a9 mary anne radmacher<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In my office, answering mail, adding to the list for the day, I hear my neighbor and his father under my second story window. \u201cDo you have everything you need for the tests, Dad?\u201d I couldn\u2019t hear his answer. \u201cIs there anything else I can get for you?\u201d I couldn\u2019t hear an answer. \u201cWell, good…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[800,10,17],"class_list":["post-1693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-joys","tag-god","tag-mary-anne-radmacher","tag-prayer"],"yoast_head":"\n