Prayer and a Great Monday
In the eighth grade I was selected to go to a student leadership conference. It was held at a Catholic highschool in the city, and we were to go to different "sessions" and learn stuff to better our schools or something. The highschool was very large, and in a very short amount of time, I got lost. Eventually I found the classroom I was supposed to be in, but what I remember from that day was not the session I went to. I don't remember what the entertainment was or who the main speaker was at the conference or what the conference was even about. All I remember from that day is a poster I saw while sitting in that classroom. It read:
"Prayer should be your first resource, not your last resort."
With all the crises that have been happening in the world lately, people have been talking about prayer an awful lot. It's funny how praying for others generally only comes up after a major catastrophe. Would people have thought to pray for Japan two months ago? I think that disasters make people realize just how insignificant they are. Humans are kind of arrogant, and like to think they can control their world. But they can't always. That's when people turn to prayer. And just like that poster said, it's kind of their "last resort".
Here's what I know about prayer. Prayer is your communication line to Heavenly Father. (His communication line to us is the scriptures.) I know a lot of people who have tried praying and say that it doesn't work, that He doesn't hear or answer their prayers. I don't believe that. I honestly don't think that Heavenly Father even ever answers a prayer with a "no". I think He answers our prayers in one of three ways:
1. Yes
2. Not yet, wait a little longer.
3. I have something else better in mind.
I was raised in a family where I was taught to pray. I was taught that before we ask for anything, we should always thank Heavenly Father for blessings or for the good things that had happened that day. I was taught to "always have a prayer in your heart", which sounds lame, but now kind of makes sense to me. So even though I don't think I've ever told my parents about that poster, they've emphasized what it said all throughout my life.
I don't want to sound like a hoity-toity, religious zealot, or like I think I'm better than anyone, because I'll be the first to admit that I am FAR from perfect. I don't always remember to pray before bed, or even to bless the food before I eat. All I know is that prayer has blessed me in innumerable ways, and I forget that a lot.
In other non-related news, today was quite possibly the best Monday I've ever had. Everything went right. It was splendid. Here's today's list of Happy Things:
-waking up on time
-getting all my laundry done
-wearing spring shoes
-Being ready half an hour early
-Happy mail x 2!
-Being ready half an hour early
-Happy mail x 2!
-the weather was GORGEOUS
-lunch with Ben
-I got my ticket for the play next week
-no Anthro class
-Amalea said she liked my style. It made my day. :)
-taking tea to Lizzy and getting to visit her
-bus hopping
-Being the only passenger on the ghetto bus!
-Delivering presents from one house to another
-2 happy notes!
-the Brain song
-No Women's Chorus
-All the roommates in good moods
-chocolate covered strawberries
-lunch with Ben
-I got my ticket for the play next week
-no Anthro class
-Amalea said she liked my style. It made my day. :)
-taking tea to Lizzy and getting to visit her
-bus hopping
-Being the only passenger on the ghetto bus!
-Delivering presents from one house to another
-2 happy notes!
-the Brain song
-No Women's Chorus
-All the roommates in good moods
-chocolate covered strawberries
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