from theCircle Maker Mark Batterson On Call Our family started attending Calvary Church when I was in the eighth grade. It was already a mega church with thousands of members, but my father-in-law had an amazing memory for names and faces. If he met you once, he would remember your name forever. Despite the size of the church, he never lost his shepherd’s heart. He had a hospitable spirit that gave him an air of accessibility. Maybe that’s why my parents felt like they could call him at two in the morning after my doctor issued a code blue and half a dozen nurses came rushing into my hospital room in ICU. I thought I was taking my last breath. My mom stayed by my side while my dad called information and got a home phone number for the Schmidgalls. In less than ten minutes, my future father-in-law was at my bedside in his black double-breasted superman suit that I would later swear he slept in. My father-in-law was a large man with large hands. They looked more like meat hooks than hands. And when he prayed for people, his hands would envelop their head like a skullcap. When he laid his hands on my head, I remember thinking that there is no way God won’t answer his prayer. He had a familiarity with God that was disarming. He had a faith in God that was reassuring. He could have called a staff member to make the visit. He didn’t. He could have waited until morning. He didn’t. He settled for a short night’s sleep on short notice to pray for a thirteen-year-old kid who was fighting for his life. Little did he know that this thirteen-year-old kid would one day marry his daughter. Little did he know that this thirteen-year-old kid would one day give him his first grandchild, a colicky baby boy named Parker. There is no way he could have ever known, but that is the glorious mystery of prayer. You never know who you are praying for. You never know how or when God will answer your prayers. But if you pray long and boring prayers, God will give you some exciting answers. If you are willing to interrupt your sleep cycle, your dreams might just come true. Batterson, Mark (2011-12-13). Circle Maker (Enhanced Edition) (pp. 146-147). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 17:54:10 +0000
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