They will pray for me

Over fatigued, I tried to get some bed rest, when the dogs went into uber bark fest.


In the lay-by, was a cross between a car, and a minibus, full of children. the two adults seemed lost. I went to help, but could see one child needed to go to the toilet, and offered the use of ours. When one child goes to the loo, they all want to go. In seconds I turned my home into a public convenience.


First in was the eldest boy, when he finished, he thanked me, and said he would pray for me. Did I look like I needed a prayer? I obviously did, because he pointed out I had no cross of the Lord Jesus in the house and the devils horns over the door. I explained the horns were left in the house when we bought it. It was an agricultural workers cottage, and at one time probably housed the stock man. The horns of a Short Horn cow (not the devil) probably told other workers where the stock man lived, in case he had to be summoned to deal with a problem with the stock, much the same way as horse shoes on a door indicated the groom or farrier.


He said you have a lot of books but didn’t have any good ones. I replied that I had the origin of the species, and the selfish gene, also the wealth of Nations and Small is beautiful. There was also the book of sufficiency, and goat management. I did not have the Bible, he told me. That was quite true, but I didn’t have the Koran, or the book of Mormon either.


How would I know how to live? I said I have the decline and fall of the Roman Empire and the fall of Cathage to show me what not to do.


He said he would pray for me! Did he think it would do any good, I asked, as there are millions of starving children in the world that pray every day, and never get their prayers answered. Why would God grant his prayer.


After a time to think, this chubby boy said, I pray because I want to, not because I need to. Therefore my prayers are more important than those that only pray because they are desperate. His prayers have been answered, even though he is not in as much need as others. Being a Christian and believing, means I am not in need and pray for the love of god, and god answers.


That is a good answer I said, write it down on a piece of paper, and in twenty years or so look at it again, and try to understand why I am so disgusted!


Luckily the remainder of the saintly family returned, offered to pray for me. I gave them the directions to the 11th century church that needs support, not to fill the pews but to upkeep the crumbling architecture.