God’s Suggested Prayer
Occasionally an alien thought floats across my mind and I know its God. Because the devil’s temptations and jabs sound just like me. They fit my internal voice. Satan’s demons have fed my insecurities and self-condemnation since childhood. So, until the Lord reveals the lies, I have a hard time recognizing them. But these alien God thoughts? They catch me by surprise. Often they’re affirming, instead of soul-destroying. Occasionally they answer a question I’ve asked the Holy Spirit. Or sometimes it’s a rebuke.
But there was only one God-given thought which caused me to laugh out loud.
Today I’m going to tell you about it.
A Command to Pray
I was vacuuming my apartment one evening in November 1991 when suddenly an alien thought came into my mind.
“Pray for a date or flowers on Valentine’s Day.”
This idea was so ridiculous I laughed out loud. Valentine’s Day is an American holiday for romantic couples. It occurs each year on February 14th,
But I wasn’t in love with anyone. In fact, I hadn’t dated a guy in years. Somehow I always became a buddy, a pal and a chum to every single man I met.
Did I have faith? Nope, very little. I had just enough faith to pray, while laughing in disbelief. The impossibility of a Valentine’s Day surprise tickled my sense of humor.
But I figured there was only one way it could possibly come true.
SOLO
Back in the 80s and 90s, I went to an adult Christian singles group called SOLO. SOLO stood for “Singles Offering Life to Others.” We worshipped together, enjoyed good Bible teaching, went on white water rafting retreats, held conferences and actively served strangers in need of help. About 200 singles showed up every Thursday night.
SOLO had an equal number of single men and single women. Many couples eventually married. So after praying that ridiculous, one-chance-in-a-million prayer, I decided to start going to the Thursday night SOLO meetings every week. Maybe I’d meet someone.
Well three months went by and nothing happened. No one even asked me out.
Valentine’s Day was next Wednesday and I thought “God, you’re almost out of time.”
Surprise!
The Thursday before Valentine’s Day, I skipped the last SOLO meeting to pack. I was flying to Chicago the next day to visit a old female college friend. I remember glancing up at the ceiling as I folded my clothes and laughingly telling God, “Sorry, I can’t help You any more—if You want me to have a Valentine’s date next week, You’ll have to do it Yourself.”
A few minutes later my phone rang. One of my guy friends told me a bunch of SOLOites were going out to brunch that weekend and invited me to come too.
Me: “Sorry Doug, but I’m going out of town this weekend.”
Doug: “Oh that’s too bad. Hey, it’s been a while since we’ve talked. Why don’t we get together for dinner next week and catch up?”
Me: “I’d love to, but I’m kind of short of cash right now.”
Doug: “I’ll treat you to dinner. How does next Wednesday sound?”
Me, stunned: “Wednesday sounds good…”
I hung up the phone and danced around my living room like a maniac, shouting “YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT!”
Know what’s really fun? Doug had no idea Wednesday was Valentine’s Day.
We had a great evening. Doug paid for my dinner and I explained how he was an answer to my impossible prayer, which made him grin. But seriously, that night radically changed my understanding of God.
My Spiritual Point
My Heavenly Father cared whether His daughter—me—had a Valentine’s Day date. Even today, over 30 years later, I’m grinning.
It was such a tender dad thing to do.
He granted my Valentine’s Day prayer, just to bring me unexpected joy. I am a much loved child of God—and you are too. Our Heavenly Father delights in His children
A few years later, God knit me and my husband together. But even with him, I still started out as a buddy, a pal and a chum.
I’ve had a lot of special dinners in February since then. But my favorite Valentine’s Day date will always be the one my Heavenly Father arranged.
These images came from Pixabay.com. The teddy-bear and glass brain were ai-generated.
Resources:
Valentine’s Day in 30 Countries Around the World tells how lovers and friends celebrate love in different cultures. Enjoy!
Editor’s Note: This miraculous divinely-arranged dinner date happened on February 14th, 1992. Nope—I don’t have perfect recall. Instead, I googled all the Valentine Days which occurred on a Wednesday and 1992 was the only year that fits my personal timeline.
