Last summer a father I know promised to take his son Billy to Six Flags to enjoy the rides together. With his work schedule they planned the day a month in advance. But when the day arrived it started pouring rain all morning long. Sitting at home Billy grumbled, “You would think the Lord would have sent the rain yesterday than today.” His father tried to explain how the crops and their grass and flowers needed the rain. But Billy kept complaining, “It isn’t fair! It isn’t fair!”
About 3:00 PM the rain stopped and the sun came out. There was still time to get to Six Flags. The two of them went and had a great time together until the park closed at 9:00 PM.
They stopped at a restaurant on the way home. Before they could bite into their hamburgers, dad asked Billy to say grace. Billy was silent. He bowed his head and said, “Lord, if I seemed grumpy today, it was because I couldn’t see far enough ahead.” Billy’s prayer is one that we should all say with some frequency.
This is a learning prayer. It is so important that his father gave Billy the opportunity to pray.
Billy’s prayer allowed him to see that he needed to learn to see further ahead.
“Lord, if I seemed grumpy today,
It was because I couldn’t see far enough ahead.”
