Efficacy of Prayer

SeattleMom · #1 (**permalink**) 10-22-2005, 02:16 AM

Aargh! I'm so frustrated this morning! We almost got rear-ended Thursday night because, come to find out, our brake lights don't work. Luckily our neighbors knew of a great garage and they were able to get us in this morning (Saturday). I'm all upset because we had agreed to take another couple with us to Stake Conference (they know the way but don't like to drive when it's dark and we're in the later session of conference). Stake Conference is about 45 min away in Plymouth. Anyhow, before the brake light incident this seemed like such a lovely wonderful thing. Now I feel bad because they are in a lurch too. So, anyhow, DH takes the car to the place this morning. He won't let us go with him despite the fact that you really need a navigator on these British roads! He's worried about having Emily Lara in the car without brake lights and getting into an accident.

So when he left at 8:30 this morning I prayed so hard that he would be able to find his way and that it would be something easily fixed so that we could still go to Stake Conference. About 9:25 am he comes back--couldn't find the place. AND the cell phone died so he couldn't call them for further directions even though he knew he was in the right area. AND when I called the place no one answered so maybe he went home and we won't be able to get the car looked at today. AND my dear sweet DH (grr) is now thinking maybe he needs to study British road rules more before he is comfortable enough to drive that far. So the world is conspiring against me so we can't get to church tomorrow and we'll look dumb to our ward members (who we promised the ride to). Right now our neighbor is driving him to the car place and I really hope the people are there and the problem is small and they can come home soon with a fixed car. But I'm really feeling like my prayers just weren't terribly effective today! Reminds me of when we were packing for England and couldn't find all of the new contact lenses we had bought. Prayed so dang hard and couldn't find them. Had to spend hundreds of dollars to replace them. I know prayer isn't a Christmas Wish List but darn it all I wish just this one time I would have gotten what I wished for!!!!!!!!!!!

Marianne

Holly*Berry · #2 (**permalink**) 10-22-2005, 07:14 AM

All I can say is......people understand when your car breaks down and you can't give them the ride you said you would give them.

people know what that's like and people understand. This may not make you feel any better, but you never know why things work out the way they do.

We truly never know how many times the Lord "rebukes the devourer" for our sakes. And how many times he doesn't.

Car problems are never convenient.

How long have you been in the UK?

SeattleMom · #3 (**permalink**) 10-22-2005, 11:10 AM

You know, that really is a good thing to be reminded of. I wouldn't think badly of a person if I were in their situation and this happened. I still feel bad because they had a ride with the Bishop and only switched to us because we didn't know how to get there and needed someone to show us the way. So they would have been fine if they hadn't tried to help us out!

Anyhow, we've been in the UK for about a month now.

Marianne

B10family · #4 (**permalink**) 10-22-2005, 01:23 PM

I'm sorry Marianne! That stinks! I hope something comes together for you guys!!!
((HUGS))

SeattleMom · #5 (**permalink**) 10-22-2005, 04:10 PM

We shall see. The car thing has turned out to be something that may cost $270 and we were worried that the car owner might not cover it (it would be within her rights as she is loaning us her car longterm for no $$ at all). Luckily she is going to send us a check for whatever it costs! That is a wonderful blessing! And the guy who we were referred to is a mobile service so he comes to us--no shop to get lost on the way to. *That* is a blessing. And if we can get it done in time to do a daytrip on Saturday and go to church next Sunday then I will be very happy indeed

Just trying to see the positive!

Marianne

dancincuti · #6 (**permalink**) 10-22-2005, 09:20 PM

Oh hun..(((HUGS))) I'm glad there is a silver lining for you. Small as it may be. I'll say a prayer for you that you can make it to Church next Sunday.

SeattleMom · #7 (**permalink**) 10-23-2005, 01:54 AM

Well, Mike is confident we can get a ride today. So we'll see.

Off the topic--Whitney, your little boy is getting so BIG!

Marianne

SeattleMom · #8 (**permalink**) 10-23-2005, 10:27 AM

Update: Well, we got a ride! The Elder's Quorum president's family very sweetly drove two cars so that they could take us with them. When we got on the road I realized that if we had driven ourselves we would definitely have driven the spirit out of the car--it was so twisty and turny that I'm sure we would have been at each other's throats as we made wrong turn after wrong turn. So that was a blessing, eh?

Stake Conference was really great and it was nice getting to know folks in our ward (the drive ended up being more like an hour and fifteen minutes!).

Marianne