Thought for the week – Reverend David Jones
A family funeral means that we are off to Colchester today to bid farewell to my aunt who celebrated her 100th birthday in July. In her late teens Betty left the family home in Tumble to fulfil her dream of becoming a teacher and it was during this time she met her husband to be and following their marriage their home would be in Yorkshire and then in Colchester.
Years of being a Vicar’s wife, while continuing her teaching career along with the birth of her daughter Elisabeth was to make her life complete. Betty never returned to Wales other than for well-planned visits to her parents, my grandparents. However, I do remember that because of the distance a letter would arrive from Betty every week. The letters were full of hand written chit chat which must have taken over a week to write and my grandparents just loved taking time to read all her latest news. They would then be passed on to my parents and then to other members of the family.
Then the day arrived when my grandparents had a ‘phone installed. Slowly the letters would give some way to a weekly phone call on a Sunday night (cheaper rates in those days!) but the letters still continued and my grandparents felt doubly blessed.
Long before Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone God gave us the wonderful gift of prayer. How prayer actually works is as much a mystery to me as the latest communication technology. It’s worth, however, has been proved so many times in the lives of those who believe that God hears the prayers of those who turn to him.
Prayer, of course, is not confined to time and space, it does not dependant on systems or technological expertise. It is as simple as a child coming to his or her Father and knowing that he listens and cares because within the greatness and glory God there is a Father’s heart of love. There may be times when the answers we want never seem to come and our faith is tested. It is then we need to be reminded that God has eternity to work out his purposes and that all the prayers we offer for ourselves and others are heard by him and answered according to his will.
Jesus said ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. The lines are open and the God who hears our prayers is faithful in his love and delights in the prayers of his people.
