Bobby came running up the steps onto the front deck and in the ranch-slider throwing his bag down in the corner on his way to the kitchen.

“Wow”, he exclaimed, ”it’s been a busy day! I never had time to stop and think. Our team has been chosen to represent the school in the inter school sports next month”.

“That’s great Bobby,” Mum said,” I suppose that will mean Saturday training each weekend”.

“Yes,” Bobby said sitting on the stool and taking the drink Mum had passed him. “It’s going to be a busy term”.

So it proved to be. Bobby found the training sessions very strenuous, but he enjoyed every bit of it.

As the family got ready to go to church the next morning, Bobby thought wistfully of his bed as he got dressed. Wouldn’t it be good to have a break from church just this once? he thought as he dragged his jersey on. But he knew it was no use to even suggest it. Going to church wasn’t an option in their household, there was never any question of what they would be doing on Sunday mornings!

Bobby mostly enjoyed going to church. The singing was rather cool, and their class leader was really neat. But he found his mind starting to wander this particular Sunday, and he visualised some of the passes he was to make in his next game. Slowly he pulled his mind back to the story the leader was telling. He was saying, “and so the prophet said to Eli the priest, ‘Those who honour God, God will honour’, and that is just the same for us today.”

Bobby stirred himself, and listened to the rest of the lesson.

That evening, Bobby picked up his school books and went out into the dining-room to do some home work that he needed to finish.

“I guess I should ask you to pray for me Dad,” Bobby said, “This work is really hard!”

“You know Bobby,” Dad said thoughtfully, “I don’t think I could pray this for you. You could have done that homework last evening instead of watching TV”.

“Aw, Dad, I was tired last night after all that football practice”, Bobby said.

“You know Bobby, if you put God’s day ahead of things you want to do, God will honour you for it”, Dad said.

“Funny you should say that Dad,” Bobby said, “Our leader said something the same this morning in class”.

“Yes, well this is one of the principles that always stands,” Dad replied, “If you make time to do your home-work ahead of things like TV, and keep God’s day special for Him, He will help you to get through your lessons and tests far better than if you spent time on Sunday for your homework! “

Go still means what He said to the priest Eli…you can read it for yourself in the Bible…

Why are you scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place? You have honoured your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’ Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘I really did say you’re your house and your ancestor’s house would serve me forever.’ But now the LORD says, ‘May it never be! For I will honour those who honour me, but those who despise me will be cursed!                                                                                                                                (1 Samuel 2:29-30)

        “Mum!” Bobby called out, “Mum, come quick!”

Mum could tell that something was wrong by Bobby’s voice, and she hurried out to the yard where he was. He had been wanting to get his trike past the lawn mower, and was trying to lift it out of his way, when it fell on his foot. Now he was stuck, and couldn’t move. Mum managed to lift the mower off his foot and he stood up gingerly rubbing where it was sore. Nothing was bleeding so he hobbled around for a bit and then came right.

The next day, he was playing out in the yard with one of his toy tractors. He was trying to get it under a bridge that he had built with some loose bricks, but it kept falling down and the tractor couldn’t move. “Now if there was only someone else here to hold this up,” he thought to himself, “I could get it underneath alright. Mum!” he yelled out, “Can you come and help me?”

Mum looked out the kitchen window and saw what he was doing. She was busy with her baking and couldn’t leave it right then.

“Mum!” Bobby yelled again, “Come quickly!”

But Mum didn’t come at all. She knew that what Bobby was doing wasn’t really important and that it could wait a while.

Just then baby Joel came toddling out dragging his cuddly blanket behind him. He went over to the coffee table where Mum had her sewing gear, and stretched for the sharp scissors and pin-cushion . Mum saw what he was doing, and ran over to stop him reaching them, and said sternly, “No! not for Joel!”   She knew that he would hurt himself with them if he got them.

Bobby came in from outside looking quite aggrieved, and said grumpily, “You didn’t come when I called you!”

“No,” said Mum, “I was busy, and you didn’t really need me at all. What you were doing wasn’t important!”

Sally came in from her after school  Kid’s Club just then, and said, “Does praying always work, Mum? Our leader was talking about praying this afternoon.”

“Well, it’s like this,” said Mum as she got some cold drink out of the frig for them all. “We can’t expect God to jump every time we pray to Him and do what we ask. Yes, there are times when God does act quickly and give us what we have asked for and we think that’s good, God has answered my prayer. Just as I ran out into the yard yesterday to help Bobby lift the mower off himself. But then there are other times when we pray and nothing seems to happen and then we think that God hasn’t answered our prayer. He knows that what we have asked for isn’t really important and we can work it out for ourselves like Bobby with his tractor and broken bridge.”

“It sure would have been good if you could have come though,” Bobby said.

“Maybe,” said Mum, “But you managed yourself in the end didn’t you! Then there is the third sort of answer, the one that is a straight out ‘No!’ like I said to Joel when he wanted the scissors to play with. He didn’t know that they could hurt him, he thought he could handle it himself. That’s like when God DOES say NO to our prayers….He knows what we have asked for is not good for us to have and could land us in a lot of trouble and hurt.”

Sally was silent for a minute thinking this all over.

“I guess God DOES answer each of those sorts of prayers,” she said thoughtfully, “The first one was a ‘yes’, and the last one was a ‘no’…what was the middle one Mum?”

“I guess you could say it was a ‘wait a while’ answer, or a ‘you can do it yourself’ answer,” Mum said, “We can’t order God around, not even with begging or pleading. We have to be happy with whatever answer He gives us and remember that He always knows what is best for us!

Now off you go and do your chores Sally, and tidy up your mess outside Bobby ! ”