“Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to you.”—Psalm 102:1
Our son John, who planned to be a minister like his father, told me that he wanted to go to a certain seminary. I was very unhappy. All sorts of unorthodox ideas were explored there. I knew our son had a simple, trusting faith that had been taught to him in our home. What if these sophisticated teaching methods destroyed that faith?
So I prayed that John would change his mind. I asked God to change it for him. And what happened? Nothing. God said, “No” to me. John went to the seminary of his choice.
Years later, John told me that he had sensed how I felt. But he had also prayed, and felt that God approved of his decision. “And you know,” he said, “the challenge and stimulus of that place woke me up. I came out with my faith deepened and strengthened.”
I’m so glad God said, “Yes” to John. And “No” to his apprehensive mother.
