It had been a long day as I read a final story to my daughter at bedtime. I’d spent hours trying to figure out how to pay all our bills, knowing my husband was working a job he hated. But it was better than no job at all, which was where we’d been not long ago. We’d prayed and prayed for him to get back into teaching and out of the paper-buying business he’d been stuck in the past few years.
“Please let me see a frog tonight, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
I hugged my four-year-old daughter good-night and tucked her into bed. A frog? Her prayer was simple and cute, something from a book of children’s prayers.
“Well, Michelle, I haven’t seen any frogs yet this year; we’ll just have to wait and see.” I felt bad that she would be disappointed. “God can do anything,” she announced. “Just like Daddy.”
A lump filled my throat. She trusted in her father and her heavenly Father. Difficult times had made me doubt God’s love for me.
I wanted to give her my own reassurance that God loves her even if she doesn’t see a frog. But somehow it wasn’t easy to give her the hope I wasn’t feeling.
I turned off the light and went to the kitchen to do the dishes. With hands sunk in hot, soapy water, I closed my eyes. “I know it’s a silly request, God. But, there’s something about the way she truly believes You’ll answer her prayer. Do You hear her? Do You hear me?”
Strengthen Your Faith with Free ebooks on Prayer, Bible Study and More
My husband returned home late from his volunteer work at church with the English as a Second Language classes for refugees. Michelle had been asleep an hour. “Oops, laundry,” I said, jumping up to move the wet clothes from the washer to the dryer. I turned on the garage light, startled by movement near the open door that led to the backyard.
Our dog followed us into the garage and then ran and barked at the corner, stopping to sniff at something I couldn’t see. He whined and wagged his tail and began to growl. “Stop it, Tippy!” I shouted, worried he’d wake up Michelle. I took a careful step forward, ready to run if one of our giant, fast-moving water bugs should suddenly head my way.
It wasn’t a water bug. Near the back door sat a large bug-eyed brown frog. “Outside,” I ordered the dog.
“Quick,” I shouted, “wake up Michelle!”
My surprised husband stared at me as I quickly explained about our daughter’s prayer. I didn’t tell him I hadn’t believed it would be answered or that a froggy prayer was tied to my own fear that God might not care about us. I just told him it was important that she see the frog that night. “Michelle, wake up. Look what I have,” I said, holding the frog close to her. “God really answered your prayer.”
My heart beat faster as I expected her to leap out of bed with excitement. She held the frog and petted it, more sleepy than interested and not the least bit surprised her prayer had been answered. “I knew He would,” she said as she fell back onto her pillow and closed her eyes. But I was overwhelmed at the quick response to her simple prayer. What a loving Father, to see how important such a small child’s request was, a chance for her to see the power of an earnest prayer.
I carefully took the frog out into the front yard and put him into the bushes. He hopped away and I grinned, wondering if he was off to answer someone else’s prayer. My faith took a leap that night as I watched the frog go. Sometimes my daughter teaches me more than I teach her. And sometimes a frog is more than just a frog. This time, it was a small way for God to show me in a huge way how much He loves our family. He is listening.
