Special Grocery List (Story)

This came to me by email and it's a beautiful story:
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Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food.

John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store at once.

Visualizing the family needs, she said: "Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can."

John told her he could not give her credit, since she did not have a charge account at his store.

Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family.

The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, "Do you have a grocery list?"

Louise replied, "Yes sir."

"O.K" he said, "put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries."

Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.

The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down.

The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, "I can't believe it."

The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more.

The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement.

It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which said: "Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands."

The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence.

Louise thanked him and left the store.

The other customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said; "It was worth every penny of it. Only God Knows how much a prayer weighs."

When you read this, please take a moment to say a prayer.

So few times we give credit to what prayer is and how much it can affect and influence our own lives and the lives of others.

Sometimes we need little reminders to show us there is Someone listening.
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Pause
Pray
Please

- ESA

Virtual Prayer Groups

The radio station I listen to via the internet (WGTS) has this prayer group that meets once per week and prays for the petitions that people send in. Since I live and work a 7-hour drive from the station (one-way!), I contacted the radio station and asked if I could join them "virtually."

The response was, "That is so interesting, to have a virtual prayer team as well with those who join us!! We have just started this ministry and would love to do this in the future. Please check back with us in a few months and this is something we'll be working towards in the future. Thank you so much for your willingness to help!"

While I wait, planning to follow up later, I thought to post something here and maybe encourage others as well.

It may seem that virtual prayer groups are something new, but there were many times in this world’s history where families, friends or even whole communities would pray together when they were apart. For example, in a time before cell phones or even landline phones, when people crossed the ocean on ships instead of planes, they would still unite in virtual prayer. They would pick a certain time of day when the people who stayed home would pray or read from the bible, and those traveling would do so at the same time. In this way the family / friends / community would still pray together, even though they were physically apart.

During Lent, my husband requested that we read the New Testament together every night. However, when I travel on business, I'm not home every night. Some nights we read together using my cell phone. But on two separate occasions, the only time I had available to read was while I was flying; cell phones aren't permitted. So we chose a time and both read during that designated half hour – together, even though we were physically apart.

When Christ told us that when two or more get together in His name, there He would be in our midst, He did not specify that we needed to be in the same room or even the same building, town, state or country. That stipulation was only added by our interpretation / understanding of what "together" means. As God is Omnipresent, when people gather together virtually, there is no question that He can still be in our midst when we are together, even though we are physically apart.

So if you believe that you can not join a prayer group – any type of prayer group – because you cannot be there physically, think again. You do not need to be physically present, connected by phone or internet (though that's getting easier with technology), but only need to be there in Spirit and intent. Our only limitation is what we place on our belief and faith. We can truly be together in heart, even though we are physically apart.

Believe.

- ESA