Prayer Changes Things

     I am sitting here today to tell you that yes prayer does change things! I in my life have strayed very very far away from God I went from being a Sunday School teacher to someone who started practicing a totally different belief system, and have found my way back to God where I should have always been. I also believe sometimes we wander just to learn lessons we need to learn. But I have known weather I admitted it my whole life that prayer does change things.
     Way before I was even born prayer changed things. My mother has two children my older brother and myself. Between us she had one boy that died an hour after birth he was premature, and at least two miscarriages that I know of before me. She found out she was expecting me after she had picked on her friend who was pregnant saying my son will be grown and here you are fixing to have another one just so you know my brother was about 15 years old when I was born.Well a week or so later low and behold mamma found out she was expecting me. The doctors assured her I wouldn't make it if I did I'd weigh maybe 3 lbs and would be lucky to breath on my own. They told her she had Cervical cancer and that she should just abort me and save herself because given her past track record she wouldn't carry me to term. Well my father being a man in love with his wife and worried for her life tried to talk her into it, not because he didn't want me but because he was scared of losing her and me and I totally get that I love my daddy dearly I am a daddy's girl and I have always had him wrapped around my finger. But my mother told them she did not have cancer that she wasn't buying into that and they could do the biopsy's but she was not aborting her last chance of a having a little girl but at this point she would have loved a boy just the same. My mother prayed and prayed along with family members and other people as well that I would be born healthy. Well doctors did the procedures they needed to they told her the risks and she said to them what is meant to be. Well procedure was done, and I obviously survived that. During her pregnancy my mother prayed God please let me have this one baby. Well August 12, 1974 rolled around and my mom was scheduled for a C Section now since I was only going to weigh 3 pounds and not be able to breath the OR was loaded with doctors, nurses and my special bed because you know I was going to need some machines to do my breathing. At 5:01PM they took from my mothers body, a baby girl who weighed over 8 pounds and was breathing so well she could scream, the doctors just didn't understand it why was I healthy well my mamma could tell you right now she knows why. All that medical staff wasn't even needed because a great physician was on call when my mother and others prayed for me.
    Now as a mother myself now that I have found my way back to God (another story for another time)I have seen what prayer can do! Even when I had lost my way and was on a totally different path and going through some rough stuff with my oldest daughter and Wayne. At my lowest of lows though I can remember friends telling me Lori just pray about it but I was so down on everything love, faith, and all the good things that I said and quiet honestly it was how I felt I just can't pray for myself or for anyone I just can't even muster a single prayer on my behalf, thank God they could though and I know right now that it was those friends of mine who could pray who reached down deep and prayed for me until I could do it for myself. Ever hear that old gospel song Somebody Prayed For me I can't help but think of them every-time I listen to it. They pulled me out of where I was and trust me if you knew where I was you'd be like do what? Funny how God can pick up someone dust them off and make them like new. But as I was saying as a mother lately I have been praying for my oldest we have had some supper hard times she has put me through it she has said things, done things that as a teenager I would have never said or done. But she has slowly started to change as I have been praying for her asking God to help me with my baby because I fell that partly the reason she is the way she is can very well be counted as my fault because I turned away from God and I lost my faith. She had numerous issues at the schools her time in England in the High School, here at Sumter High School and at Lakewood. She couldn't seem to find the right crowd to be around and she would follow where others lead. She disobeyed and defied me every chance she has gotten. This also caused issues in my marriage as well.I had started to worry that I'd never get her through high school, I worried because she wanted to get married after she turned 18, she wanted to start a family and all that stuff. She didn't care much about college she didn't think beyond living for today. My heart broke because I know how much potential she has when she applies herself. I didn't like watching the direction her life was going. I didn't like the direction my marriage was going. But since I found my misplaced faith and put it firmly back where it belonged to begin with things are so much better. My marriage that was close to me walking out of it just last summer is doing well of course we still spat every married couple does but nothing worth walking out on each other over. As for my oldest I pray for her daily as I do all my children, but I see in her my prayers are being answered this week she shown how much she has matured and making good choices for herself. She has decided to put off marriage until after college which means my baby girl will have a better start than I did in her marriage. Awhile back she snuck off and got a tattoo (underage mind you without my consent) and now she wants me to look into getting it removed also mind you I don't mind tattoos I have three myself but I didn't like the placement, I didn't like the lying and ect she did. But she has decided on her own that it needs to come off, I am so proud of her and I thank God that he does answer prayers because I know he has been answering mine. I have faith that one day soon my prayer for her to come to church with me and for God to draw her closer to him will be answered. Prayer yes it does change things it has for me time and time again even when I turned away and sitting here I know now it wasn't that he turned away from me when I was going through all the bad stuff it was I that walked away. Right now I can promise this I'll never walk away again no matter what tries to shake my faith I will always remember that prayer changes things. I will remember that what my grandma Widener use to say is true, God will never give you more than you can bare! Oh my grandma use to tell me that and I can still remember saying I think he misjudged when he overloaded my plate!But she was absolutely correct he doesn't give you anymore than you can bare and he doesn't leave you there hanging either to deal with it all, all you have to do is trust in him.