Kristy’s Prayer

Kristy wished with all her heart that she had been born a boy. Why, oh, why did she have to be a girl? Girls never had any fun. They couldn’t climb trees and explore caves and go hiking with the neighbourhood boys. At least Kristy couldn’t. Mother always said little girls should be ladies. She could run and play ball with her brothers. She could ride her bike on the sidewalk, but when it came to real fun, Kristy always had to be left out.

Take, for instance, the time the neighbourhood boys all went on an overnight hike into the mountains. She was the only girl in the neighbourhood, and of course she could not go. She couldn’t go on the all-day bike ride for the same reason. In short, Kristy decided, it just wasn’t fair. As long as she had to live with her brothers on a street where there were no girls she ought to be given the privileges the boys had. But mother always over-ruled, and Kristy always stayed home. It was getting worse as she got older, too. Now that she was ten, Mother had decided she should learn to knit and sew her own clothing. And of course she always had to practice the piano.

This was another thing that definitely was not fair. As soon as her brothers had gotten through the fourth piano book Mother had let them stop piano lessons. But not Kristy. “A girl should know how to play the piano well,” Mother always said.

So as Kristy sat on her favourite perch in the old elm tree she surveyed the future gloomily. And even more, Mother made her wear dresses all the time. It seemed that no one did any work around the house, except Kristy. The boys got to mow the lawn and wash the car and sweep out the garage. Kristy always had to wash dishes and make beds and dust furniture and straighten up the house.

No, indeed; it wasn’t fair. Kristy drew her forehead into a scowl. Of course, she could run away from home, but she had the strange feeling that that wasn’t going to improve things much. Even if she changed her name she probably couldn’t get along very well.

Then she remembered prayer. The teacher had definitely said in Sabbath school that if a person prayed earnestly, never wavering but firmly believing, all things were possible. Kristy jumped down from the tree. She was going to put God on the spot. And wouldn’t her parents be surprised when they found out they had three boys!

So Kristy began praying. She prayed hard and long. And she believed. She began reading her Bible and being especially good. Even Mother noticed the change and remarked about it.

But time went on, and nothing happened. Kristy made it easier for God by asking Him if He couldn’t change her into a boy (she was sure He could, though), and to please help her mother to see that she could take care of herself as well as the boys and to let her do the things her brothers did. But mother was firm. Girls must learn to be ladies! Ugh!
Three months passed. As far as Kristy was concerned this was plenty of time for God to answer her prayer, but somehow He just wasn’t doing anything. At worship one lovely Friday evening father chose to read about prayer. Kristy wondered vaguely how he could possibly know that she was praying so hard for something so special. When worship was finished she blurted out, “I don’t believe in God anymore, Daddy.”

Father looked up, surprised by this unexpected response to his devotional reading. Controlling his astonishment, he asked calmly, “And why not, little one?”

“God can do anything,” Father began, and then as his mind raced ahead he wished he had answered more carefully – at least until he found out what was troubling his little daughter.

“Well, I don’t believe it,” Kristy flatly affirmed. “He never answered my prayers, and I believed just as hard as I could.”

Father cleared his throat and thought hard. “Of course, it depends,” he began. “I suppose there are some prayers God can’t answer so as to please everybody.”

“What do you mean?”
“Well, if I pray for rain so the lawn will get good and green again and Mr. Jones next door prays that it won’t rain, because he wants to paint his house, what is God going to do about that?”
“Well, I suppose He would just have to do what is best. He would have to decide whether you needed the green grass more than Mr. Jones needed to paint his house.”
“Exactly. Now what is your problem?”
“Oh, Daddy,” and Kristy ran and sat on her father’s lap. “I’ve wanted so badly to be a boy, and I know Jesus could do it if He wanted to. But He just doesn’t even listen.”

“He listens,” Father assured her, stroking her blonde head, “But it’s the same old problem. You see, Mother and I pray every day that you will be a good GIRL and that you will grow up to be a charming and intelligent lady. We thank God every day for you, for, you see, we wanted a girl very badly.”
“Oh.”
“And, you see, God knew way back there before you were born that someday you would be glad you are a girl, so He made you that way.”
“Could He make me a boy if He wanted to?” Kristy said.

“Of course. If it would be good for you and for us and bring more glory to His name He could do it.”
“Yes, but because you and Mother pray for me to be a girl, and because you’ve known him longer, He gives you first choice?”

“Well,” laughed Daddy, “I don’t know about that. God is no respecter of persons. If He knew it was best, I’m sure He could do it. But you just wait. Someday you will be glad you are a woman and you will be happy God left you just the way He made you.”

And she was.
Sometimes God does not answer our prayers exactly the way we want them to be answered, but that does not mean He is not listening. He promised, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Matthew 21:22.

Jesus listens, and then He answers our prayers in the way He knows is the best for us. We just need to trust that He knows what is best for us, and never complain of the way circumstances are in our lives, if God is in control.