The season comes for a change of location, so I descend what my wife calls “the documentary maker” – that’s our spiral, metal staircase to my office, which the family calls “the hermitage.” 

No sooner do my socked feet touch the cement floor than I hear: “Thanks for letting me know about the location change. I wouldn’t want to miss our little chat tonight.” 

I say with a chuckle, “You’re welcome, my Lord, but we both know You inferred the location change. The only thing I said was: ‘Nope, too cold for this.’ Plus, let’s be honest: You didn’t need a notification.” 

“While that is true, I appreciate the update anyway,” says my Lord. “Besides, it’s not even that cold. What – it’s about 50 out there?” 

I scoff and say, “Oh, I’ll grant You that it’s going to get a lot worse, especially with this El Nino situation, but it’s still cold enough that I’m not dealing with it. Is it seventy? No – and that’s all I need to know.”

Surely, my Lord pads the air before saying with a laugh, “So, it’s not that you dislike cold weather. Rather, you dislike not hot weather.” 

“You got it.”

“All right, then. Well, what’s on your agenda for tonight?” My Lord asks, “Have you found the missing piece of the ‘prayer as mystery’ puzzle yet?” 

I slide down in my wicker “mushroom” chair as I consider my absolute lack of response. I say, “As it turns out, that was not on my agenda for tonight. I was going to thank You for any wife, tell you about my oldest’s marvelous work in homeschool, and attempt to describe my youngest’s latest acrobatic attempt of climbing the toilet to get into my wife’s lotions.”

Silence comes as an indulgence of my Lord’s disbelief about my answer, so I scrutinize every recent moment for some answer. If my Lord were an average person, they’d make it through at least an “Our Father” if not also a “Glory Be” as they waited. 

Then, it occurs to me; I say, “Well – maybe, there was one moment. During homeschool the other day, my oldest and I read ‘God to the Rescue!’ in her Jesus Storybook Bible. This retells Exodus Chapters 3 – 13. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard or read this passage in a great many ways, but in this reading, Moses – as the answer to the Israelites’ prayers – strikes me as fascinating.” 

My Lord says after a laugh that threatens to wake the family, “Yeah, Moses had a problem with that too, if I remember right. But, why is that relevant to our prayer puzzle?”

Before I can answer that question, another scene of a man all alone on a mountain side bursts into my thoughts. “Let’s hold off on that for just a moment,” I say. “I’m reminded of Elijah in I Kings 19. Now, there is a man who also got a response from You, right?”

A sigh, almost certainly, comes before: “Yeah, he was having about as rough a time as one could, I’d imagine. Again though, so what? How are you connecting that to our prayer puzzle?” 

Then, my mind darts forward to a little man up a tree. (Luke 19:1-10) I wonder: “And, what about Zacchaeus? There’s a man who is surely seeking You. He very definitely has a request – a prayer reality, and something very mysterious happens. You respond with an invitation to his house.” (See the previous reflection about invitations)

If God could manage a smug smile, I’d imagine one to accompany my Lord’s next words: “Yeah, I really got him with that one. You should have seen the look on his face, but I still don’t see what that has to do with our puzzle.” 

Now, it’s my turn to smile as I say: “Hang on; we’ll get there – I just thought of one more thing.” After the obligatory “of course you did,” I continue, “What about Ananias? (Acts 9:10-19) There seems like another man with great concerns who got a response from You. One might even point to that moment as one of the most pivotal moments after the Gospels.”  

“Shew,” my Lord says. I get the distinct impression of a long breath as a relief from my torrent. God says, “Okay, you got a lot going on, so how about you tell me how at least one of them helps you?” 

After I push my glasses up my nose, I stare into the distance between us. I can see each person in what amounts to a police line-up, or like kids on a playground waiting for team selection. I say, “Might as well start at the beginning;” in my imagined playground scene, Moses pumps a fist at his selection. 

I say, “What stood out to me in the Exodus reading was the answer to the prayers of the Israelites. You answered their prayers with Moses. You responded to the prayers of Your people – that seems pretty mysterious. I don’t see that You have to do anything, yet You made a promise to these people, and You move to keep it.

“Then, as if to prevent me from concluding that this is only a national problem,” I continue, “You provide the example of Elijah. Now, sure, he is not in an ideal situation either. Yet, You answer this individual in his prayers. Again, I see nothing that demands anything from You. Still, You respond.

“Next, Zacchaeus adds a little levity to the mix. This dude climbs a tree, so he’s clearly got a petition that he’s serious about. Even in this non-life-threatening situation, You answer Zacchaeus. Not only do You recognize him to answer his petition, but also, You tell him that You’re going to his house. So, You respond in a big way even when the moment gets a little silly.”

I take a deep sigh with the move to Ananias. He’s put in the awkward place of helping the blinded Saul. Saul is blinded while on the road to kill Christians, so Ananias is – understandably – nervous. “Still,” I say, ” Ananias brings me full circle, because he asks for a bunch of confirmations in response to the call to help another – like Moses. You tell Ananias to do a thing. That should be all Ananias needs, but still, You answer his petitions with patience and understanding. I’d say that’s mysterious, right?” 

There comes a slow nod in response to my litany, as if my Lord were considering my answers. Also, probably giving me a break after my latest deluge. The silence starts to make me nervous though; am I on the wrong track? Have I misread these Scriptural episodes?

Then, God says, “Well, that seems like an interesting piece. So, ‘I respond’ is your answer?”

I laugh and say, “Yeah, seems like that’s the simple way to put it. Guess I didn’t need the rest of it.” 

“Nah, that’s just you processing,” my Lord says, “besides I’m getting used to your complications. So, we have: an invitation to My presence, listening, and responding – yeah?”

“That does sound about right,” I say. 

My Lord asks, “So, you’re ready to say something about this prayer as mystery puzzle, then?”

“Um no,” I say with a steady shake of my head. “All I have are three pieces, and I’m not even sure if they connect. What can I say about our puzzle?” 

There’s a clear impression of a facepalm before my Lord says, “Really, you have no idea? Two people in each other’s presence while listening and responding – that doesn’t remind you of anything?” 

I shrug at the question as I look for some answer. Obviously, I’m supposed to come up with something. I say, “Nothing comes to mind. I’m glad that You have an idea. At least, that signals my arrival at a place where I have the pieces. Means that I’m close to an answer – well usually anyway.”

If this were any other time, I’d see a chin drop to another’s chest. “Yeah, didn’t figure there’d be a struggle with that one,” my Lord says, “Then, I guess I’ll leave you to stare at your options.” 

I say with an exhale of the tension in my shoulders, “Yeah, that’d be nice – staring into the middle distance. I like the sounds of that.”

Now, there’s a certain shake of the head in exasperation. My Lord says, “Okay – fine, good luck and Mespeed.”