On Prayers for Blizzards

All the snow here has officially melted. All of a sudden it was a little warmer, and rainy and just like that, the giant snow we received is literally down the drain. I don't know what its like on the East coast, but I'm assuming all the kids who enjoyed a marvelous snow day or three are all back in the classroom.

Which reminded me of the time I prayed for a blizzard and got one. I love reliving stories from my childhood because you still have the same thoughts and feelings you did as a youngster, but with the grown-up perspective to make these things seem silly. Sort of like the time I thought my mom was trying to Poison us (if you haven't already read that one, it's worth it.)

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I say the same prayer every night. I'm not going to tell you how it goes, because I'm superstitious about it-- I think that if I say it out loud my prayers won't be answered (I even feel a little queasy about sharing this story just because it has to do with my prayers, but I trust you with this information, and I trust God will understand.) But it is ultimately give or take, the exact same prayer I have said every night since I was probably 8. There have been amendments to the prayer over time, as certain people come into my life, but ultimately is remains the same juvenile prayer I've said for nearly 20 years.

When I was young I decided that since there were a lot of people in the world, it was probably very difficult for God to hear every single prayer, every single day. So I chose to believe (and to a certain degree still do) that God just drops an ear in when he can, and does what's within his power to answer your prayers. That's why I say the same thing over and over. It's consistent. If he listens tonight, or tomorrow, next week or next month, God will hear the same sentiments from me.

I also decided at some point that I shouldn't pray for silly things, or those things within my control. Not a new kitten, or a best time, or a good grade. I thought I should save my prayers for the "bigger picture" things, further beyond my control. What can I say? I was wise beyond my years.

So there was this one night I was going to sleep, I'm pretty sure it was a Sunday or Monday and I was probably around ten. I hadn't done one of my homework assignments. I probably could have finished it the next morning on the bus, but who wants to do that? So instead? I broke my rule and added a little "P.S." to my prayer.

Please let us have a snow day tomorrow.

The next thing I know I'm waking up to the chimes of my brothers' excited voices, "Snow day!" "Snow day!" "Snow day!" Apparently God had chosen last night to listen in.

No way! I thought to myself, thinking it was a cruel joke. So I ran to the window.

Ohmigosh. God, please don't be mad. I didn't meant to prayer for something silly.

With that apology, I quickly made myself feel better as any child would: God knows what he's doing. He'd want me to enjoy this. And enjoy it we did.

Snow day was an understatement. What started as a day full of romping in the snow turned quickly into a blizzard. I think we ended getting four or five days off of school, and like any child I was in heaven. At some point there was no power. But with all of my clothes piled on, under blankets in our living room, with the fireplace blazing, roasting hot dogs on sticks, I failed to notice any negatives of this particular situation. Blizzards are awesome.

And just for the record I was definitely doing that homework assignment on the bus on the way to school when it finally did resume.

I'm still pretty sure that Karma owes me for that blizzard. That's what you get when you pray for silly things. I'm fairly certain it will come in the form of a week-long blizzard when I have a bunch of kids myself. Because while blizzards still make me secretly very happy, I'm sure its a different story when you have a house full of hooligans, with no where to run.