Last night I had a dream that there was an earthquake while we were all asleep. In my dream I jumped up and grabbed all the kids and ran for the door frame. When I woke up this morning I wondered if there really was an earthquake while I was asleep and just didn't wake up for it. This has happened a few times when I lived in California, but I don't live in California anymore and there are no earthquakes here. I reminded me of when I was little, I was terrified of earthquakes, so afraid of them. So I would pray every night and ask God to protect us and please lets not have any earth quakes tonight. I even made a pact with God as a 7 year old girl "Okay God we are going to make up a special phrase for no earthquakes, and when I say this phrase during prayer then you won't let there be any earthquakes" Our special phrase was "Keep up the good work God" I know, I was 7. So every single night I would say this to God and be comforted that it was safe and the Earth would not move while I slept. Sometimes I would even sing it to him, "Keep up the good work God la la la la" Every once in a while when I pray I have the urge to say that, because I so faithfully said every day for years and years I am still triggered to say it once in a while.
As children alot of us prayed for things we wanted and our needs. We were kids that's how our minds worked. Now as an adult I pray alot differently, I pray for His will and thank Him for the many things He has blessed me and my family with.
When we first moved here to Broken Arrow I was really scared of the storms here. Living in California I only heard of the worst part of weather for OK. So when we would have a storm I would pray for God to protect us and lay His arms over our house. But I bet my kids were in the other room negotiating with Him.
I used to sing "Lord you are" as my protection song from bad dreams. It always made me feel better too. I also made an alter with a cross and a special towel over a chair. If I didn't kneel there to pray I felt that God wouldn't listen. It's amazing how kids (and adults) ritualize things like prayer time. It's comforting, but also stagnating. God listens no matter where or when.
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