Prayer for Cement and Metal
We were a church group from Louisiana in Silverton Colorado. Some of our women were in the small church conducting a Vacation Bible School. Others were back at the campground where we were staying preparing a meal. About 15 men were gathered around a large cement mixer praying. They had traveled from Highland Baptist Church in New Iberia Louisiana to Silverton to build a combination parsonage/education building for the church.
Cement trucks could not make the climb over the mountains from Durango so we were mixing our own cement for the foundations with a borrowed mixer. It was a large mixer designed to be pulled with a truck. It had long since seen its better days.
In the middle of a mix cycle, after we had filled it with gravel, sand, cement, and water, the motor died, leaving the cement hardening inside. Richard, a mechanic who had come with us, attempted to start it numerous times. No luck. He reminded us that if we couldn’t start the mixer, the cement would harden in the mixer, ruining both the cement and the mixer. That is when T-Pop*, one of our Cajun members called all the workers together telling us that we should pray about it. Pray for people? Yes! Pray for a piece of equipment? We gathered around the machine. A few extended hands. T-Pop prayed explaining to God the situation (We realized He knew what was going on but it always helps us to clarify things as we see it). He ended his prayer with a request that we get the mixer started and get the cement out before it hardened. At his amen, Richard gave the starting rope a hard pull and immediately the engine purred to life. We all looked around in surprise. We got the cement out and several men with wheelbarrows quickly got it into the foundation forms. The machine was still running smoothly.
Someone suggested that since it was running so well, we had time to get a few more loads done before we stopped for the day. T-Pop raised his hand in protest and said, I only asked the Lord for one load. I didn’t ask for two. Richard shut it off. He took the carburetor off and took it to his tent and worked on it that night. We had no more trouble with the cement mixer.
The Lesson. God is involved in His creation. Because of His love for us, he wants to be involved in all aspects of our lives. Not just the religious part. Pray about whatever problem you are having. Often God is waiting for an invitation to get involved just as we are with our children.
*T-Pop. In Cajun French “T” in front of a word often means little or small. So Little Pop. I never found out what the Pop part stood for or meant. I must confess that the first time in church that someone called on “T-Pop Deroun” to pray, I peeked so I could see what was going on.