Yesterday, one of my Facebook friends posted an unusual prayer request:

Praying friends: in the last few hours we’ve run into some challenges with our move (some more expensive than others). Please pray for us to choose to be kind, gentle and loving… even when dealing with poor customer service…

Usually the prayer requests that I read on Facebook are for illnesses and injuries of loved ones.  When I read them, my heart breaks and I pray immediately.  But this prayer request gave me pause.  I had to read it several times.  Why did it stick out so much?  Did you notice the request?  My friend, Sarah, didn’t ask that we pray that everything would work out, that the “challenges” would disappear or smooth over.  Her heart was that she and her husband would “choose to be kind, gentle and loving… even when dealing with poor customer service”. (emphasis mine)

I’m reading Galatians now, and like I did with Philippians, I am reading the whole book everyday until I feel like I really know it.  Today as I was reading Chapter 6, I thought back to Sarah’s prayer request.

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.  At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.  Therefore whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone – especially to those in the family of faith.”  (6:9-10)

Doing what is good… “choose to be kind, gentle and loving”.  Sarah was definitely wanting to do what is good.  But she knew that it didn’t always come easy, which is why she was asking for her friends to pray that they wouldn’t give up.  Because let’s face it… we all know how hard it is to be kind when we feel like we are wronged by some company/business/worker or when we feel frustrated by their policies and the lack of sympathy/kindness we receive from them.

This is an area that I personally struggle with… I get very haughty and self-righteous and demand my own way, because of course, I’m always right.  But here’s the thing, even if I am right, I still need to “choose to be kind, gentle and loving”.  I have to decide if the “injustice” is worth pursuing, and if it is how to handle it in a way that I am still “doing what is good”.

I love the promise from God in verse 9, “At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”  Although, I’ll admit, I wish it said “At the time we want…” instead of “the right time” because God and I usually have different definitions of “the right time”… although, I know His is always best…

So as I prayed for Sarah, I prayed the same for me.  (And since God usually puts me to the test when I pray things, I’m expecting some lousy customer service soon!)

♥Becki, imperfect customer

P.S.  Sarah and I became friends at Penn State.  Living a Christian life was new to me, and I always admired Sarah and the way she was able to express her thoughts about God and life.  I still do, if you want to read some of her thoughts, check out her blog:  http://www.EversFam.com/