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Fair Oaks United Methodist Church
1480 Joyner Avenue
Marietta, GA 30060

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Have you ever been discouraged, wondering if God is hearing your prayers? There've been times that I've been bone-tired weary; in fact, too weary to ask God for anything anymore. Then someone just happens to come along at just the right time to minister to my need in just the right way. It's happened again and again and again in my life. One time, it was food when my cupboard was bare and gasoline for my tank when my car was running on fumes. Another time it was someone who came to my house and told me to rest while she did my dishes. Later on, it was money donated for a college education set aside by a dear lady. More than once it was someone just stopping by who knew just the right words to say and a powerful prayer to pray.

God works like that through people who don't know that they are actually "angels" sent on mission of grace and mercy. They didn't know that they were answers to desperate prayers.

Then, there are those things for which I have no explanation; things that happen unexpectedly before I even ask and sometimes even before I know I need help--times when I know that God is watching out for me in His wonderful mysterious way.

One particular instance happened some years ago. I was visiting my good friend Barbara in Eugene, Oregon. She lived on a very busy street, one of the main thoroughfares in town. Even though she had a pretty, comfortable home, I did not envy her having to back out of her driveway each day onto that road. Well, that evening we planned to rent a movie to watch with her children and we needed to go to the video store before it closed. I hopped into the passenger seat as Barbara slid behind the wheel of her little car. She began to back up. We were chatting away and I was fumbling with my seat belt. Then suddenly Barbara slammed on her brakes as a big truck roared by out of nowhere. Shaken, we both looked at one another. She put her head on the steering wheel then looked at me. "Jan, I would have pulled out in front of him if you hadn't yelled at me to stop! Thank you!" "But Barb, it wasn't me. I wasn't even looking behind us." She insisted it was me, it was my voice. I was just as insistent that I had not given that life-saving warning. Sometimes we just are recipients of God's grace in ways that can't be explained.

Today, know that God is there for you. He may answer in ways that you do not expect. God may answer you through your neighbor sitting by you in pew or through a perfect stranger. You may have to wait sometimes for answers to your prayers, or in some cases, you may see the hand of God working in your life before you even know to pray.

Many blessings as you discover God's amazing grace in your lives.

Blessings to all!

Pastor Jan Oglesbee