Finding the right questions

“Keep praying, but be thankful that God’s answers are wiser than

your prayers!”

-- WILLIAM CULBERTSON

Last week, I ran errands in an area I don’t know well. I sang

along with music in the car, the kind of music that puts me in a

great mood.

In one of the songs, the singer sings, “Here I am to worship, here

I am to bow down, here I am to say that you’re my God, you’re all

together lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me.”

I’d started the day and the drive praying that God would help me

worship him better, and also that he would help me find the different

locations easily. It was a blustery day, and I didn’t want to be lost

in the middle of a rainstorm.

One errand was to get my haircut, and Brenda clipped, cut and

cleaned a head of hair that needed some help. I was happy to hear she

felt that God answered her prayers and she is now engaged to a man

who can’t wait for the two of them to be married.

Brenda gave me directions to my next stop, and I arrived easily.

The next place was harder to find, so at a long red light I called

out to the people in the car next to me. It was an older brown car

with what seemed to be three high school students in it. The windows

were down, and the music was up, but they could still hear me.

Though they eyed me strangely at first, they couldn’t have been

more helpful. When I asked if I was headed in the right direction,

they told me I was and that I’d reach my signal in just a few miles.

I thanked them, and then one of the young men looked back at me and

said, “Now, could you help me?”

“I’ll do my best.” I answered, a bit intrigued. He smiled back and

said, “OK. Pardon me, but do you have any Grey Poupon?”

When I said yes, he was astounded. Apparently he’d asked a lot of

people, and I was the first person who actually had any.

He asked my name and told me his name was Tyler. I reached for a

small mustard packet to show him, and he asked if he could have it. I

tossed it over to him and he reached up to the roof of the car to

retrieve it.

He asked why I had mustard in my purse.

I explained that I love spicy mustard, but some places don’t carry

it, so I carry my own.

Before they sped off I heard Tyler say to his friends, “That’s so

crazy that she had mustard. This is so cool, I’m going to hang it up

on my wall.”

When it comes to questions or asking direction about driving, it’s

just best to go ahead and ask. When it comes to questions or asking

directions about living, it’s best to go to God and ask.

He gives great directions!

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at

cindy@onthegrow.com or through the mail at P.O. Box 6140-No. 505,

Newport Beach, CA 92658.