It Wasn’t a Fanciful Prayer

Today I have a very sweet and amazing story to share.
But first a little backdrop….
Many, many years ago when the bigs were little
we had a simple, but fun climby kind of swing set.
As we were about to move across the country 
to pastor in Colorado, the swing set,
which by then was basically kind of old and sort of rickety, 
stayed behind.
A full ten years passed and over the years I would 
pray occasionally that
the Lord would provide another one.
It wasn’t a fanciful prayer,
but God doesn’t need fanciful.
He just longs to hear what we’re thinkin’….

Do you realize that God not only
loves to hear from us 
but
 He loves to answer us?

True story.
Over the next couple of years I prayed every
now and then for a swing set.
Which brings us up to a couple of months ago….
when we decided it was time to 
try a small group from our church in our neighborhood.
*And not to trace a rabbit trail, 
but I have longed for years for a collection of people in 
our very own neighborhood to do life with.*
Well this particular small group was one 
that not only could we walk to,
but it was family friendly….
and 

the idea of our pile of sweet treasures didn’t even scare them off!
We were all so excited to try it!!
We chatted a speck before we went with Tom and Lisa
{the hosts} 
and found them to be some of the sweetest people 
we have ever met – 
so very kind!
The very first night attending the small group, as we arrived,
we found that most of the kids were outside in the back playing.
We headed in that direction so ours
could meet theirs.
As we reached the backyard, 
Lisa, the hostess, slid open the patio door 
and there stood one of the largest and coolest swing set climby thingys –
that I actually kind of gasped!
It looked so stinkin’ fun it made me want to climb on it!
Unable to control my glee I burst, 
“Oh Wow!  I love your swing set!”
Without missing a beat Lisa said,

“You want it?”
I laughed nervously.

Seriously, her words were embarrassing me since 
I had not meant a thing by 
my giggly comment…
Taken back I responded, 
“Oh no, all I meant is that that is an amazing swing set!
What a blast to play on!” 
Lisa continued,
“No, seriously, we’ve been trying to get rid of it for a year!
Do you want it?”
And the rest is history…
A couple of weeks later, 
at small group,
the entire lesson was about helping our neighbor.
When the video ended, 
Lisa and Tom {her husband} asked the group if 
they would be up for taking the swing set
apart and moving it to our home?
The group was all over it!
In fact rumor is that the guys hadn’t gotten 
that excited about anything in a really long time!
So in spite of the fact that Dw is in Africa,
 over the week-end,
our community group ever-so-carefully,
screw by screw, 
undid 
and with brute strength and with much precision
 brought it to us
and reassembled it….
Meanwhile the ladies helped and/or 
cheered the men on…
kids played,
giant subs, chips and drinks were shared 
{all of which the group brought
because they wanted us to just be blessed}…
and the entire time their love ministered to my soul 
to the point of tears welling as I type.
Mike and Carter
Lisa and her two treasures…Ben and Kate

The men thought it would be easiest to lift it over the back wall…
We prayed hard!  All we could imagine was the wall breaking!
Tom, Carter and Ernie

Getting ready for action in its new ‘home’.



The sweetest bunch of kids!!
Oh!  
So remember the longing in my heart 
for a group of friends in our very own
neighborhood to do life with?
The longing had been there for what seemed like forever?
Well by God’s sweet and amazing grace,
we found ’em down the street, across the road
 and around the corners
right in our own neighborhood
and we are
oh-so-grateful! 
How we praise His name! 


“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; 
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.”
Psalm 9:1

18 thoughts on “It Wasn’t a Fanciful Prayer

  1. This gives me hope for our prayers to be answered for a small group and friends. Friends to do life with now that I am no longer homebound! This is the greatest story…FUN! Wonderful for the kids……

  2. Oh my goodness! Love, love, LOVE this reminder of His faithfulness! And I LOVE how He blesses your precious family, sweet friend <3
    He is the BEST gift-giver!!

    1. Your words are powerful – "He is the BEST gift-giver!" Love that!! And every now and then I think of your new property and wish to come and stroll it. So thankful for you getting to enjoy that!

  3. What a wonderful gift and wonderful friends! So glad to see how the Lord is continuing to bless you and your family. We just had our Sunday School class over to our home for a potluck on Sunday and it was such a blessing to me. I just kept thanking the Lord as it was what I dreamed of when we purchased our home.

    I'm so glad you have that beautiful, new to you play set. I'm sure it will get many wonderful years of use.

    1. You, my kindred spirit friend, you get it. I miss you, but so grateful for the time that we lived near each other – you were such a beautiful blessing to my soul. So needed. xoxo

  4. I am soo glad about the climbing frame. Just imagine the adventures the Treasures will have. We had an old pickup truck bed in our front garden when I was small. We went sailing and all sorts of things from that. God listens to the needs of our hearts.
    Love in Christ,
    Sandy in the UK

    1. Oh that sounds like such fun! When I was young a neighborhood had a little stair thing with a platform..it was tiny…but we spent months playing that it was our home…we could barely fit!! Such memories!

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