For a couple of years, I was reluctant to add smart devices to my home. I scoffed thinking, Why do I need an Alexa to turn off my light when I could just use the light switch?
But then for my birthday one year, my husband got me a smart speaker and my eyes were opened. I could turn on lights! I could play music! I could set timers! Woo! It was a tech nerd’s dream come true!
My kids also figured out how to use the smart speaker too.
The four year old says, “Awexa, turn on da new light pwease.”
The six year old asks, “Alexa, how long would it take to get to the moon from here?”
The two year old babbles, “Bye, bye!”
The speaker does not always understand their questions or commands, but when it does, the kids’ eyes just light up, and they get the biggest smiles on their faces. Under shelter-in-place and physical distancing these past months, we’ve been looking for joy and silliness wherever we could find it.
They make a request and get excited by a response. When the speaker does not respond, they get frustrated and try again. Sometimes they end up just yelling, “AWEXA, LISTEN TO ME.” Eventually, they give up and go play with something else.
How many times have I had that response? I pray and plead and beg and cry out to the Lord and expect a tangible and audible response. I want the light to turn on; I want the speaker to turn up the volume. Cause and effect. Call and response.
But prayer is not like a smart speaker. We should not expect a visible response. The light may stay off.
The Lord teaches us in today's Gospel that in the proper order of faith, we must believe that the Lord answers all prayers in His timing, and it is that faith that will lead us to His light.
“Let it be done according to your faith” (Matthew 9:29).
What I have learned here is that faith is first and sight is second. And that often prayers are not answered how we expect them to be.
(And sometimes you just need to mute the speaker so the kids stop yelling at it.)
It is faith that will lead us to His light. // @Substance_Soul Click to tweet
Pray one Our Father today and pay attention to the words of the prayer Jesus Himself taught us.
Dr. Samantha Aguinaldo-Wetterholm is a wife and mom to four little ones and practices dentistry at a public health community center for low income families in the Bay Area, California. She (unashamedly) thinks ice cream is its own food group and does not leave the house without wearing sparkly earrings. She was a contributing author to All She Had. and our children’s devotional prayer book called Rise Up. Find out more about her here.
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