Okie Verse

Tower:
Eiffel Tower?
Sears Tower?
Leaning Tower of Pisa?

Somehow I don't think that's what God had in mind when he commissioned the Proverbs scribe to write The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe (18:10).

No, in those times, towers were a place of refuge, of security. No armies could defeat you. The walls were impenetrable. I picture men, women, families running to the tower - knowing that once they reach its stone wall they can rest and know they are completely secure.

I picture a modern storm cellar. Here in Oklahoma, it's the only real place I feel safe when the sirens of the city sound. Thunder crashing, lightning. If you're in the path of a tornado, the only thing stopping it from hitting you (other than Divine intervention, of course) is being underground.

Once, my husband and I heard the sirens and dove for the bathtub (if you live in the South, you'll understand). Pillows and blankets stuffed around us, we hoped the walls of the tub would keep us safe. Michael had his weed-eater helmet on and I doubled up the stuffing around myself. (I should also throw in that we put the dog in his kennel and the kennel in the cabinet under the bathroom sink - I'd hate for you not to have a clear picture).

When I want to feel completely safe in a literal storm, I want a cellar. No pillows or stuffing or helmets. Only a cellar will do. Living in Oklahoma during one of the worst tornadoes in the nation's history, I know that bathtubs and closets many times just hide the fact that a storm is outside. Often, it can't stop the storm from burrowing through.

So, while it's not very pretty, my version is
The name of the Lord is a storm cellar; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Degrees of Prayer

In all honesty, let's think of how hard we'd pray for the following situations. I'm going to base my answers on what I've seen of "church folk" over my 28 minus 4 days years. I'm considering how long people will pray, how "hard," how deeply, how sincerely, etc. Scale of 1-10 with 10 being praying so hard, fasting and weeping and begging, and 1 being barely praying at all - if any.

• 1=Personally having a cold
• 4=Child or Grandchild having a cold
• 3=An 80 year old with cancer
• 9=An 8 year old with cancer
• 1=Personally having a headache
• 2=Buying a red car or a blue car
• 8=Not having money to buy a car

So, let's talk here. Why would we not pray as much if we had a cold or a headache? Well, probably because we know that it will go away "on its own" if God doesn't intervene. Personally, I don't think many people think God will intervene. Why waste God's time on praying for a headache that an aspirin can cure anyway?
There was this guy at church who would say, "Hello, how are you." If you said anything but "Good" he'd immediately take your hands and start praying. I stopped talking to him for a while...
Why would we pray harder for an 80 year old than an 8 year old? Eh, the 80 year old has lived her life. It's her time to go.
Why do we pray harder for the money to buy a car than for making the right choice on a car? We know only God can work in "impossible" situations. And, while I'm sure that's flattering to God, He still wants to be consulted on the other parts of life.
Why do we limit God? Why do we lack faith or sometimes not even care if we have faith at all?
My husband once prayed at night, "Lord, please help me to feel a little better in the morning." Why? Why do we limit God and ask to feel "a little better?" Do we feel the need to punish ourselves for all the things we did during the day that God should deduct from his blessings & healings?
I strongly feel that how "hard" we pray coincides with how difficult we think the situation is to remedy without God's help. A head cold will be remedied in a few days "on its own." Cancer could kill us - whew, better call God.
I suppose my sarcasm can be better understood as realization. A realization that God answers our prayers in spite of us. In spite of our "little better" prayers. In spite of our lack of faith over the headaches and over abundance of desperation for the impossible.