More From Jennifer Kirsch

Right before the start of a semester, my 21-year-old child, whom I’ll refer to as “E,” was looking for housing at college. Having just taken a medical leave, E was returning to campus midyear when empty rooms were scarce. Most apartments and dorms were already filled. An acquaintance was also looking for a place to live. Ideally, they’d find something together, but with classes starting soon most available places near campus had mind-boggling rent.

Every day I prayed about the situation, but I probably spent as much time wringing my hands as I did conversing with God. Anxiety filled each quiet time. My prayers turned into a laundry list of worries about the availability and price of housing. Concerns about roommate compatibility and the possible resurgence of health issues also came to mind.

Around that time, my church group was focusing on spiritual health. A challenge encouraged us to entrust an area of our life to God. As I mulled over the assignment, I read a devotional on Matthew 23:37. In the scripture, Jesus declares, “How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (NIV).

That message and the image of the hen stuck with me, giving me the impression God also wanted to gather E under God’s love and protective care. Then one morning, besides thoughts of clucking hens, a warmth overcame me as I worry-prayed. It was an intensely reassuring sensation. It was as if God wanted me to know that every prayer I’d ever uttered about E had been heard, even the fretful ones. My jaw dropped. I’d offered countless prayers over the past several years as health troubles abounded. Tears came to my eyes because I felt God telling me that each of those concerns had also weighed heavy on God’s heart.

Now God seemed to be nudging me to stop my worry-praying and to trust God to act. The notion felt reckless, given my practice of praying on all occasions (see Ephesians 6:18). Yet in the gentlest possible way, God was reminding me with that warm, reassuring feeling that besides petitioning I also needed to take the next step of believing and not doubting (see James 1:6). God wanted me to have faith that my prayers had been heard and that God was already at work in the situation. For my church homework, I decided to turn the housing worries over to God. Instead of repeatedly sending up panicked petitions to ward off doom, I began to simply give thanks for God’s desire to take E under God’s wing.

Within days, E and the friend found a place to live. The apartment had three rooms, but the rent was lower than that of two-room units. And somehow they negotiated the rent down even further. The location was close to campus and other friends. Although not listed as furnished, the place came with some furniture. And instead of requiring tenants to commit for a year, the lease had flexible dates.

They moved in and bought a dresser since the furniture was sparse. When I heard how they’d somehow laughed while carrying it four blocks to the apartment in the rain, it was clear they were getting along, and things were working out. As for the health issues, they didn’t surface all semester.

Inspired by these events, I started turning more challenges and fears over to God. I also started truly believing God was listening to every prayer. The resulting experiences led to the situation described in today’s meditation and countless other encounters with God. All have enriched my life immeasurably.