Soap & Prayer

…wash me and make me whiter than snow. Psalm 51:9

We  know God will always give us exactly what we need, at precisely the time we need it but there still may be times when we feel like he’s not hearing.  In times of trial and suffering we can feel like faith, religion and prayer are not helping.  If you are struggling with something and doubt and fear might be creeping into your thoughts consider this little story.

A soap maker and pastor were chatting and walking one day and the soap maker pointed out all the pain, suffering, corruption and dishonesty in the world.  He asked the pastor how, after years of teaching about the Father’s goodness and kindness and after all his sermons on God’s love, mercy and forgiveness could he still believe that faith, religion and prayer are relevant.  The soap maker pointed out that it clearly seemed like nonsense because in the couple thousand years since Jesus died, the world didn’t really get better.  Given all the chaos in the world the soap maker figured prayer and faith just didn’t work.  The pastor listened and then stopped to point out a group of little boys playing and they were covered in dirt from head to toe.  The pastor told the soap maker that clearly soap didn’t work because if it did, those little boys wouldn’t be so dirty.  The soap maker of course  protested and pointed out that all the soap in the world wouldn’t do any good unless you invested in it and used it regularly.  The pastor winked and told him that the same was true of prayer and faith.  

I have lots of prayer books, my shelves are stuffed with spiritual reading,  I go to mass a couple times a week and I even teach in a Catholic School but do I always apply and appreciate  my faith properly?  Like the soap maker I wonder if it’s all really working, but then I realize I need to come to the good sense of the pastor and stop and ask if I’M really working.  I suppose I think faith and prayer are working when I’m getting what I want.  After hearing this little story I pondered how quickly I cry despair when stuff gets messy.  I pondered how quickly I think God isn’t listening when I’m stuck in something hard and disappointing.  I’m quick to think I’m getting a raw deal and I’m taking more of a hit than anyone around me and think, hmm, is this how much God loves me?  After thinking about all this and trying to decide if the soap maker or the pastor had the stronger case, I remembered the directions on the soap: lather, rinse and repeat. All three steps are necessary to clean up those dirty little boys the men saw along their walk and the same is true for our faith and our prayer.  The more intensely we scrub with the soap the spiffier the outcome will be.  The same is true with faith and prayer; the more intensely and frequently we trust, believe and cry out in supplication and thanksgiving the more we begin to see the results of his work.  I think I’m going to put a bar of soap on my prayer table for awhile!

A Seed To Plant:  Ponder this story in prayer a few times this week and ask God where you might need a little soap.​

Blessings on your day!