Does God listen when we whine?

Does God listen when we whine???

Our four year old granddaughter is going through a phase of whining.  My daughter asked me today how I handled her and her brother when they whined.  I had to be honest, and tell her that I didn’t do very well.  Listening to a child whine is like hearing chalk screech across the chalk board. 

The years of 1979 and 80 were difficult times for us.  We were Pastoring a small church in Missouri.  We had two small children so I wasn’t working at that time.  We began  having car problems.  Our big old Ford station wagon was wearing out.  We borrowed money from the bank to purchase a bright orange Ford Pinto wagon.  It had a 30 day guarantee.  You guessed it; just a few days after the guarantee went off, the thermostat went out and ruined the motor.  Back to the bank we went for money to put in a used motor.  I’m not sure how long it lasted - NOT LONG! 

In the mean time, my Dad found out he had lung cancer.  He lived five months from the time of his diagnosis.  I was devastated.  I was Daddy’s girl.  What was I going to do without him?  When he held me close in his big arms, the problems of the world would go away.  I needed him to hold me close and make everything right.

We had to have a vehicle, so my husband went back to the bank.  I prayed the whole time he was gone.  I could tell when he walked into the parsonage that they had refused to loan us any more money. (And why should they?  We still owed on the other two loans!)  The Pinto was shot.  He borrowed a car and drove out to the junk yard to see what they would give us for the Pinto. 
I looked out the window when I heard a car drive in.  There sat one of the ugliest cars I had ever seen, a dull grey Mazda.  My words were, “You are kidding, aren’t you?”  Well, he wasn’t kidding. 
O.K., so now we had another car (so to speak).  It backfired all the time.  One day we drove to Hannibal, Mo. - a 30 mile trip.  We chose to come home via scenic Highway 79 - the River Road.  It took us three hours to get home.  Within a short time, the motor blew.  Somehow we managed to come up with the cash to put in another used motor.  It didn’t last long either. 
By this time I was angry.  I had lost my Dad; we had gone through three cars and five motors, were in debt and had no car.  I felt God had turned His back on us.  I couldn’t pray, wasn’t reading the Word, and didn’t want to go to church (which was not good as a minister’s wife).  One Wednesday night I chose not to go to Bible Study.  Probably said I had a headache - but I didn’t.  I did talk to God that night, but it was not very nice.  I whined.
When my husband came home that evening, he had a strange look on his face.  I was in no mood to talk, but asked him what was wrong.  He said, “Would you believe that God has given us a car?”  One of the ladies in the church had a beautiful copper colored Buick Skylark that she didn’t need.  It was only two or three years old with very low mileage.  Oh, and it had a GOOD motor.  Within a very short time God blessed us with the funds to pay off the loans. 
I have never felt so humbled in my life.  God did listen to me, even though I was whining.

The Israelites whined many times as Moses led them through the desert toward the Promised Land.  They were hungry and God sent them Mana, they were thirsty and God brought forth water from a rock, they were tired of Mana, and God sent them quail.
I’m sure He got tired of hearing them whine, but He still listened and met their needs.

At my Dad’s funeral, a dear friend of mine sang an old song written by Frank Graeff in 1901 (Public Domain) -  “Does Jesus Care?” 
         Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
         Too deeply for mirth or song,
         As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
         And the way grows weary and long?
         Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
         His heart is touched with my grief;
         When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
         I know my Savior cares.

Did I learn my lesson, and never whine again?  What do you think?  I am human.  God has to remind me that He is Jehovah Jireh - Our Provider.