The Prayer

Larry slouched in his desk seat with his arms crossed with raised eye brows. He stared blankly at the papers stapled together.

I hate dyslexia. I just can’t get those decimals down and long division too. Why should I try? he thought.

The teacher got up from his desk and approached Larry. “I know it’s difficult for you, but you at last have to try.”

Larry shook his head. “What’s the use? I get a D every time. It’s just too hard Mr. Collins.”

“It appears that way, but trying is the next best thing to truly knowing what you’re dealing with.”

Larry sighed and rubbed his face. “Okay.” He sat up and grabbed his pencil. The teacher patted him on the shoulder then walked away. An hour passed when the teacher spoke. “Okay, pencils down.”

Larry pounded the desk and grabbed his scalp. Then the bell rang to switch classes but Larry was hanging his head while he shook it slowly.

Mr. Collins came and sat at a desk next to him. “You know, dyslexia does not mean you’re stupid. It just means you brain processes information differently.”

“So I’m told,” sneered Larry. “Only a miracle would help me.”

“You’re young. Someday soon they may come up with a way to alter dyslexia.”

“Yeah, when I’m thirty years old.”

Mr. Collins took a deep breath. “You should go to your next class.”

Larry slung his pack over his shoulder and trudged out the door. He got out a note written by his mom. Have a good day son! And remember to thank Jesus! He’s always watching over you.

“Why should I thank Jesus? He has done nothing for me. He’s the one who made me this way,” Larry said as he walked to history class.

The young boy remained gloomy the rest of the day. When the bell for school to end rang, he neared the buss and sat in the back. A pudgy kid in torn jeans and a shirt with Metallica on it, sat next to Larry. “What’s up dummy?”

“Shut up Kearny.”

“Awe, the stupid kid is mad.”

“You’re wasting your breath. I don’t care.”

“What about Carol?”

Larry widened his eyes. “Shut up!”

“So you do like her.” Kearny grinned then looked to the front of the bus where carol was. “Hey carol. Larry likes you but he is too stupid to say it.”

Carol turned around looking behind her. Larry blushed and sunk into his seat. Kearny laughed then left him. When the bus came to its stop, Larry waited until everyone left. He exited and walked toward his house. Then he stopped. His eyes teared up. “Oh, God if your there, please heal me. I know I’m not religious enough. But I can’t live this way. I’ll do anything if you do.”

He continued his way home and was greeted by his mother. “Son you look sad.”

Larry ran to her and buried his head in her stomach, sobbing uncontrollably. “Oh, mom, why did God make me this way? What good can come of it!?”

His mom wrapped her arms around him. “God allows everything for a good reason. We all have problems. But our place is not to question Him but to trust in him.”

Larry stepped back and wiped his face. “I’m going to my room.”

He went upstairs to his room and fell on his bed and spent hours looking at the ceiling until he fell asleep. That night he had an amazing dream. Standing before him was a man with a childlike face in shining robes with a pair of stork’s wings on his back. “Hello child.”

“What are you?” the boy asked.

“I am an angel of God. That prayer you prayed has gone up to His throne. He has heard you.”

Larry shook his head but did not wake up. “What’s happening?”

“You’re having a night vision. I’ve come to say God has granted your petition.”

“He is going to heal me?”

The angel nodded. “Recall, however, that you said you would do anything.”

“What does God want of me?”

“When you finish school you will travel, giving your witness of your miraculous transformation. For now, you will touch the lives of those around you in the present - people like your psychiatrist, your teacher, you classmates and even your own mom will be amazed at what has happened.”

“How will I know it’s gone?”

“You will know. This is where I leave you. Fulfil your word.”

Suddenly he woke up with a beaming smile. He jumped out of bed and brought out his math book. What followed was amazing. Everything made sense! He zoomed through problem after problem and he got all of them right. It really happened. He really saw an angel! He ran downstairs with book in hand where his mom was watching TV.

“Mom something happened last night! I’m not dyslexic anymore!”

“What? Calm down.”

“I’ll prove it.” Larry opened the math book and went to a practice test. “I am going to get all the problems right! Just watch!”

Fifteen minutes later he was done. “Now check them with the answer key.”

“I don’t believe it! You are right! What happened?”

“I had a dream of an angel who said God would heal me.”

“That’s quite a story. But…I can’t think of anything else. It is a miracle,” Larry’s mom said.

“The angel told me to tell everyone I can about how I was healed. And that when I am older I will go from place to place telling people about it.”

“I don’t know what to think. Let’s take things one step at a time.”

After Larry’s mom and everyone else came to grips with the mater, it caused a city wide stir in Denver, where they lived. In time, when he was older, he went from state to state giving his testimony just as the angel said. And many people came to believe his message.