“The wise man in the storm prays to God, not for safety from danger,
but for the deliverance from fear.”

— Emerson

A man walked into a restaurant with an ostrich and sat down for dinner. After their meal, the waitress delivered a check for $35.95. The man reached into his pocket, emptied all his bills and change, and came up with exactly $35.95 plus a 15% tip.

The following week the man and ostrich returned, and the same waitress served them. This time the check totaled $41.10. He emptied his pockets and miraculously took out exactly $41.10 plus a 15% tip.

Soon this became a weekly occurrence.

By now the waitress was quite curious. She told the man, “I am astounded, sir, that you take this ostrich to dinner here every week and you always have the exact amount of money to pay your tab plus a tip.  How do you do that?”

“It’s an amazing story,” the fellow explained. “Several years ago while I was cleaning my basement I found an old bottle. When I opened it, a genie emerged and told me I could have two wishes. My first wish was to always have enough money to buy anything I wanted. Now, wherever I go, I simply reach into my pocket and the exact amount of money is there. You have seen me buy my meals this way. I have also purchased a car, house, and vacations. No matter how much anything costs, I find the precise amount in my pocket or checkbook.”

“That’s astonishing!” replied the waitress. “And what was your second wish?”

“To marry a chick with long legs.”

You can pray for something specific and get it. Or you can pray for a quality of life and get that. Praying for specifics is risky, for you are dictating a form. Praying for essence guarantees reward, for you are seeking a satisfying experience.

How can you shift your prayer from a specific to a desired quality of experience?

Here’s an affirmation for today: I am open to the grandness of God’s visions, which are far greater than mine.