Two Great Reads

I recently finished the Citizens of London by Lynne Olson. Ms. Olson tells the story of London during WWII. It is a spellbinding account of the sacrifices made by the people of London. She also tells the story of Edward R. Murrow, Averell Harriman, and the U.S. ambassador John Gilbert Winant. I had never heard of Winant before I read this book. He was truly an unsung hero. He was greatly admired by the British for his humanitarian work in their country. He worked behind the scenes to facilitate the relationship between Britain and the U.S. Without his efforts, this relationship would not have existed as it was during the war.

I am currently reading Talking with God by Robert L. Millet. Brother Millet is a professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU. Many of my questions about prayer have been answered by reading this book.

Here's an excerpt from the chapter entitled "Answers to Prayers":

At the convocation of the College of Education at BYU in the summer of 1992, one student shared with her fellow graduates and others present a touching story about an experience she had had with a young Native American boy. He had been labeled by previous teachers as incorrigible, which was of course, a serious problem. She felt impelled to reach out to him and help. She knew the family situation was difficult and thought that if she visited his home she might find some clue for how to reach him. The visit stunned her. She found poverty, neglect, alcoholism, drug abuse--everything negative and destructive seemed to be present in that home. Her heart ached for the boy; his situation made her despondent. As she poured out her heart in prayer to the Lord, she found herself asking, "Have you forgotten this boy?"

The answer came, quietly and reassuringly: "No. that is why I sent you."

Very often the Almighty answers people's prayer--the prayers of the lonely, the downtrodden, the hungry, the bitter--through other people, through those sensitive souls who who open themselves to inspiration and are willing to be inconvenienced.