Words of Life: An Enduring Legacyনমুনা

Any chance of a cup of tea?

‘Tap, tap, tap,’ echoed around the empty café late at night, in a remote town in New South Wales in 1941.

‘Can’t they see we’re closed?’ mumbled the proprietor. But the ‘tap, tap, tap’ persisted. A little exasperated, the owner left his room at the back of the café and walked through the darkened dining area to see who was causing a disturbance at that time of night. Shining his torch through the glass of the front door, he instantly recognised the face of one of the three men standing outside. It was the Australian Prime Minister! In something of a state of shock, the proprietor unbolted the door and was greeted with, ‘Any chance of a cup of tea?’

The PM had been travelling some hours that night and wanted to stop for refreshment. In record time this special customer was served, and not just tea but a quickly prepared meal. Afterwards, the proprietor was asked what he required as payment. He answered, ‘A supply of tea leaves.’ A few days later he received a letter of thanks from the PM, which he proudly displayed in the café, plus a large consignment of tea.

Jesus told a story of a man receiving an unexpected visitor during the night, and of the man going to a neighbour asking for some food for his guest. The focus of the parable was not the importance of the hospitality, though that is a high priority in the Middle East, but to encourage persistence in prayer.

We are not to give up, but to continue praying. It is not that the Lord is unwilling to respond, but that further prayer helps us sort out what really is important to us.

Try jotting down a few subjects to bring before God. There may be things that we need to prepare for, so we are ready to respond when he answers our heartfelt requests.