Going to the Curb

When my husband preached on the subject of Faith, he often used the illustration of what he called, Going to the Curb.  One time as he and his wife, Pam, along with her caregiver were being driven to the airport by a man who worked for him, Dr. Williams pulled off his suit coat. At the airport he checked their bags with the sky cap, said good-bye to his driver, and proceeded into the airport with his wife and her caregiver.  Arriving at the security check point, he realized he didn’t have his suit coat on, so he gathered the ladies around him and he prayed for our Father to make it known to the young man that the suit coat was in the back seat and he needed to come back to the airport with it.  Following his, Amen, to the prayer, he sent the ladies on to the gate, and he went back out to the curb of the airport to wait for his driver to bring his suit coat back to him.  As he stood there waiting, the sky cap came over to him and asked, Mr. Williams, didn’t I check your bags in correctly? Is there something wrong? Dr. Williams simply said, No, you did a fine job.  I left my suit coat in the back of the car, and I asked God to tell my driver to see it and bring it back to me, which is why I’m waiting out here at the curb.  The sky cap incredulously asked, Do you mind if I wait here with you? To which Dr. Williams cheerily said, Sure, help yourself.  A few moments later the car pulled up to the curb, the driver got out and handed Dr. Williams his suit coat while asking with a smile, Have you been praying? While I was driving down the road I felt an urge to look in the back seat.  When I saw your suit coat, I immediately turned back for the airport.  As the car pulled away from the curb and Dr. Williams put on his suit coat, the sky cap wonderingly stated, God did just what you asked Him to do! How often we pray and ask God to do something, but don’t believe He will, so we never “go to the curb” expecting the answer.  I am learning so many deeper truths in my husband’s absence of what I was privileged to watch him live out during his life.  One of the elements of prayer that my husband taught was expectation.  We need to “go to the curb” expecting God’s answer is on the way, and then wait patiently for it.  

Click to listen to a segment of Dr. Williams' message on Faith:

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Reflection Questions

1. When you pray, do you truly expect God to answer — or do you sometimes stop short of “going to the curb”?

2. What does “going to the curb” look like in your own life — how can you actively show God you’re waiting in faith for His answer?

3. Can you remember a time when God answered your prayer in such a clear way that you knew He heard you? How did that strengthen your faith?

4. How might your faith grow if, instead of worrying, you began to wait expectantly for what God will do?

5. What specific prayer are you waiting on right now, and what would it look like for you to “stand at the curb” until the answer comes?

Click below to listen to the whole message: Faith: the Twin Sister of Prayer

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