How Much Does A Prayer Weigh?


Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her

face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner

of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would

let her charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her

husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven

children and they needed food.

                                            John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and  

requested that she leave his store.

Visualizing the family needs, she said: "Please, sir! I will

 bring you the money just as soon as I can."

John told her he could not give her credit, as she did not

have a charge account at his store.

Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the

 conversation between the two. The customer walked forward

and told the grocer that he would stand good for

whatever she needed for her family.

The grocer said in a very reluctant voice,

"Do you have a grocery list?"

Louise replied, "Yes sir"

                                        "O.K." he said, "put your grocery list on the scales and

whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give

you that amount in groceries." Louise, hesitated a

 moment with a bowed head, then

she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper

and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of

paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.

The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement

when the scales went down and stayed down.

                                    The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer

and said begrudgingly, "I can't believe it."

The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the

groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not

balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them

until the scales would hold no more. The grocer stood there in utter disgust.

  

Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and

looked at it with greater amazement. It was not a grocery

list, it was a prayer which said:

"Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving

this in your hands." The grocer gave her the groceries that he

had gathered and stood in stunned silence. Louise thanked him and

left the store. The customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer

and said, "It was worth every penny of it."

It was sometime later that the grocer discovered the scales

were broken; therefore, only God knows how much a prayer weighs.
Author Unknown

Much Love,
Stella