“Dear Heavenly Father,” Mom prayed, “we just come before Thy heavenly throne this day in thanksgiving for dear Jennifer and Calvin, who You preserved for Your own marvelous purposes yesterday. And we just ask that You will just stretch out Thy gentle hand and just touch little Jennifer that her foot may be made whole once again. We pray now especially that in her hour of need Thou wilt touch Jennifer’s dear heart with Thy love and just let her feel Thy dear presence with her that she wilt come to Thee, Lord, and accept Thee as her personal savior. And we just ask that Thou wilt also so touch Mr. and Mrs. Bazlinton with Thy sovereign love so that they will know the joy of Thy love for eternity. And we just thank Thee that Thou hast sent Thine only begotten Son that whosoever shall believe in Him shall have eternal life and not perish. So Lord, draw near to the Bazlintons in this hour of testing; heal Jennifer and reveal Thyself to the Bazlintons that like Elisha their eyes mayest be opened. In Jesus’ sweet precious name we pray, Amen.”

While Mom had been praying I watched Mr. Bazlinton’s feet. He stood on one foot and began to dig a pretty deep hole in the sand with the other. When Mom was done Mr. Bazlinton looked a little dazed, then he glanced around and noticed a couple of people watching us all praying. He said, “I’m much obliged, now I really must^X along,” and he backed away and walked up the beach pretty fast without looking around once.

“Mom,” I said, “I wish you wouldn’t.”

“Wouldn’t what?”

“Pray like that.”

Mom and the girls looked shocked and Mom said, “Calvin, we are never to be ashamed of our Lord!”

I said I wasn’t ashamed but somehow it seemed kind of rude to make somebody suddenly pray with you when he wasn’t expecting it.

“Mr. Bazlinton was grateful we cared enough to bring Jennifer to the Lord. Anyway it was an opportunity to share the gospel with him while his heart was tender for Eternal Things.”

“But isn’t that sort of unfair?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you know: to preach at someone through your prayers when you’re pretending to be praying to God but you’re really using your prayers to preach or something.”

Then I was really surprised because all of a sudden Dad said, “I must say I agree with Calvin. I’m not comfortable manipulating The Things of the Lord even for evangelization.”

Now I was sorry I had said anything because Jan1et and Rachael both gave me looks to say, now see what you’ve done! You’ve started a fight!