It takes four minutes to soft-boil an egg. It takes five minutes to play a game of on-line Scrabble. It takes six minutes to prepare a bag of microwave popcorn. And it takes seven minutes to hard-boil an egg. So we are back to the egg. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? That is one important question, but another one I was introduced to in high school when I first heard the concept of existentialism is: Are you what you spend your time on or are you something or someone else?

I don't spend a lot of time praying. I know I should pray, and after I have prayed I always feel more grounded and lighter around my heart, it is as if prayer makes me more me. Strange, because a prayer that John the Baptist prayed was that there would be more of Jesus and less of him. I pray that too, sometimes, when I get fed up with mulling over my own endless circuit of pocket-size troubles and decide to start focusing on Jesus instead. It is sort of like an alignment of your wheels, it is as if I find my bearings and become more ..... me. I have also seen a lot of answers to prayer during the thirty years that I have followed Jesus. Like we sing in a worship song: "No one else can touch my heart like you do". It's true. God's loving gaze penetrates my heart, soaks it in love, brings the muck to the surface and washes it off.... prayer is a wonderful thing.

Hours can go by during which I do not pray. But Sunday I was reminded again of how little it takes. I saw once again how God can answer even a one-minute prayer powerfully.

I was scheduled to do children's church and I love the kids in our church, I have done childrens' church at least once a month for the last 25 years. It keeps me young. I came to know the Lord as a child myself, so I know children are just as much targets of God's love as adults.

But Sunday I was just wasted. I had held my 5oth birthday party for all my female friends and we had had a blast. It was such a marvelous day and I felt so rich to have that kind of friends, the high of it kept me awake all night, I just couldn't sleep. But I had to get up and clean up and do dishes and entertain overnight guests AND clean the rooms in my Bed and Breakfast for the next group of guests due that afternoon. And then do childrens' church. Just thinking the thought made me want to roll over and sleep.

Just as the coffee break in church was starting my friend leaned over and prayed for me. Spontaneously, without warning, at first I thought she was talking to me as she hugged me, but then I realized she was asking God to strengthen me and bless the kids in the group that day. I don't think the prayer took more than one minute, but it made a big difference. Right away I felt motivated and strengthened ... and thankful that someone cared enough to pray. Several new kids came that day, we had a big turnout, and some big boys who can sometimes give me grey hairs listened attentively and gave good contributions to the story. First-time visiting parents commented on how good it was. I could sense the presence of God there in the midst of puppetry and fun. He was speaking to some young hearts. And it was not because of my hours of preparation, but because of a one-minute prayer of a friend who noticed I could use some help.

So go ahead and boil that egg, play that Scrabble - but realize that there is a special place near the heart of God where you can make a difference - even with a one-minute prayer.