Last week we stopped at Donofrio’s Food Center to buy some pretzels for Donn.  I had forgotten to pick up the Breyer’s chocolate raspberry ice cream that Angi likes at Walmart, so we headed for the frozen food section first.

I looked through the ice cream freezers several times without success. A store manager approached as I was giving up and asked, “What are you looking for?” I explained and he pointed out a black raspberry of some other brand.

Shaking my head, I answered, “I don’t think that’s what she’s looking for.”

I backed away a few steps as the zealous manager opened another door. “Or if she really likes chocolate, we have this.” He pulled out another box of some sort of heavy-duty chocolate ice cream.

“No, I don’t think that’s it either.” We turned and walked away, Donn out in front, eager to get his pretzels.

 Half-way across the store, I hear a voice somewhere behind me. Suddenly I realize it’s the store manager, chasing me with another box of ice cream in his hand! I’m tempted to keep walking but I hear him say, “We also have this. It has chocolate raspberry and salted caramel…”

Now he’s got me–Angi really likes salted caramel… I turn and walk toward him and peer at the ingredients listed on the box lid of the Turkey Hill Box of Chocolates, Limited Edition. Sure enough raspberry chocolate and salted caramel both appeared  “Okay, why not?!”  I take the box from the now-beaming manager.

We buy the ice cream and go home. The next evening, as I’m getting  out the ice cream, I tell Angi and Matt about the store manager who will not give up on selling me ice cream. Angi looks at the Turkey Hill Box of Chocolates, Limited Edition, and says, “Believe it or not, I looked at this ice cream in the store the other day. I wanted it but didn’t buy it.”

I was astonished, remembering my inner condescending attitude toward the store manager’s persistence. If he had given up, I would have missed surprising our daughter with something she really wanted.

Later, I found myself thinking about the parable of the persistent widow, who like this store manager, simply would not give up. Again and again she came to the judge with her plea for justice. Finally, Scripture says the judge responded, but not because he cared one whit about her. Rather, it was because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming! (Luke 18:5)

Why did Jesus tell his disciples this parable? Certainly He wasn’t comparing Himself to the unjust judge. The answer is at the beginning of Luke, chapter 18. Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. It’s obvious that persistence in prayer is something Jesus values.

How do we respond when our prayers seem to go unanswered? Are we like the persistent widow and the zealous store manager, refusing to give up, or do we stop repeating those unanswered requests to God? We might not say we’ve given up, but that need or that person’s name or situation is no longer on our lips when we turn to God in prayer. Perhaps it seems like a waste of time.

During the past two months of our son’s illness, our family has had many opportunities for discouragement, many times when our prayers have seemed to go unanswered. Almost every positive development has been followed by one so negative that our hopes appear to be dashed once again. Today has been no exception, but the example of the zealous store manager, the persistent widow,
and the words of one of Robb’s doctors challenge us to keep on praying and not to give up hope. He said, “I’m a man of faith and I’m asking you please, please, please, please, please not to give up hope. We always have hope.”  

When we’re tempted to give in to discouragement, Lord, help us remember that the parable of the persistent widow was given to Jesus’ disciples (and to us) so that we would always pray and not lose heart. Remind us, that no matter what we’re facing, it’s always too soon to stop praying, it’s always too soon to give up hope, lest we miss the answers you have in store for us. Amen.