The answer was a woodpecker

We are by no means ornithologists, but our family loves watching the backyard birds. It started with Karl and I in Illinois, before our oldest was even born. We began wedging halves of citrus fruit in the crooks of trees just to watch the woodpeckers come and devour them.

Karl never tired of the swallows that followed him while he mowed, because he knew he was stirring up the insect world and the birds were having a feast.

Now that there are three children in the house, we often begin Sabbath with a special surprise. Sometimes the kids have to answer Bible questions to get their surprise and sometimes they are given clues and they must hunt for it.

The surprise isn't always something for "them." Sometimes it's special paper and stickers for them to make notes to give to people at church. Our pastor is often a recipient. One lady that Michael gave a special Sabbath note to still carries it with her each Sabbath, because it meant so much to her.

Our latest surprise for the children was a woodpecker brick and a suet cake. We already had a suet cage hanging up by the back porch, which we have huge windows from the dining room that give us an excellent view to.

Karl and the children refilled the suet cage and hung up the brick Friday night. Saturday evening, when we were having family worship together, Matthew insisted we pray about the woodpecker brick and that God would send a woodpecker to enjoy it.

There is something wonderful about our God. He loves to answer the prayers of children, because they have such great faith. Sunday morning our house was alive with joy and happiness as the children were jumping up and down in their seats admiring the Red-bellied Woodpecker that came to enjoy the brick. Matthew, who had made his request so earnestly, was the first to say that God had answered our prayers.

I'm wanting an answer to prayer right now. Perhaps I need to be more like my little Matthew and pray more earnestly and have much more faith.