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In “Bruce Almighty" (Universal Pictures, 2003), Bruce Nolan, played by Jim Carrey, is having a terrible day. Bruce was denied a promotion, then lost his job. Immediately afterward, he was beaten up trying to defend a homeless man. Next, he went home and had an argument with his girlfriend, Grace. Bruce leaves in frustration, going for a drive. During the drive, he is talking to God. He angrily says, "Okay God, you want me to talk to you? Talk back. Tell me what's goin' on." He asks God to tell him what to do. Bruce wants a signal. Suddenly a road sign up ahead flashes the word "CAUTION." Bruce ignores the sign. Bruce prays for guidance, for a sign. Suddenly, an open-bed truck passes him, loaded with road warning signs saying "stop," "caution," and "yield." Bruce, still, does not get it. He sees a set of prayer beads his girlfriend wanted him to use. He says that he will try it that way. He drops the beads. When reaching for them, Bruce loses sight of the road. When he sits up again, he finds that he is headed right into a lamppost. He crashes.
Prayer is not a one-way conversation. Through prayer we participate in the divine alchemy whereby, if we are open, we will see the answers arriving in the ordinary events of everyday life. We may not hear a voice, but the answer to our prayers will come through signs, signifying to us the answer. If we trust the Providence of God, we can remain alert to the signs. They will come. The question is always, finally, not “Will the signs come?” The question is, “Will we be attentive to the signs, when they do come?”
Exercise
Have you been longing and praying for something. What is that prayer? Now, look into your life. Ask, “What might have happened or be happening, now, that is a sign signifying Divine Providence in response to my faithful seeking?”
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