The Answer

After a simple dinner one evening, Dad read out loud from his Bible. "'I did not give up waiting for the Lord. And He turned to me and heard my cry.'" Dad looked up. "That's a good verse for us. We need to be patient and keep trusting the Lord in the hard times we're facing right now."

Jack frowned. "But we've prayed and prayed, and nothing is any better."

"Yeah," said Zoe. "You're still out of work, and Mom's still in the hospital."

"And then that big storm knocked down most of the old barn on our property," added Jack. "It almost seems like God doesn't really answer prayer at all."

"God always answers the prayers of those who trust in Jesus," Dad said, "but He doesn't always say yes. He sometimes says no or wait a while. Jack, do you remember when you were little and your best friend at preschool got a puppy?"

"I remember!" Zoe said. "Jack begged for one too, but he's allergic to dogs."

Dad nodded. "Jack was too young to understand that, though, so he was upset at first."

"Ye