Prayers for Inanimate Issues

It’s funny how we rarely talk about prayers for non-living issues. We’ll talk about prayers for people, pets, and such. But I imagine almost everyone has, at one time or another, said a prayer that their car would start just one more time so they could get to the repair shop. Or perhaps they’ll pray that the snow will stop long enough for them to get to work or the store. Or, as in my case today, that I could finish my monthly community newsletter print run without further page-wrinkling and crinkling.

Each monthly run is for about 400+ sets of 6 sides (3 sheets, both sides). My output tray is small so I must do it in batches of 32 or 48 so I can keep track easily of how many I’ve done. Anyhow, after the 2nd or 3rd batch, it started crinkling - badly. Last month, it happened a few times toward the end of the run. I thought perhaps the cheaper grade of paper I had been using was getting more flimsy. So this month, I bought a slightly better grade. Apparently that was not the issue.

I emailed my go-to printer-wizard. He suspects the paper is skewing inside the machine. I need to get it looked at. This must be done before next month’s run. It is under warranty. 

It’s just that it takes time - getting in touch with them, finding out whether it will be done locally or must be shipped out. And fitting it in between other matters.

Tomorrow is my left-eye cataract surgery, then the next day is the post-op checkup, and Thursday I staple all the newsletters, and Friday is my charity crafters, and Sunday I deliver my route (about 50) of them, and Monday I have a quick checkup at my primary care guy’s office which was already scheduled.

Having these things running through my mind while the paper was crinkling and wrinkling, I was very grateful that my printer-guy ended our call with a real prayer for this to go right for me. I suspect he’s got an “in” with the Lord because at least it all got done. There will be a little waste because I must swap out flat pages for bumpy ones, but all in all, it did get done with not too much trouble. There was a lot of stress, though, and that’s my fault because I delayed turning it over to the Lord.

Father, we all know we can come to you for anything, for any help we need in our lives here on earth. Forgive me for not thinking of praying to you myself early on and for allowing myself to stress over the printer troubles. Thank you for my friend and for his prayers on my behalf - bless him abundantly for caring. And continue to remind me to come to you when I need to do so.