When we pray and expect the spectacular and the grand for answers, as we often times do, we miss the way our Heavenly Father most frequently answers our prayers. May I illustrate by this story?

For three years, Katie and her family lived in Argentina. At that time, Katie was a tiny, bubbly, eight-year-old the Argentines affectionately referred to as “la petisa,” which means “the petite one.”

Now, a necessary part of the family’s experience in Argentina was the dreaded Gama Globulin shot, which they had to receive every three months.

When it came Katie’s turn for her shot, she said to her mother, “Mother, I just can’t do it. It hurts so much.”

Well, Mom tried to reason with Katie explaining to her how vital the shot was for the protection of her health.

“I know, Mommy, I know,” Katie said. “I don’t want to be sick, but I don’t want to get the shot.”

Mom looked at her lovingly and said, “It’s okay, sweetheart. Why don’t you go to bed tonight? I’ll put the syringe in the refrigerator and we’ll talk about it again tomorrow.”

Well, Katie went to bed, as did Mom and Dad. A short time later as Dad finished his personal prayers, he noticed that his wife was gone.

When she returned, she had a strange look on her face. “You’ll never believe what I just did,” she said.

“What did you do?”

“[Well,] as I was praying, I had the impression that I should give Katie her shot while she was asleep. I got up, went downstairs, got everything ready, and went quietly into Katie’s bedroom. There she was with her arm exposed outside the sheet, and I thought to myself, ‘what a witch of a mother I am.’ I gave Katie the shot and she did not [didn’t] budge. Can you imagine me doing something that terrible?”

The next morning, Mom confessed to Katie, “Katie, you’ll never believe what I did last night.”

“What, Mommy?” Katie asked with a surprised look.

“Last night, while you were asleep, I gave you your shot.”

For a moment Katie looked at her mother in disbelief, and then began to cry. “Oh, Mommy,” she said, “last night I prayed that I could get my shot, but that it wouldn’t hurt. Mommy, I didn’t even feel it.”