God's "To Do" List (Which Hangs On My Christmas Tree)

Three years ago, my family began a new Christmas tradition.  We wrote very specific prayer requests, and peoples' names, on the back of Christmas gift tags.  We then hung them on our tree, and made a habit out of praying over all of these requests.  The following year, we were able to take the prayer requests and separate them into two stacks - "Answered Prayers" and "Unanswered Prayers."

This year, as I got the boxes of Christmas decorations from the basement, I had things other than prayer requests on my mind.  My son recently became engaged, so putting up this year's tree would be the last I would decorate with his ornaments, each one special, and picked out yearly by him while growing up.  I purchased a box for each of the kids, so that we could pack them separately, as they begin their new lives before next Christmas.  

But as I opened the storage boxes to begin decorating the tree, there on the top was the stack of prayers, of those yet unanswered.  There were two.  One of them was for a friend who I had prayed for each year, that she would become a Christian and accept Jesus as her Savior.  A month ago, she did just that, and I got to be with her when she was saved.  There is only one prayer left on my tree, and it is my biggest prayer.  

This tradition is such a good reminder for me, and for my sons.  Seeing the stack of answered prayers reminds us of His history of faithfulness to us.  And as one who lives by a series of "to do" lists, knowing how good it feels to check off completed tasks, it feels even better to check off prayers as they are answered.  So I think God is okay with me giving Him a "to do" list, and hanging it on my tree.  And why, you ask, is there still one UNanswered prayer on the tree?  Because My God saves the very best for last!  

"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven."  Matthew 18:19