Brett Prays
Yep, that is my philosophy. Brett prays.
I have a brother-in-law named Brett. I think it's fair to say he is a pretty good man, father, husband, and brother-in-law. Truthfully, he's an all around great guy. He is also fairly religious. I have heard him speak and testify of Jesus Christ at various occasions and he is sincere and his testimony is moving. He has served as a bishop in my church.
That's the background. Several years ago, Brett had a job he didn't like. At the time, the economy was such that Brett had options. He could have left his job and easily found another. The job he had required so much of him, that it was affecting his wife and family. And not in a good way. I wondered why he didn't just quit and move on. His way seemed so clear to me.
Then one day, Brett told me he and my sister had been at the temple praying about his job situation. They got a clear answer that he should stay with this particular company a little while longer. A realization hit me: Brett prays. This is something I had never considered before. Brett prays and God answers Brett's prayers to Brett, not to me.
You are probably thinking that this is obvious. I'm glad it's obvious to you. It really opened my mind up. I didn't realizing I was judging Brett, you see, but I was. I thought I could plainly see what was right for his family. I didn't know God's will for them because it's none of my business. I have used this phrase "Brett prays" over and over when people make choices that seem questionable to me. (This has nothing to do with making choices about whether or not to obey the commandments. This is about making those choices about education, career, living situations, etc., that are personal and really none of my business at all.)
I can trust God enough to answer someone else's prayers. This freedom from judging other people's decisions is a huge burden off my shoulders. And it has become one of my philosophies. Thanks to Brett for teaching it to me. (I don't think he knows he did.)
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