How to Start with Amen

Our prayers typically end with Amen, but what if we began our prayers that way? What difference would it make?

I recently finished reading Beth Guckenberger’s book Start with Amen.

In it she says, “When I am in conversation with Jesus, I really do want my first soul steps to be, ‘Yes, so be it. It is as you say …’ Otherwise, I can too easily start down a path where I am whining, or begging, or negotiating, or accusing. Beginning with Amen sets my pace as I go down that path; it stills my heart and reminds me with whom I am talking … Surrendering to a life of so be it is an acknowledgement that my knee is bowed and someone else is on the throne.”

I finished reading Start with Amen while on the plane to Ireland. Our family was travelling to visit my mother. Little did I know that in the days ahead I would be given opportunity to put into practice the surrender of Amen.

The flight from Toronto to Dublin, Ireland, had a connecting flight in Lisbon, Portugal. The layover was short which initially gave me cause for rejoicing, but when the flight from Toronto was delayed I realized that there might not be enough time to make our connection. My suspicions were correct. Despite arriving at the gate in time we were informed that boarding was closed and we would have to get the next flight which didn’t leave for another nine hours.

Amen Lord, so be it. While it’s easy to say those words, it’s harder to live them. Realizing, however, that God is in control truly does make it easier to accept when things don’t go the way we had planned.

My husband, Brad, had a great idea for how to pass the time. From the airport we could see the beach so we ordered an Uber that took us there. We rented beach chairs and umbrellas and got some much-needed sleep before heading back to the airport.

When we got to Dublin, Brad called the car rental company to arrange pickup for the car we had ordered and paid for. “You let the car go,” I heard him say to the man on the other end of the phone. “How could you? We paid for it.” It didn’t seem fair, but there was nothing we could do.

After making several phone calls we realized that we weren’t going to get a rental vehicle so we turned to plan B—take a bus from Dublin to Belfast.

Amen Lord, so be it.

It was a two-hour trip, and as I sat on the bus I concluded that taking a bus was actually a blessing. Our original flight would have brought us to Dublin during daylight hours, but this later flight meant arriving at night. Driving on the wrong side of the road in the day is one thing, but driving on the wrong side of the road in the dark is another thing altogether, especially when combined with roundabouts at every intersection.

Sometimes we can find reasons that make it easier for us to accept the twists and turns of life, but even when those reasons aren’t apparent—Amen Lord, so be it.

We had planned a trip to Monaghan, but without a vehicle we once again resorted to taking the bus, at least that was the plan. At the bus station we purchased our tickets with the number 270 printed at the top. Bus 271—destination Cork rolled up and pulled away. We were waiting for 270 so we didn’t pay much attention. A few minutes later I inquired about the bus to Monaghan and was informed that bus 271 was, indeed, the bus we should have been on.

Amen Lord, so be it.

The next bus was hours later, and we had an appointment in Monaghan. We wandered outside the bus station and there sat a taxi with room for all of us. Most taxis can’t hold six and one doesn’t normally travel from Belfast to Monaghan by taxi … but Amen Lord.

We eventually got to Monaghan where we picked up the vehicle we had arranged for our three-day trip. From there the trip was relatively uneventful at least in the unfortunate sense.

Since we were without a vehicle for much of the trip we had to rely on taxis and Ubers. That opened doors to witness for the Lord.

One incident that stands out to me was with an Uber drive who drove me from Belfast to Ballyclare where we were staying. Robert, the driver, and I pleasantly chit-chatted during the trip and when we arrived at my mum’s house I offered him a Gospel of John. That led him to tell me that he isn’t a Christian but his family is. I got the impression that he had grown up hearing about the Lord but had chosen not to follow him. His background and openness made me think that he could benefit from a copy of my book, Seven Words You Never Want to Hear. Before he left, I ran into the house and grabbed a copy for him.

A few days later I received a message from him saying, “Hi, my sister says I have to get reading now and the Lord has brought you to me.”

Had everything gone as we had planned on our trip, I would never have had this encounter.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2–4, emphasis mine)

Our boys are part of a Bible Quizzing team and are studying the book of James and memorizing James 1. I decided to memorize it along with them.

What a perfect passage to study during this trip. Having the words of James 1 running through my mind as well as reflecting on the surrender of Amen were a perfect combination to help me put the trials on this trip into perspective.

Beyond the inconveniences and difficulties, the trip was a resounding success. What a thrill to spend time with my mother.

Our trip started and finished with Amen.

Amen – We got to visit my mum – Amen
Amen – Our flight was delayed – Amen
Amen – We missed our flight – Amen
Amen – We went to the beach – Amen
Amen – Our rental vehicle was cancelled – Amen
Amen – We had safe travels throughout our stay – Amen
Amen – We missed our bus – Amen
Amen – We had to rely on Ubers – Amen
Amen – We had divine encounters – Amen
Amen – God is always good – Amen