A mother overheard her young son praying one day: ‘ . . . and if you give me a bike, Lord, then I’ll be good for a whole week.’
She interrupted him and said, ‘Now, Johnny, it’s no good trying to bargain with God. He won’t answer prayers like that!’
A few days later she overheard him praying again: ‘. . . and if you give me a new bike, Lord, I’ll be good for three weeks!’
‘Johnny,’ said his mother ently ‘I thought I told you it was no good trying to strike bargains with the Lord. He doesn’t respond to that sort of prayer.’
A few days later the mother was cleaning the house and, to her amazement, found right at the bottom of the airing cupboard, a little statue of the madonna that had stood on the sideboard. She guessed that this must be something to do with Johnny and went up to his room to find him. He wasn’t there but on the window sill she found a note which read: ‘OK, Lord, if you ever want to see your mother again … !’