The famous children's storyteller Hans Christian Andersen tells a story of Five Peas that are shot from a child's peashooter. Each pea ends up in a different situation and a different locale, until the last one of them lands in a crevice filled with earth near a window and begins to sprout. On the other side of the window, lies a sick girl whose mother has almost given up hope. But the girl takes notice of the pea sprouting outside the window and gains strength and hope from its growth process.
As the girl gains strength and eventually recovers from her illness through the inspiration from the pea blossom, the mother exclaims, “Our heavenly Father Himself has planted that pea, and made it grow and flourish, to bring joy to you and hope to me.” The belief that G-d cares for and is concerned about the minute details of our lives is stronger by the simple folk, the ones who walk all day with simple faith in the One Creator.
In order to pray to G-d, we must seek within ourselves that point of simple faith in our loving heavenly Father. However, those of us who are lacking in simplicity, who do not see the world and everything in it naturally as the handiwork of G-d, must make an effort in our priors to reveal that simple point of faith. By working to reveal, our innate desire for and awe of G-d, we can reach a similar perspective to that of the simple mother in the folk tale. Herein lies the labor of Prayer.
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