By Alex Iwashyna, blogger at Late Enough 
This isn’t my usual funny family article, but I felt moved to have this conversation.
Our community received happy news on Friday afternoon that Robbie Wood, Jr, an 8 year old boy with autism who had been missing since Sunday, was found alive and in “serious but good” condition.
Having had both my children take off at various times — one hid behind a kitchen cabinet at Lowe’s for just long enough for me to die inside and the other was found by an escalator around the corner from me at Macy’s — I over-related to this family.
I prayed and posted information. I cried when thousands of volunteers showed up to help the search. I was proud of Richmond.
When my husband heard Robbie was found alive, he called me from work. I found the NBC article confirming the good news and reposted it to Facebook and Twitter to inform and celebrate with my community.
And the joy was palpable. Until I read Facebook, Twitter and blog posts and comments proclaiming: Our prayers have been answered. Or versions of the same idea that God saved this boy through petition and prayer.
All I could think of is the almost 2,200 children who are reported missing EVERY DAY. The other kids who are not found or found dead. Did those parents not pray enough? Did those parents and children not love and follow God enough?
The same phenomenon occurs around cancer and car accidents and most acts of random tragedy. People with happy endings announce that pray cured them while the patient in the next room dies. Are we to believe those who die are greater sinners? Sloppy in their prayers? Should we watch how they lived and do the opposite? What about the non-prayers who are saved?
I’m not suggesting that those who believe don’t pray or God cannot be powerful. I believe in a powerful God. Perhaps one who can save one boy. But I didn’t pray for Robbie’s life although I believed he was alive and would have until proven wrong. I prayed for him, his family and the search and rescue team to be given strength. Endurance. Comfort.
I don’t believe God is a genie granting wishes to the more fervent. I have seen terrible outcomes for those most deserving of grace, and I have seen ease for those that seem to not have a humble bone in their bodies. I recognize miracles, but I don’t pretend to understand them or be the cause of them — even through my prayers.
I doubt most of the people meant to be cruel to those with unanswered prayers, but perhaps, they should stop giving and taking so much credit. Or should start praying that no children go missing in the first place. It’d be a heck of a lot easier on the rest of us.
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