Genesis 30: God works even through people's goofy efforts and prayer

Gen 30:16-18
When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me; for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night. And God heeded Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, “God has given me my hire because I gave my maid to my husband”; so she named him Issachar.

Leah's efforts to concieve are really quite goofy but she did what she could.* This action was her work toward a certain goal; but she did not forget God in her goals. She prayed about it and God heeded Leah's prayer. In the end, she gave all the credit to God. It is also NOT the case that having female goats look at something striped when they concieve results in striped kids!

* The work we do to find our dreams are a cooperation with God (Romans 8:28, "work together," συνεργεῖ, synergy). God does what we cannot do. We do what we can. In biblical times, the human effort was sometimes silly by today's standards but God worked with it.

James 5:14 Apply medicinal ointment
2 Kings 4:33-34 Elisha placed his living eyes over the dead boy's dead eyes, etc.
2 Kings 6:6 Elisha threw a stick in the water to get an ax to float

Genesis 29: Remembering grief

Genesis 29:32
Leah conceived and bore a son, and she named him Reuben; for she said, “Because the LORD has looked on my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.”

Leah's heart is in pain. The name Reuben (and similarly the her subsequent sons' names) will always remind her of her grief.

We can weigh the wisdom of giving ourselves such an overt reminder of our pain. It is wise to have reminders of our grief if for any other reason to remind us of God's sincere sympathy and empathy for us.

The popular thought that we can bear our grief because "God is in control" is not nearly as comforting or beautiful as the knowledge that "God grieves with us."

Exodus 3:7f
Jeremiah 14:17