Have you ever prayed for something and received it? How did that make you feel? I always feel elated when a prayer is answered. I am on top of the world making promises like I will never forget this answered prayer!
And then, time passes, and sadly I don’t remember that elated moment quite as vividly, and I want something else.
God is so good. God graciously answers our prayers. When God answers prayers, he comes all the way through. God takes care of every detail. God gives us what we need, not what we think we want.
Nine years ago, my husband was unemployed. He lost his job. It was devastating. My kids were 2 years old and 4 years old. I was working part-time. I didn’t know how to get through it. I wanted to scream and take control of the situation, until life went back to how I felt comfortable.
I didn’t have a strong faith back then. I thought I did. I believed in God. I went to church most Sundays. I thought I was happy.
I was missing so much. I was missing the knowledge from the bible. I was missing trust in God. I was missing the goodness of God. Without knowing God, I was missing everything that is important in life.
When you seek God, life blooms all around you. You feel peace in your heart. You look at others with love and understanding. You give grace. You focus on the joys of life.
Thankfully, I did start cracking open the bible during this time. God is gracious, so God gave me snippets of understanding. I treated the bible like a magic 8 ball. I asked a question and opened the bible for answers. By the way, magic 8 balls, are not from God and complete nonsense, but when you are desperate enough to want answers you will try anything. Thankfully, I also tried reading the bible.
God took me where I was at and gave me understanding.
I had a dream where I felt hands on my head saying it was going to be ok. I saw a picture of my daughter and I looking out the windows of an unfamiliar house, and hearing my husband and son in the background. I knew we were moving into this house in the Spring. I could feel happiness and joy. I woke up and my husband was sound asleep. So of course I woke him up, and asked if he put his hands on my head. He said no, and I said it is going to be ok, you are going to get a new job and we are moving, but it might be in the Spring. I had to constantly remind myself of that dream and promise from God over the upcoming months. My problems got worse. I had a hard surgery and my dad passed away on Christmas Eve. I felt like I was just hanging on by a thread. God held onto me during this time. Nothing is too hard for God.
God is so good. He wants all of us on his side. So, when we reach out to him in a sincere attempt for help, God picks us up and loves us. Most of the time, I was too impatient and wanted control, so I wouldn’t wait on God to answer me. Seven months of unemployment got my attention and kept it.
God used this time to work on my heart. I learned to trust God. I learned to trust in what I cannot see. I learned faith. I learned to believe in God with all my heart.
Seven months after losing his job, my husband got a new job. We sold our old house. We moved into a new house, in a different state. The house is smaller, but it has everything that we need.
When we first moved, it was difficult to make ends meet. I stopped working and became a stay at home mom. I always wanted to be home with my kids.
I prayed everyday that we would be able to stay in this house. God brought us here. God has provided for us. God has taken care of us. Not a day has passed, that God has not been with us. Through joy and loss, God is a constant in our lives.
Recently, I have been thinking that it would be nice to move to a bigger house, with a bigger yard. I search all the houses for sale online and imagine living in them.
I keep asking God if we should move. I open up the bible frequently to this passage. thankfully, God is patient with me, even when I want a different answer.
“And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”
—Jeremiah 29:7 NKJV
There are always other things out there to want, but maybe God has you right where he wants you. Maybe I need to change. Instead of getting distracted by the things I don’t have, I should thank God for being so good to me for all the things that he has given me.
So, I pray for peace. I am naming my blessings and thanking God for them. Thankfulness to God, gives me peace.
Sing Your Praise
First Things First
Song by Consumed by Fire
All the things that I have held dear
The vanities that whispered in my ear
What would I do if they all disappeared
Riches and fame and all that they could buy
I’ve come to find they never satisfy
What would I gain if my soul’s the price
I don’t wanna love what the world loves
I don’t wanna chase what the world does
I only want you
I only want you
First thing’s first
I seek Your will
Not my own
Surrender all my wants to you
Keep the first thing first
To live Your truth
Walk Your ways
Set my eyes
Lord I fix my face on you
All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first
I give it all
My life an offering
My heart is yours
So have Your way in me
Your kingdom’s all I wanna seek
I don’t wanna love what the world loves
I don’t wanna chase what the world does
I only want you
I only want you
First thing’s first
I seek Your will
Not my own
Surrender all my wants to you
Keep the first thing first
To live Your truth
Walk Your ways
Set my eyes
Lord I fix my face on you
All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first
To keep the first thing first
All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first
To keep the first thing first
First thing’s first
I seek Your will
Not my own
Surrender all my wants to you
Keep the first thing first
To live Your truth
Walk Your ways
Set my eyes
Lord I fix my face on you
All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first
To keep the first thing first
To keep the first thing first
All my desires reversed
To keep the first thing first
Embrace This Beautiful Life 