Many times in our lives, we get discouraged or frustrated that God didn’t answer our prayers in timing allowed by us for the job to be completed. Y’all’s spiritual gifts are probably more developed than mine, but this girl’s got some growing still to do in say ALL areas. That contented spirit (patience) is one of my sorer spots. I pray and pray and pray and ask God to do this and that, open opportunities for others…..and sometimes just get so frustrated that I cannot show the Lord God my dayplanner and get Him to commit and tell me when my prayer requests will happen! (did I mention I have an issue with authority?)
The truth is though that God has a time and a purpose and a season for everything in our life. The things I often ask for, I am not prepared for yet, and if He gave them to me, well I’d be up the creek without a paddle, unprepared for what the dream or prayer required of me…..and facing an upcoming waterfall with rocks below!
God is gracious. He doesn’t spend time talking to us about our immaturity. Like any smart parent He sometimes just gets quiet and lets us think on it for a while. He knows which battles to pick with each of us. Occasionally God has to get out the 2 x 4 board and get my attention again. You see I ride the short bus when it comes to obeying God and often have to have the re-teach….you know the one…1:1 tutoring, extra practice….not.fun.stuff.
This week was one of those moments. As big dreams began coming true, moving our long awaited prayers from the prayed to the answered board, God quietly yet firmly showed me how only in His timing was I really ready for things I wanted sooner. …and I assure you right this minute I am overwhelmed with His goodness…and the new things coming to my life!
There is an order to creation. There is an order to obedience. There is an order for God to hear and answer your prayers. It begins with faith that God is God. You see me often refer to that simple statement as I remind myself that God is indeed the Creator, Healer, Wonderful Counselor, Omnipotent, Friend, Rescuer, Protector…and all the hundreds of everything He is. That faith in God put into action becomes listening, asking, hearing, reading what God’s path for your life is….a virtual swirling in my life of returning time and time again to understand that I have to be submissive and release my hands off my tightly held life so that God can mold it on His potter’s wheel of creation….learning to obey God’s whispers and urgings as he begins to shape me into something new in my own life or in someone else’s life.
The wheel has been flying this week…..God’s apron is dirty as my shaping caused spewing of the elements of Sweetie that don’t fit in God’s plan…. I suspect somewhere there is alot of yuck I had covered up the real me God had created in me to be all over heaven’s floor in an effort to feel “safe” from allowing God to take the potter’s wheel with my life. Those lifeless masks had held me back: fear, control, past pains held on, choosing to continue to focus on me, not God but God keeps using His gentle hands to shape and mold me ….and its not over yet. …nor will it be until I am perfected in heaven!
So the next time you think God isn’t listening…..look yourself in the mirror and stop lying to yourself…..its just time to pray differently, believe differently, leave the party of self pity you’re hostessing and ask for God’s forgiveness for trying to play God! God is good….ALL the time…..and there truly IS a purpose for everything in your life….I can see it in my own right about now looking up the rabbit hole of the whole new world God has created for my life some seven years after I thought all my dreams were gone.
God is good…and He loves you too!
