Thank Him for the prayers He didn't answer

Recently I went through a change at work. I started night shift and I can say that I absolutely love it and the people that I work with now, but that wasn't the case three weeks ago. I was in the kitchen crying my eyes out because I didn't want to switch. I liked my life just the way that it was and the fear of the unknown made me so sick to my stomach that I could barely eat. Of course my mom walks in at the most inopportune moment when my crying had turned into more of a childish temper tantrum and she told me in her motherly way that everything would work out, but of course I didn't want to hear it. We changed the subject to something else and were talking about a situation that could have been so much worse than what it was with my family and she said “we sure can thank Him for that unanswered prayer”. That one hit me real hard because now as I look back on that unwanted situation I can see how fruitful His silence was. How many times did I get on my knees before the Lord begging Him to do something. There are so many situations that fill me to the brim with anxiety but I have to know that He hears my “no” so I can trust His “yes”.

There is this song by Chris Renzema “I don’t want to go” and it’s funny because I used to listen to it every single day before my clinicals at the hospital I work at now. It’s not what you think it is, throughout the song he talks about all these people in the Bible who didn’t want to go and do what the Lord was calling them to do, but instead of saying I won’t go where you send me they simply want Jesus to go before them. It is a testament of God’s love to His people. When we seek the kingdom first (Matthew 6:33) it seems that everything else simply falls into place. I listened to it every morning because I didn't want to be up at 5:00 am working for free but I had to trust that the fear that was inside of me was no match for the love God has shown me time and time again. The world throws so many things at you and for us we think we know how to play God. For us, sometimes we want life to sail right through just the way we want it to. Contrary to what we want, that is never the way that it goes. I'm sure all of you may have some sleepless nights over what might be happening in your life, but take heart He has overcome the world (John 16:33). He's not going to leave you here, but if He does, raise a hallelujah because He knows what is best.

I completely get that this message can mean nothing to people who are really going through it. It's hard to look at a situation and think "man, God is really working here while I'm stuck in the pits". To be quite frank with you it sucks when He doesn't answer what I want. It makes me angry sometimes when I don't get what I want. That being said, He knows that we're still His children regardless of the way that we treat Him. He loves us all the same because that is what good parents do. They remind you that everything will be okay regardless of whether they know it or not. The difference between earthly parents and your heavenly father is that He actually knows it's going to work out, so trust Him when He says it! Don't look around for answers there right there in front of you in His word. He made a way for His people then and He will make a way for you now, even if he doesn't answer your prayers. 

May the peace and love of God be with you always,

Leah Carpenter