Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Something Better

My garden is gone, all that is left a lifeless heap. The weather is turning downright chilly out. "No, no!" I cry, not ready for this kind of cool until Thanksgiving. But it is unrelenting and inevitable. I snuggle under covers, put on socks, wear a jacket, make soup. Dress the children warmly.
Winter is coming stealthily.

Last night I was setting things in order.
Became kind of (to say it gently) stressed.
Started to think about what we need to make things okay
in this particular situation causing stress.
Then I remembered hearing something from a talk I
listened to when I was mopping the other day.
She talked about being with a friend who was house hunting
and after finding a particularly stunning house, the friend asked
her if she would pray with her, right there. She offered the prayer
and asked that her friend might be able to live in this house, or something better.

Before we bought our house, there was another house that I was oh so set on. I prayed that the first offer on that short sale would fall through, and that we would get the house -- and soon.
But we kept looking, anyway.
And lo and behold, we found something so much better.
We love the house.
We love the neighborhood.
We love the people here.
We have made wonderful friends.
We have been strengthened as a family.
We have a gorgeous mountain view, a deck in the backyard, big, lovely mature trees, space for the children to play. Wood floors. A wood burning fireplace. A mantel (which I wanted for decorating). Check. Check. Check. Check.
Something better, for sure.

He didn't answer that first prayer I sent over and over to heaven -- because He knew the something better to come. Last night, shortly after the point where I was rifling off all the different things I
could pray for to put my mind at ease and solve the problem, I thought of her story and about the faith of her prayer. And her friend being startled that she might ask for something better.
I think it was a tender mercy because the thought lodged in my mind.
Maybe my list of ways to solve the problem are actually limiting the Lord.
Maybe He has something better in mind.
His gifts are the gracious kind.

So as I climbed into my bed and said my prayers, I prayed about the problem, and then attempted praying in faith.
That it may be answered in a way that I could see.
Or, be answered with something better.

Something, at this moment, beyond my sight.

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