Maybe a year ago, my pastor said something that has stuck with me to this day: that the things that stress us out now are usually things we prayed for in the past (at least for those of us who pray).
Here are just a few examples:
Car break down? You prayed for your own transportation.
Trouble in your marriage? You prayed for a mate.
Financial woes? You prayed to move your family into a home…that came with a mortgage.
Too busy with commitments? You were lonely and prayed for new friends.
Overloaded at work? You prayed that new clients would walk in the door.
Kids driving you mad? You prayed when you were having trouble conceiving.
Never-ending student loans? You prayed to get into that top-notch school.
Pigeons? Yeah, I never prayed for that.
I’ve tried to keep this in mind as certain things have stressed me out and made me impatient this month. It worked for some things, but not others.
I couldn’t think of anything I’d prayed for where “aunt having a heart attack” would be the answer. Same thing with the darn pigeon problem. I guess I did pray at one point to be a homeowner, and this does come with the territory. Maybe these were effects of someone else’s (questionable) prayers.
There were other things, though, that have definitely been answers to prayers. I prayed a few years ago that God would lead me to a healthier, more active lifestyle. Now I’m dealing with the consequences of trying to do a triathlon with a calf injury. It did give me, however, the opportunity to thank God for the lifestyle I live now that makes it possible for me to even attempt a triathlon (the only triathlon I’d attempt five years ago was the Eat Ice Cream, Surf Facebook, Firefly Marathon kind). I am healthy and enjoy the benefits of feeling pretty darn good most of the time. Poor health does not negatively impact my days or keep me from answering God’s calls. I also thank God that I have two legs that can get me place to place, whereas many people have a much more difficult time than I do.
The never-ending battle to keep my house clean is a direct answer to the prayer that God would bless me with my house. When I found myself grumbling about cleaning my floors the other day, I spoke out loud and reminded myself, “these floors were given to you by God, in answer to a prayer. Scrub, girl, scrub.” It made the task a little less of a drudgery, and I had the opportunity to thank God for my house — something I used to do regularly when I first moved in, but have neglected as of late.
So what about you? What’s making you impatient these days — and how might those things be the result of something you prayed for long ago?
