I get disappointed when I don’t get what I want. Like a little child throwing a tantrum, but I keep the tantrum inside. After all, it would be embarrassing for people to see me throwing a fit at my age (what age?). But my disappointment has a way of seeping to the surface. It bleeds out into everything I do and everything I say. And before much time has passed, I find that I’ve talked myself into being disappointed and not having my prayers answered. I think some of you have felt that way, or, am I the only one?
Jamie (my hubby) will quickly pick up on the moment when I’ve talked myself out of answered prayer. “It’s okay, I’m alright” is my classic comeback when feeling disappointed. When he hears this, he tells me I’m preparing myself for the worst so I don’t get disappointed. How is it that he can read me before I know what’s happening? 40 years together will do that to you I guess.
I’m not made of stone
I’m not made of stone and can feel the sting of disappointment when I’ve prayed and the answer is unseen. All of the regular (and not necessarily untrue) platitudes of, “It will happen” and “In God’s time” are said. But I’m left to struggle with disappointment and wonder when my prayers will be answered. I wonder if you have ever felt this way, or is it just me? Am I the only one who has felt this way?
A lesson I’ve learned, and periodically have to relearn, is that God works on a timeline of His own. Time is a relative term created for us here on earth. God has no time. He just is. With God, there’s no past or future tense.
One of those true platitudes
“For thus say the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity…”
Isaiah 57:15a ESV
God lives in eternity, for our minds this is difficult to understand. And yet, He invites us to live with Him even now, keeping eternity in mind. Understanding this helps when we feel that our prayers are hitting a brick wall. Because all we need is God’s presence (another one of those platitudes, but this one is true).
So to what end are we praying? To check off items from our list of needs and wants? Or, do we pray just to talk with our Father? He is well aware of what we need and want, why then, do we worry? Am I the only one needing to learn this lesson?
Panicking, am I the only one?
Jesus said it best when He was with His disciples when they encountered a storm while on a boat at sea. In true Jesus fashion, He fell asleep while the disciples scurried about trying to save the day.
“And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but He was asleep. And they went and woke Him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing.’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then He rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. And the men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey Him?’”
Matthew 8:23-27 ESV
Our Father is very aware of the storms around us. In fact, He’s with us in our boats. He invites us to rest while the storm rages. When the time is right (that irritating, but true, platitude appears again), He will calm the storm. And because He doesn’t live in time, the sea is already calm in His mind. It should be in ours as well.
Fully aware, the disciples lost their cookies
“Obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
1 Peter 1:9 ESV
While storms rage and life is happening, God knows what we need before we ask. Trust Him. He’s not just any Father, He’s our Heavenly Father and He knows what we need even before we ask (see Matt. 6:8). Jesus slept on the boat while there was a storm fully aware that the disciples were going to lose their cookies and He was going to calm the storm. Why did they have to go through that was my question for many years. Or, am I the only one who wondered? Well, storms happen. What should our response be to the storms? Panic or trust? Panic leads to nowhere except high blood pressure and tension headaches. Jesus invites us to trust. He will calm the storm.
Welcome aboard
Our faith is not meant to be a button that we push to get what we want. Our faith is our life’s essence. Faith is the conduit for salvation in every sense of the word: body, soul, and spirit. Without it, we flounder in the storm.
We’ve all been welcomed on this cruise of life. There’s no question that we’ll encounter storms. The only question is, what will we do when the storm comes?
