Bring The Rain...

It is truly a spiritually mature person who never considers a prayer unanswered. How do they do that? There is so much in life that just seems to happen, regardless of how much we pray.

I heard Joyce Meyer, one of my favorite teachers, say that we always pray for God to change our circumstances when God actually uses our circumstances to change us. I must say that yes, I've been changed. I will never forget the feeling of heartache and abandonment that I felt when Tom and I miscarried. I was devastated and I felt as though God had forgotten about me. I prayed for the hurt to subside. I prayed for the courage to face the coming days. I prayed for God to give us a child to love. None of those things happened right away. However, I was changed in the process. I believe that God allowed Tom and I to experience these feelings to that He could use them to mold us into the people He wants us to be. God has used the trials in our life as a couple to develop patience, (at least most days), trust, compassion for others and faith in Him that he's got a plan no matter how things look to us.

Okay, so I've asked God if I can give him input about how the plan should turn out. And yes, I've asked him to send a timetable just so we're all on the same page. I'm pretty sure I saw God rolling his eyes about that last one. :)

There is a song by Mercy Me called, "Bring the Rain." When I first heard that song I couldn't even imagine how much spiritual maturity it would take for someone to sing:

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free.
Bring me anything that brings You glory.
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain,
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain.

I don't know many people who are at that place in their journey. As I see my faith stretched daily, I feel that Tom and I have come to a place where we can say, "God, I want what you want. If what I want isn't what you want, then change my mind."