“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid." - John 14:27
As I write this, there is a tear on my cheek. It is one of several tears I cried as I read someone’s blog about a loved one who is dying from cancer. I had never heard of the couple until recently, when others were talking about their situation, but you may know them. Joey and Rory. A country music duo who went from writing songs for others to being in the spotlight as performers in their own right. A couple whose life of love, faith and family has resonated in the hearts of their fans … and who now face the most daunting challenge of their 13-year marriage.
As I read Rory’s blog post from November 9, 2015, I was struck by the title, “An answer to prayer.” Many might have concluded that this was a celebratory post announcing God’s miraculous healing of Joey. It wasn’t. Joey’s pain had become so bad that they decided to focus on making her comfortable for her last days on this earth. It was time for hospice.
“Not the answer we hoped for … but the answer He has given us,” Rory wrote.
How many of us have been there? We hope. We pray. We believe for the miracle. The answer comes, but it’s not the answer we want.
Sometimes, the burden of an “unanswered” prayer is too much. We seek understanding through the world’s eyes and find none. We scream and cry out to God, “Why were you silent?” “Why didn’t you do something?!”
If we continue to cry out in anger, our hearts may grow cold and bitter. The love that was there – for God, for others, even for ourselves – disappears, hidden beneath the scars. We lose ourselves in the belief that we should never hold out hope again, and so we never find it.
There is another response, however.
“Joey is at peace with where she is and where she’s going. So am I,” Rory concludes.
It’s faith in God’s bigger plan.
Our best hope is for God’s peace. The peace that passes understanding. The peace that only He can give.
Through the world’s eyes, our circumstances may seem tragic. The death of a loved one. A divorce. A job loss. A diagnosis.
But God doesn’t view our circumstances the way we often do. He sees what we don’t. He knows what we fail to grasp: that sometimes the beauty is in the very ashes themselves. That what lies beyond the pain of our current circumstance is so much better, He is willing to allow us to suffer momentarily in order to birth a bigger dream for us … in this life or the next.
God is willing to allow us to suffer momentarily in order to birth a bigger dream for us … in this life or the next.When I look back at my life, I remember the pain I felt when God said “no.” When He didn’t heal my first marriage, and it failed. When He didn’t heal my father, and he died. When He didn’t heal me, and I live with the daily pain of migraines and rheumatoid arthritis.
What I also see is the blessing in all of it.
I see the new marriage God has given me, and all the joy it contains. A healthy marriage, built on a more solid foundation. I see the blessing of my father no longer suffering with cancer, at home with his Father in heaven, while my mother is blossoming in her new life with her grief slowly but surely diminishing. And I see the opportunity I have to draw closer to God and to others, as I walk through my journey with chronic illness. It is not the life I had before. It has its challenges. And yet, even in the midst of pain, I can count on little moments of sunshine that never fail to peek through the clouds. I have hope. I have peace. I have joy.
An answer to prayer.
What is your prayer today? Will you trust God’s goodness enough to find peace in His answer, even if it’s not what you’re hoping for?
God's Answer to Your Prayer originally appeared on Spring Sight blog, by Linda W. Perkins. Click here for more posts. Get even more encouragement by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Many of Spring Sight's posts can also be found each week on Crystal Storms' #IntentionalTuesday, Kelly Balarie's #RaRaLinkUp,, Holly Barrett's Testimony Tuesday, Arabah Joy's Grace & Truth and Woman to Woman's Word Filled Wednesday.
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Linda, Your post is so inspired & speaks to my soul. It's my testimony & my experience to know that God always answers our prayers but often in ways that to others may seem far from an positive outcome. Thank you so much for writing this. My husband & I have just made the decision to install a stair lift for me & we have been blessed with funding assistance. It's not the path we ever wanted to travel but it is an answer to prayer. God bless you. Sam xx
ReplyDeleteSam, you are such a special lady and a blessing to me. I see God shining through you, even as you share your struggles on your blog. I'm so glad He answered your prayer for financial provision to get the stair lift. I hope it makes life a little easier for you! ((Gentle hugs))
DeleteGod doesn't view life the way we do. For us, we focus on the here and now - the pain and suffering we are going through at the moment. He views things in light of eternity - what is our best interest in the long run. God is always good and always just, even if we can't see it in the moment.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this today.
Alyssa (visiting from #RaRalinkup)
Good insight, Alyssa. Yes, we often have to wait to see how the tapestry of our life is coming together in a beautiful way. How wonderful when we can look back and see it, though! Thanks for stopping by!
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