There was a time in my life where I felt like God was busy answering other people’s prayers and wouldn’t answer me. I was about 17 years old and in my senior year of high school my family were moving out of my childhood home and I didn’t want to move not one bit. Of course, I didn’t want to live in the hood my whole life but I hadn’t become comfortable with change yet. I was leaving the place where my mom brought me home from the hospital, where I had taken my first steps, spoke my first word and even met my first friend. I didn’t want to leave not just because I would be leaving behind memories but because I had no idea where we were going to live. My mother has a big heart that she would let just about any family member live with us, sometimes they would come stay, go and come back for a second time but when it became our time to need a place to stay no doors were open to us.
I was so angry and confused!
I wondered why God didn’t answer my prayers, why my mom had been a praying spiritual and loving christian for more than 20 years but yet it seemed that God didn’t answer her prayer either. That situation made me not want to ever extend myself to help people. That situation made me angry with my relatives whom I felt had taking advantage of my mom and now turned their back when she became the person in need. Hurt filled my soul, disappointment rose with me every morning and tears laid down with me every night. My attitude was horrible I would think “why be nice to anyone when God won’t answer my families prayers?” I had no idea that my negative thoughts and attitude kept us in my sisters two bedroom apartment longer than we were supposed to be there. It never really crossed my mind to be grateful that we weren’t in a shelter or worse up under a bridge. See God was silent but he was present! So present that even though we stayed across town my little brother and I both still got to school on time, we had hot meals, clothes on our backs and we still had our mom. God showed us his mercy and love despite my un-gratefulness! What I didn’t realize back then is that even though times were hard my mom never stopped praying, helping others or going to church. She knew that God loved us and that he wasn’t going to let the storm consume us so she continued to be a blessing when she needed a blessing herself.
You see when we think that God has turned his back on us or has stopped listening to our prayers we should still be grateful for the little things. So many times life tries to shake us down and instead of being grateful that we still have a life we complain about what it looks like God isn’t doing. I encourage you today to be grateful for the life that you have. God hears your prayers and he see’s your struggle! He loves you! He wants you whole and he wants you to live a blessed life! Speak positive things over yourself and your life even when it doesn’t look or feel good know that God uses everything to work together for YOUR GOOD!
I pray that throughout today you remember that just because God is silent does not mean that he isn’t present. Have a great day!
#PeaceDuringTheJourney
Peaceduringthejourney 