Brown Eyes and Blue Skies....and how God answers prayer

There are times that we feel like our prayers are hitting the ceiling and bouncing back.  Or, like an email lost in cyberspace, going into nothingness.   We feel God is silent.   Then there are times where we KNOW that we KNOW that God answered a prayer and heard us. Not coincidence....not chance.   The GOD of the universe, heard our tiny request.....huge to us, but seemingly small to a King that rules the whole world.    It's those moments that we tuck away into our hearts.  It's what fuels our faith for when times seem silent.   

The longer I follow Christ, the more my faith grows.  In the dry times where I may not feel as close to my Father, I know that I still am.   Those times where I may forget and wonder if He hears and cares....I have those times in my history that I can turn back to and know without a doubt he cares about every detail of my life.

Last week our family planned a neighborhood BBQ party.  We had been wanting to get to know our neighbors better, but it has been hard.  So we handed out personal invitations to every one of the 17 homes on our road.   We were hopeful that someone would show up.   Excitedly, we received texts from FIVE homes saying they would love to come!!!  But there was a problem.   The weather forecast said that it would rain all day long on Saturday and especially the evening when the party was planned for. 

On Tuesday, I saw 70% chance of rain. I prayed.  I asked God to please give us good weather for our party.  On Wednesday 76% chance of rain. I asked God again.   Same on Thursday and Friday.  Saturday morning, it still said 70% chance.  It crossed my mind that maybe God wanted the party inside....I knew that God was going to do what was best for us. So we kept our plans and figured we'd all gather inside if need be.    It rained around noon....but by 4pm...and hour before our party, the clouds cleared;  the sun came out.  God overruled the weather forecast and gave me what I requested!!!  The whole party was outside.  The kids played cornhole and volleyball and jumped on the trampoline.   I looked up and saw blue skies.  I had to snap a picture as I smiled at God's goodness.  That He cares about a silly little neighborhood party.

One of my favorite songs says, "God is good, all the time..He put a song of praise in this heart of mine, God is good!"   One thing I want to point out is that even if it had stormed....or a tornado hit during our party...God is good.  He's not good just because He answers our prayers...He just IS GOOD.    He may have answered my prayer with a "no...you need the party inside" and He would still be good.   This week He chose to say "Yes."   God is still good.   I looked up at the sky, snapped this picture and smiled and whispered "Thank you Jesus!"   

I have had many moments over the years where God just did that. He gave me my heart's desire.  One that I'll never forget is almost 20 years ago...finding out that I was pregnant after 2 boys and asking God, "Could we please have a girl? and if it's not asking too much, could she have brown eyes like her daddy?"    A few months later during an ultrasound, I found out our 3rd baby was a girl.  My first though was, "And I bet she'll have brown eyes too."   Sure enough, 5 months later, our baby girl was born with dark brown eyes just like her daddy.  That might just seem coincidental, but out of 10 children only 2 have brown eyes.  We waited 14 years for a 2nd brown eyed little sister.  (See these brown eyes?) 

Remember those times that God answered your seemingly small requests.  Let those give you faith that no matter if He says "Yes" or "No" He hears and He is always answering...and that we see through a glass dimly, and sometimes what we think is best isn't...but He knows and loves us and has a bigger plan for our lives than we can even imagine...and that no matter what the answer is  GOD IS GOOD....ALL THE TIME!!!