Unanswered Prayers

When I was younger, I prayed a lot.  I prayed for help on tests, for certain boys to notice me, and for my mother to fall asleep before I sneaked in the house thirty minutes late.  Don't get me wrong--I prayed for the good stuff, too.  I wanted everyone happy and healthy and blessed, but the concept of prayer as a conversation with God was still pretty foreign to me.  Prayer was convenient when reality wasn't.

Fast forward to my mid-twenties, and you'd find my knees scarred from the many hours I spent on them in prayer.  My reality forced me to pray and pray like my life depended on it.  But something still wasn't right.  Every morning I woke up to the same life, same issues, same sadness.  It never dawned on me at the time that I was praying for all the wrong things.
 
Some people believe everything happens for a reason.  We may not initially know why, but once the fog begins to lift, our trials start to make sense.  So it is with me.  A friend once told me that God always answers our prayers, but sometimes the answer is no.  Unfortunately, we sometimes keep on praying time and again for what God has no intention of giving us.  We can only offer our thanks once the fog clears.

A couple of days ago I glanced at the calendar and smiled.  It would have been my ninth wedding anniversary (with someone else) had God given in and done as I asked.  Little did I know, my prayers were being answered the whole time.  I just didn't want to listen.  And for that, I am eternally grateful.