Over the last few weeks, I have been specifically praying for three separate situations -- none of them are about me but others in my life. First of all, my dear friend Jill has been battling a brain tumor for one year now. Last August she was diagnosed and was immediately put on chemotherapy for one year. One Year. Every few months she would have an MRI and over the summer she got very ill with all the effects of the medications she is on. From ulcers to chronic pain, she has had a very crappy few months, let alone an entire year of this nasty stuff. Her latest MRI was last week and I have been asking God to shrink that tumor -- even just a bit so that she would have some good news for once.
On Friday, He answered. But it was no. The tumor is "stable" but not really any smaller. A YEAR of this treatment and she has had no shrinkage that is noticeable.
My mother-in-law found a funny spot on her face this summer and immediately went to the dr. to have it checked out. It was biopsied a couple of weeks ago and the results came in. We were all praying, of course, that it would be a benign spot.
On Friday, He answered. And it was no again. She has surgery this week to dig deeper and remove the cancer.
The final situation is a pretty personal one for a friend, so rather than go into the details, the story is that I've been praying for months for this situation and asking God to bless this family.
On Friday, He answered. I found out that his answer is no -- at least for now. So they continue in a time that requires patience and stamina and holding on to hope.
What do we do when He says no? He did answer my prayers, right? Just not the way I had it all planned out...What happens when we ask for things with heart-wrenching prayers and He doesn't answer in the way we thought He would?
There are many options, I guess. From anger and fear to submission and trust. The thing that gets me, is that we chose how we react...like in any situation in life, we make our choice. It's not easy, but I'm choosing trust. I'm not happy about it, but what better option is there? Get mad? Be bitter?? No thanks. That's not how I want to live. That's not "life abundant"...and no matter what I think is good, God knows better.
But maybe you'll think twice before you ask me to pray for you... :)
I'm glad you are taking such a positive few of your answered prayers. I know personally it can be hard for us to accept or see the reasoning to prayer and how they are answered but it is far too often that we only return on to God when the prayers are answered in our favour. We all need to learn that we pray for God's will to be done. How much comfort should we take in the fact that even as Jesus prayed that "this cup would be taken from me but your will be done." We serve a God who is in control of all and even though we can't see it he has the big picture in mind at all times.
ReplyDeleteSo I encourage you to give thanks that your friends tumour has not grown and will hopefully start to shrink, Ask for God to give wisdom to the surgeons who will operate on your in-law and also that God would work in your other friends situation.
Let me give you a little example.
We had been praying last year for a family who live in our area, the church prayed that the tumour that this little toddler had would be removed... God answered and it was but no it has started to come back, so we are now praying for her again. Ann who goes to ur church, her mother was very ill all the doctors said that if they switch the life support of she would be gone in a matter of hours, now some of the other siblings where out of the country so they kept her on but when it was decided they could not get back ASAP the decision was made to turn off the machines. This lady recovered enough for her to go home. Now unfortunately she has passed away but with her family round her at home. In both cases nurese and doctors could not believe the recovery that this child and the elderly woman had made as they both defied the medics. Many comments where then made about that these 'prayers' that had been said must have power. Now what a cause to be thankful that through all the pain and suffering these individuals have made just because they had been prayed for.
Let's remember prayer is not the 'least we can do' for someone its the 'Most we can do'.
I'd ask you to pray for me anytime.
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