Have you prayed repeatedly and just not felt like God responded? He always responds, sometimes it is NO!, and well we do not like that, other times He responds with something we are not expecting and so we do not count it as an answer to our request. Appreciate it we do, but still looking for what we are asking for, instead of seeing God's answer and provision of what is best for us.
I prayed God, "I am stressed!!! I am tanking majorly in many areas and just not doing well in others, I need a change, I need a release from some of this, I need a break". Well I prayed and prayed for weeks and felt like I got no response, so fearing that I had something hindering me from hearing God, I consulted a friend to pray for me, and we prayed together for weeks and still no answer.
All this time, I was walking in my neighborhood for 30 minutes to an hour (embarrasingly my neighborhood is not that big, but I was in that bad of shape, little to no exercise due to being tired all the time, but I got motivated and started doing the only thing I could at the time, walk.) Well as I got more steps in, I began to see an improvement in my health and was actually feeling better, and surprise, surprise I dropped a few pounds (miracle!!). Well as time went on I began walking 2 or 3 times a day (Praise!!!) and was really getting into it. (Praise!!!) I upgraded my CD player to an Ipod (Praise!!!!) and a whole new world was abounding. I finally was able to drop more weight and was doing better healthwise (Praise!!!, Praise!!! Praise!!) and was able to participate in the Relay for Life, (huge praise!!!) which was something I always wanted to do, and I had done bake sales, advertising and fundraising but was never able to do the walking, so I was thrilled. And then I did the Race for the Cure, and finished 5K (3.1 Miles in 45 minutes walking) Praised God for it but did not see this was part of my answer. Now that I was really working out walking, I need somewhere with more space, and I discovered the school behind our house was perfect. (praise!!!!! for me and my neighbors) I noticed as I thought about my walk time, alone and outside in the fresh air I would get really excited and motivated to get things done so I could go early. (Praise!!! Praise!!) I rarely missed a walk, even if I was achey I would hobble over there and always felt better once I did. Still didn't see God's hand in all this as the answer to my prayer (I know; blind in one eye not using the other). Then finally I was walking around the track, and I "heard" "He maketh me lie down in Green pastures: he leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and they staff they comfort me.Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever".
As I rounded the turn by the entrance and walk down the straight path heading toward the side of the church acrossed the street, I looked to my right and noticed the GREEN grass, as I looked around me, I was surrounded by grass that raised up onto hills that meet the BLUE Sky, as I looked around things I had just taken for granted popped out at me, the valley at the end of the back straight path, the trees forming crosses with their trunks, the cross on the church wall, being completed surround like being hugged by Christ himself. It was awesome, what an answer... I always felt better after a walk, and I had a strange "relieved" feeling as I was walking around and thinking about stuff as I jammed to my ipod. And as I got to the end, with the "valley" to my right, I always felt a little lighter like I was leaving stuff on the hill as I rounded the corner heading back down looking at the cross, it was as if more stuff dropped of and I would pick up speed and encouragement. (Praise!!!!)
Oh, God is so good all the time and to have been receiving this all this time and not realizing it, but the important thing was that I praised Him for the changes I was seeing and my family was benefiting from the changes and they knew that it was a result of me going over there by myself and having my "Quiet time". And I kept praying when I was discouraged and did not feel the closeness I was looking for and He would show me something else, and step by step, my Faith was healed and so was my Body and Mind. God answered gave me exactly what I asked for, what I needed and what was best for me, I was benefiting and did not even realize He was blessing me even though I was still looking for "my answer", His answer was what my heart really wanted, it is what healed me, He Knows us best and Loves us even when we don't love ourselves, or Him like we should, He picks up the pieces and puts them back on the wheel and refines them back into a beautiful creation.
Scripture is so alive, it gives me goosebumps and it is so hard to explain to someone, but a picture with the scripture says it all.
Have you found your scripture that fits your life or a need. Can you look at a picture and see a verse come to mind? If not, pray and ask for your verse that gets you digging and gets your anticipation in full excitement mode to pick up your bible and "see" the scriptures come to light like a slideshow. God speaks to us through the scriptures, and He loves us and teaches us, He is not always threatening to smite us, and if your really read, He only smited a few people, and only after they willfully disobeyed Him. God has great plans and blessings waiting for you to dig in and find like a treasure hunt. Do you want them? Are you willing to dig in the bible like you do in the discount baskets at Wal-mart? I promise what you find in the bible is awhole lot more valuable than what you find in those baskets and the change can be life changing for not only you but others around you too. I pray you will start your dig today, why wait, start digging now!!!!
***The picture above is a drawing of my wonderful gift, (oh, the other gift that I did not realize, I began to attempt to stetch, and what do you know, I can actually get the picture to resemble things, I always get the image but low and behold, other people can make them out too what a rush to find a "creative" expression, I am very visual and this has been a great relaxing thing, almost as good as the hot bath, but so much more convenient).
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