Answered Prayer

I've been keeping track of my prayers since May 1.  At least the major ones, not always the "help me find a parking spot" type of prayer, but the ones that come from a place of great need, fear, sorrow, anguish, hope or helplessness.

One of the things I'm learning is that answers to prayer often come rather quietly, almost unnoticed until after the fact.  So quietly that if I hadn't been recording them, I might not have noticed the answer.

For instance, one of my prayers earlier this month was that I would have the energy to get the house cleaned since it has been sorely neglected since mother's death.  It still is not in the shape I'd like, so my first inclination would be say that the prayer hasn't been answered. However, when I took time to examine the reality, I did get the carpet in the family room cleaned (not all of it, but the places where the cats had barfed etc.), the rest of the floor vacuumed, the French doors scrubbed, the screen vacuumed, several loads of junque in the car for St. Vincent's, the back porch picked up, a planter planted, dishes done, summer fans out and three loads of clothes folded.

Now is the house clean?  No.  It's not.  It woultdn't meet the standards of any neat-nik, since it doesn't even meet my very low standards.  But was the prayer answered?  Yes, I'd have to say that it was.  I asked for the energy and mental enthusiasm to clean house.  Not the entire house.  Just to be able to clean house and that prayer was answered.  It was rather a "daily bread" answer--enough energy to do one day; not the whole thing like I wanted, but one day's work. 

And the family room looks pretty good, all things considered.

So here's the June prayer accounting so far.  I have 16 things on my list, ranging from the energy to clean the house to the restoration of a broken relationship to some issues with insurance.

3 Yes.  One was that I get a clear sign telling me what direction I should go regarding an important decision.  I got the sign and the path is firmly shut.  Probably nailed and bricked up, too. I'm not really thrilled with the fact that it was a closed door, but the sign was clear and that was the prayer request.

3 NO! No question that they were NO!!! The NO couldn't have been more clear if it were written in neon.  The only thing I can say is, "okay, now what?"

1 Probably no.  It looks like a no, feels like a no, sounds like a no, acts like a no, but since it involves another person saying the "no," I'm waiting to see if their "no" is also God's no.  It may be, but there remains a tiny crack of possibility, so I'm putting it in the "maybe" category.

9 No Answer yet. These do eventually have to have a "yes" or a "no" so I'm waiting. Not patiently all the time, but waiting.