Answered Prayer

Psalm 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

 My mother-in-law has a weekly habit of spending time watching our girls, which gives me a few hours a week to work on passports or fold beach house linens while they play in the next room. As she excused herself from our kitchen table last week, she mentioned that her next stop would be the hospital to visit a dear friend.

This sweet lady has an on-going illness that leaves her partially paralyzed off and on, and when I heard she was back in the hospital, my first reaction was pity, or the like, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that!"

Charlotte responded, with a shrug, running the issue straight to Jesus, "God could already heal her. We could ask Him!"

The adults in the room (who have more experience on how these things tend to go), smiled tightly and agreed half-heartedly, "You're right. He could." But, I don't think I believed He would.

After Nana left, before I returned to the dishes, I stopped with Charlotte and prayed for this kind woman by name, and we asked, because of the way Charlotte had worded her faith, that she would already be healed and heading home.

When Nana texted to let us know that she has missed her at the hospital because she was already headed home, it shouldn't have surprised me like it did. For years, I've seen God meet needs and answer prayers, specifically those asked in faith, nothing wavering (James 1:6), the way a child does.

I read the text to Charlotte, with full-enthusiasm, and she mirrored my response: full-joy, excitement, but without an ounce of surprise.

Of course she was already on her way home, that's what we had asked God to do.

To see her belief that God is not limited, strengthens my faith.

Ephesians 3:17-21 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout ages, world without end. Amen.