Answered Prayers

Today and every Thursday over the summer, I have worked in a community garden. It started in June. There are only two people thus far working on it. Myself and the community center project coordinator. We started the garden with seedlings and seeds. It was sparse when it first was planted. Together we have watered and cultivated it. Who would have known that the last time I prayed over it that my life partner would slip on ice and fracture two vertebrae in his back. So I took two weeks off from taking care of the garden to help him through the worst part of his pain. As I walked into the garden area, I saw the enormity of the garden and didn't recognize it at first. I just thanked God then and there. Not only did he answer my prayer, it was a miracle grow moment. 

I want to share that no matter how big or small your prayers are, God definitely listens. The answer sometimes may be no, but when they are answered, they are not in our time but rather his time. I know this from experience. I have prayed so much in my life, it is hard to keep track. But there are a couple that have impacted my life in a tremendous way. The first one I really prayed hard for was when I was about 8-10 years old. It was a prayer made out of vanity. I had a best friend who had a sister who to me was one of the most beautiful little girls I had ever met. The one thing that stuck out to me was a beauty mark she had on her chin. So one day I was standing in front of a mirror and was chatting with God and asked him to please put a beauty mark on my chin. I even pointed to the spot as if God hadn't already known where I wanted it. Days and months go by and guess what? MY PRAYER WAS ANSWERED!!!

This beauty mark was with me everyday of my life until 2019. It daily reminded me of how God showed his love for a little girl. Just a simple request and prayer. It was a daily reminder of his existence to me right on my chin. You may be asking why isn't it still there after 2019, well in 2020 I developed a horrible case of herpes zoster simplex that started from my mouth and exited up my nose and down my chin. Through the healing process and exfoliation of the scabs and dead skin, my beauty mark disappeared. To say I was disappointed, was an understatement. The good thing is that my faith was pretty solid by then and God was prevalent in my life in many areas, even though the beauty mark was gone. It seemed symbolic as my life along with that beauty mark was about to change in a drastic way. You'll learn how as you keep reading my blog.

Another prayer I prayed was from the ages of 11-13 years old. You'll recall that at the age of 12 I was baptized, one of my greatest joys during a very turbulent preteen period in my life. My prayer is very personal, but I want to share it, because it is in my past and may help someone who experienced a similar trauma. Many nights during those vulnerable ages, I was being sexually molested by a close family member. Every time it would happen, I would pray for God to please make it stop. It kept happening and it was a horrible violation. I felt shame -- I would learn later in my life that shame is a common emotion even though it had nothing to do with my own shame, but rather the one committing such a horrible violation on a child. So at the age of 13 the sin was discovered and it stopped. I was so thankful. Unfortunately, I would learn a horrible lesson on becoming a family scape goat. From that point on in my immediate household, I was treated much differently than other members of my family. This violation somehow was deemed by fault. Which I can assure you was nothing but a sick act on another family member's part. This person stayed in my life and I was forced to accept that his presence would be with me until I was old enough to make my own adult decisions. Also as a result of this revelation, the physical abuse to both my brother and myself also stopped. I will assure you that these acts were never inflicted on me ever again by this person. One time when I was 18, he walked in my room and I sat up and told him to get out of my room. He made an excuse that he was checking on the cars in the carport below our apartment. However, he was not fully dressed and was in his underwear. It was during this time, several other members outside my immediate family stepped in to assure my protection. I later forgave this family member, but never forgot. As I aged, I had to remove toxic behaviors and individuals from my life to finally have peace and contentment in this area.

Because of the violation at 4 years old and at 11-13 years old, this trauma unknowingly would affect my life choices for many years. Throughout these years of angst and distrust, I knew I could and would rely totally on Jesus Christ's love for me. I knew God had his hand over me, because research has shown that girls who experience this kind of trauma in their life sometimes take a very bad turn in life. I have had a lot of counseling for a better understanding of myself.  I can assure you I had my challenges, but I have had so much good in my life and I know it is because of my faith and God's mercy on my life.

I've prayed through my own health issues, for my children, for my family and friends, for life choices and happenings, for provision, for career, for the world -- both big and little things. I, to this day, pray daily as I couldn't imagine my life without that heavenly communication.

Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them." (NKJV)