Sometimes when I pray, the prayer is answered right away and sometimes it takes time.
When Nathan and I were first married, I was so lonely. It wasn't Nathan's fault. I was someone that was used to a lot of people. People had always surrounded me, I lived with family or friends and then served a mission with a companion that never left my side, it had been given me a cushion, a protection from loneliness I didn't know existed. Now I had Nathan. He was great and I longed for his companionship but he wasn't around much. He worked a few jobs, served heavily in the youth program of our church and went to school.
Even though I worked and went to school, I found myself alone for long stretches, hours sometimes days. I wasn't ready for it. As much as I loved having a buddy, I felt like I just signed up for a lifetime of solitude.
As a newly returned missionary and freshly married young lady, I started taking classes at UVU (UVSC back in the day). I felt so incredibly lonely. In every class, I looked for someone that I might make friends with, possibly someone lonelier than me. I tried time and again only to be rebuffed, everyone was established in school and content in life and didn't need or want new a friend.
I was so low. I only knew to turn to God. I told him how lonely I was and how much I longed for a friend at school. The miracle didn't happen until the next semester. During the first week of the following semester, God had prepared for me a friend in every class. Someone that sought me out and made an effort to befriend me! One of my dearest friends, I took accounting and corporate management with was also a manager at Jamba Juice and would bring me a Jamba before class. Go Mango Madness! I can never repay her kindness.
I have had many prayers answered because I took the time to ask and talk it out with Heavenly Father. Questions about my family, about personal fitness or health, about people I care for and about money concerns and forgiveness. I feel as though he knows me and knows that I am trying to come to him.
Because I have seen these prayers answered even if they are not "my miracle" I feel like I shared in the joy of it. Like when Joey Butcher decided to serve a mission, our family had prayed for him for years as many others that knew and admired him had also done. When he was called to serve, I felt like we had shared our faith unto becoming part of his miracle. I know God cares about us. I know He has a vested interest in our families. Nate and I are not doing this alone. If we look to him, he gives us answers. But it just take time.
Our minor miracle of the week is that Wilson finally started walking! He is 19months old. This is something we have been praying and working for for many months. I also know about praying for years. As a child, we prayed for Aunt Marcy for years, it drew us close to her even though she lived so far away and we never saw her. In the Book of Mormon, in Ether it talks about praying with an "eye of faith", seeing things as they can be through faith and not as they are now. I know God listens when we reach out to him.
I shared personal stuff this week, more than usual. But I have had so many gifts and prayers answered given to me lately I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I am doing some free advertising for him, even though I know I can never pay him back!
