This week's blog hop has as its theme "Answered Prayers." We were challenged to relay a real story of answered prayer from our own experience. Sometimes it is easy to forget how willing and how happy God is to answer our prayers. Like an earthly parent wants to make their child happy, how much more does our Heavenly Father want us to be happy?
I hope this testimony will be an encouragement to you. Thanks so much for stopping by. In The Waiting Room
by Chris Janzen
When at last I walked down the aisle and got married at the age of 30, I was so filled with happiness and triumph. I was certain my family had given up any hope of me ever finding a guy willing to put up with me and my orneriness for any amount of time, let alone an entire lifetime! How I had prayed there was a guy out there some where that was perfect for me.
Finally, I met him, and in time there we were at the altar, saying those beautiful vows in front of God, our friends, and our families.
On the outside I was saying, “I take this man to be my lawful wedded...blah, blah, blah...,” but on the inside I was yelling, “I got me a man!” It was the happiest day of my life...and a wonderfully answered prayer.
We wanted to start a family right away; both of us couldn't wait to become parents. It was a dream God had placed in both of our hearts, and one we'd both wanted for quite a while. Finally we could focus on making that dream a reality. We both agreed we would have just two children, hopefully one boy and one girl. Then our family would be complete.
How impatient I was every month, wondering if this would finally be IT! I wanted a baby more than I had ever wanted anything, and I had prayed for one in earnest. I would be going about my day at work, in the car, at the store...wondering if that amazing miracle had yet occurred. I kept praying and waiting...
As month after long month passed, I fought discouragement and disappointment. I wanted to be patient, but I also wanted to be pregnant! My doctor told me not to worry, that it just takes a little time some times and to keep trying. Control freak me (these days I prefer the term “control enthusiast!”) hated not being able to snap my fingers and make it happen NOW!!
I tried to busy myself with other things, but truly could think of nothing else. I checked out books from the library and read every disgusting, graphic, wonderful detail about the whole process. I was horrified, excited, scared, and I still REALLY wanted to be pregnant! God kept me sitting in His waiting room, and much longer than even the rudest and most inconsiderate of doctors.
Then one day I was making my regular morning pot of coffee, something I had loved for many years. (I like to load it up with real cream and lots of sweetener.) It was so delicious and helped me get my day started, not being one of those freakish “morning people.” That day the coffee was extremely bitter and the cream tasted like it had been sitting on the counter for days. I was dumbfounded. “What in the world is wrong with this coffee?” I tried again to sip it, but it was undrinkable. My husband thought it was just great and finished off the whole pot.
Certain I had a terrible case of food poisoning, I checked in with my doctor. What a relief! No food poisoning, but could it be? YES! Finally I was pregnant! I was so sick all the time, losing my lunch on a daily basis, and usually my breakfast and supper as well! Pregnancy really wasn't as fun as I thought it would be!
Well that was my first pregnancy and God answered our prayer in the form of a strapping ten pound baby boy named Jake. He was healthy and handsome and obviously a genius from day one.
Around his second birthday we started praying for that second baby we wanted. Our plan had been to have one boy and one girl. We went through the same frustrating routine…sitting in God’s waiting room month after month.
Finally when I was sitting in the doctor’s waiting room, pregnant for the second time, the nurse midwife said she wanted to send me over to the hospital for a routine ultrasound. No big deal.
My husband and I settled into the ultrasound waiting room, so excited to see our little bundle of Heaven on screen. As soon as the gooey gel went on my belly and the wand touched my skin, we got the shock of our lives...there were two little bundles in there! We could see them plain as day on the monitor! TWO babies! We looked at each other in disbelief... “Do you see what I see?” We said in unison. The doctor confirmed what we were just figuring out…we were having twins!
A few months later we were back in the ultrasound room to find out if we were having boys or girls. I knew we would be thrilled either way, but I secretly prayed for a boy and a girl. The answer to that prayer was a great big yes in the form of Jesse and Sophie.
We had always wanted to have two children; a boy and a girl. The Great Physician gave us exactly what we asked for, and even more. Our family was and is complete.
Waiting is not something I do well. Most people I know don’t care for it and would prefer to have a root canal than to have to wait for anything. However some things are definitely worth the wait.
The time we spent in God's waiting room was infinitely worth it.
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."
~ Ephesians 3:20 New Living Translation
Thanks for reading! See ya next time! :-)
