In the midst of some achingly unanswered prayers, this time of year always reminds me of a very specific answered prayer. Like, I know exactly what day I prayed it, and I can tell you exactly when it was answered.
Prayer doesn’t always happen like that, does it? Often we are called to patiently wait outside a closed door for a very long time. Or we are called to walk through doors we never imagined. But other times, as we pray, the Lord is standing right behind us, already pushing open the door we are supposed to walk through next. That was the case for me on this day, six years ago.
A Simple But Bold Prayer
Granted, this was NOT the first time I had prayed about or for my future husband. I think my earliest recorded prayer was from age 11 or so. And so here I was again, praying about marriage and my future husband. My senior year in college was just a few weeks away, and I had plans to return to teaching dance in the fall. But I wanted to ask God this one thing…
There was no guy on my radar at the time, no one I was interested in. I was looking at finishing school in just nine short months. In my mind, it was a reasonable request that I could at least meet the man who I would marry and begin to build a friendship that would eventually turn into something more. If that still wasn’t in God’s timing for this year, then OK. At least I’d asked, right?
Prayer for the Future
So on July 19, 2011, God and I had a heart-to-heart. This simple but bold request was written on a piece of wood from an evergreen sermon at my old church. It represents “staking your claim” in God’s promises and is a visual representation of what you have asked God for in faith. Like I said, I had prayed similar prayers many a time. More journal entries than I care to admit to were spent examining the intricacies of the friendships I had with guys. But this time, it just felt different.
About two weeks from that day, my friend Claire told me about “this guy” from her church. (Another crazy story) Then on August 18, 2011, (ONE MONTH LATER) I met Kurtis Hanni for the first time. One month from that first meeting, we were dating. Nine months later, we got engaged.
Then six months later, we got married.
Prayerful Perspective
So here I am, six years down the road from that prayer, married to the most loving, intelligent, God-fearing, funny, handsome man I have ever met.
I share this because I am always encouraged when I hear or read about God answering prayers and working in the lives of fellow believers. I also share this to encourage myself when other prayers of ours have rolled over into “years” category of waiting for an answer.
Even though other prayers haven’t been answered how or when I thought they should be, I need only turn my head and look at my husband. God answered that prayer far beyond what I could imagine in ways that I didn’t expect. Don’t you think he can do that again? My story isn’t a formula or a blueprint, but yet another piece of unique evidence of a faithful God. And he is so very faithful.
..no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.1 Cor. 2:9
