Today it's my great privilege to welcome back Janet.

Janet resides on the East Coast with her high school sweetheart turned husband and their three daughters. She begins and ends her day with God and strives to still be in constant dialogue with Him between. 

Thank you for being part of our amazing community. Hugs, Lynn

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We recently received our summer calendar of the events for Busch Gardens, our home away from home.  And I couldn’t help but reflect on how a few years ago God answered the smallest, faintest prayer I have ever prayed.

After checking the mail I stood there in my kitchen reading the list of powerful headliners at the upcoming concert series Glory In the Gardens.  As my excitement and anticipation grew to paramount proportions this will be no easy task I reminded myself.  Indeed, that was an understatement.  To attend this concert not only would we need a hotel room for the weekend, traveling money and, quite frankly, a small miracle.  You see, the concert was scheduled to begin in the afternoon, ending well into the evening.  With a 3.5 hour drive home, that would put our family exhausted and driving during the wee hours of a Monday morning.

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture”—Psalm 37:3 NIV

I had left the park’s mailer on the kitchen island assuming my husband would glance over it later that evening.  I knew he had seen and read it when he mentioned Brandon Heath and tobyMac were coming in concert and did I notice.  Did I notice?  Oh yes dear I did notice!  Not wanting the taste of disappointment on my tongue I didn’t get any hopes up, but casually mentioned how nice it would be to go there. As season pass ticket holders, I knew my one daughter would wait hours and help me brandish my maturity as we rushed the stage ensuring optimal viewing pleasure.

“We will see what we can do” was his response to my little request. Oh God please, for me and for my daughter, please was my faint heart’s prayer.

I imagine God on His throne, hearing my quick arrow prayer shot up reaching His throne and how naïve my faith in Him answering such a silly little prayer must have given Him much to delight as He said to me: My dear child, you wait and see what I, the Great I AM, am about to do.

A week passed when I thought about this concert again.  We were members of a hotel rewards program; though it seemed meaningless as we slowly chipped away, inch by painful inch, the qualifying stays.  Miraculously we had finally achieved enough stays for a free weekend!  WOW!  Could God orchestrate a better argument than a FREE weekend stay?

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart”—Psalm 37:4 NIV

But there was no need for an argument.  My simple, “hey hon, we finally earned enough points for a free weekend stay to go to Busch Gardens the weekend of the concert” was all he needed to hear.  We were booked!  My daughter and I mapped our stealthy mission plan and smiled knowing we would be front row.  My husband and other daughter decided they would simply enjoy the amusement park while we spent hours in His presence in praise and worship. 

Periodically throughout the concert my husband would text to see how we were doing.  It helped pass the time as we spent a few hours camped out at the gate awaiting entry to the stage.  My man even braved and broke through the massive crowds navigating to the front lines – not an easy task by any measure—to hold our spots so we could leave and use the restroom.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him—Psalm 37:7a NIV

God’s glory does not end there.  After a year of enduring heartbreak and fertility problems, I spent part of the concert in slight cramps with unexpected, light bleeding.  We would later come to find out that Sunday, during the concert, I endured the phenomenon known as implantation bleeding.

How silly of me to think God, in all His mercy and goodness, would not consider the small desires of my heart and delight in answering me.  What was your smallest, faintest answered prayer?  Or do you have a small, faint prayer request we could arrow up to His throne for you?

Janet