Prayer visited.

So often I find myself not wanting to overwhelm God in prayer; not wanting to bother him with too many requests for silly, trivial things in my day-to-day.

[I laugh thinking of Mimi being on St. Anthony's "Do Not Disturb" list because of her overwhelming prayers for lost items (she has made this joke before--quite funny!)]

And then there are other times, like throughout this Army appeal, when I hesitated to ask God for my deepest desires because I didn't want my faith to hinge on Him answering my requests the way I wanted. I wanted to be happy with whatever outcome God granted/allowed and know He'd be there for me.

Why did I hesitate? Why do I lack faith?

Because I've seen prayer without desired results--a young father dying of brain cancer, a baby passing due to developmental complications, a wife suffering the loss of her husband in combat. These experiences have grieved me so; have caused me to question God's presence, the effectiveness of prayer, my purpose here on earth.

I have struggled.

And surely will continue to struggle with this concept of prayer; this amazing, overwhelming, and powerful concept that only God understands and my feeble mind cannot.

Yet here we are in smalltown Gasperini-Ville and I know we've been blessed by BIG answered prayers. We've been given our deepest desires, well beyond what we were requesting.

And I'm brought again to my knees in prayer and thankfulness...

while, of course, making sure to remind The Big Man that my faith did not require such blessings.

I am so silly sometimes. He's the God of the Universe, after all.

Thank goodness the salvation of the world does not hinge on my understanding of prayer.

Thank goodness for God's amazing grace.

Thank goodness.

Sleep tightly, dear friends. Prayers for you tonight. God bless.