Advent Devotional 5
The greatest gift God has ever given me is something unseen to myself and those around me. It’s frustrating but incredible. As the esteemed singer-songwriter Garth Brooks sang, I too, thank God for Unanswered Prayers.
Throughout my life, I have been led along many different paths, I have been faced with situations that I didn’t know at the time would hurt me or others. I’ve prayed for relationships that only ended in pain, I’ve prayed for experiences I used to think I needed, and I tried to lead myself on my own path. But what I’ve come to realize is that no matter what I want, no matter how far away from God I try to go, he has a greater path for me, and all those little things I prayed for, and all those mistakes I made, were a part of God’s larger plan for me and my life. That constant guiding, seen or unseen, is the greatest gift I have received. As Mr. Brooks states, “Just because [God] may not answer, doesn’t mean he doesn’t care,” and this is true. By not answering our prayers God shows that he cares for us, I reflect back on my past and I see the ways God put me back onto his path, and I’m incredibly grateful.
So next time it seems like God may be ignoring you and your prayers, remember that sometimes it’s for the better and that God is the only one who knows where life will take you. I may not know what God has in store for me, or his reasoning for renouncing my prayers, but I understand one thing; God knows me and wants what’s best for me. That constant guiding, seen or unseen, is the greatest gift I have received
Anna Frost
High School Junior, Lovejoy
