Living in the Answered Prayer
This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. — Psalm 118:24
This verse kept playing over and over in my head as I drove home today after watching my seven year old little girl walk into school this morning. Her pink back pack flapped from side by side, as she so proudly walked to the front doors entering her second grade year.
I found myself, heart so full and proud of her. It was only a year ago that she was clinging to me anxious and nervous to leave home, where now she was full of joy and excitement for what the year would bring her.
As she walked into school, I couldn't help but think about how the years have passed so quickly. We were just celebrating our first day of summer, camping in our front yard under the stars and now, we are back, blessed to be following our normal school morning routine. There is a part of me that wants to hold on to the little girl she was, the one who was sad to leave home clinging on to me so tightly, missing the innocence of that season. But an even bigger part of my heart was just so undeniably grateful for the little girl God is allowing her to become.
Anyone who knows me has likely heard me say at one time, “time is a thief.” Merely because one moment it is here and the next it is gone, regardless of how much effort we put into living in the moment, we can't control it. But what we can control is our mindset towards it. We can understand that God is the true author of our time.
My mindset went from a brief moment of sadness to joy, as the Holy Spirit reminded me that I was currently standing in the middle of an answered prayer.
“This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.”
Perhaps one of the dangers of passing time is when the blessings that we prayed for become part of our daily routine. The baby we asked God for becomes the child that we rush out the door in the mornings. The home we pray for becomes the one we struggle to keep clean. The family moments and traditions become so familiar that we move through them without taking a minute to remember their holiness.
Maybe time feels like a thief when we forget to sit back and recognize that God is the true author of all of these moments, regardless of how big or small. They are all ours because of HIM.
In Psalm 90, Moses writes a prayer in his oldest Psalm encouraging us to grow in wisdom, and living our days to honor our Lord and Savior. Psalm 90:12 says “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Numbering our days does not mean living in fear for how quickly they are disappearing. It means learning to recognize their value while we are still living in them so we can see the joy of growth and changing of seasons. It means to stop through the moments and remind ourselves, “I once prayed for what feels ordinary to me today.” and thanking Jesus for that gift.
Today, the morning hugs and kisses, ironing her school uniform, the first day of school photos and videos at the front door, and the little girl filled with joy walking into school…that is all part of the answer. I cannot stop time from passing, or this school year flying by, the little chubby hands growing bigger in mine…but I can remember what I prayed for, rejoice in what God has given me, and be fully present in the answered prayer I am living in today. When we do this, we can look back on these moments without mourning, but gladness of the ability to live in the moment and give God glory for all he has done.
Psalm 118:21 says, “I will give you thanks, for you answered me. You have become my salvation.”
Thank you Lord for the answered prayers we are living in today. Thank you for the passing of the glorious time that has been given to us, and allowing us, through the gift of wisdom, to live our time out to glorify you in every season of life.