Answered prayer?

Back to Isaiah after taking a string of days off due to sickness (bad cold) and stress. Chapter 43. The Lord reminds people how he parted the Red Sea to save them. But "forget the former things....See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" At this spot in history, God is going to rescue people from the Babylonians--a new thing that would make those past wonders seem like nothing.

Then there's this: "I provide water in the desert to give drink to my people, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. Yet you have not called upon me...You have not sacrificed anything for me...But you have burdened me with your sins...I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."

Again, He's saying, "I'm here! Invisible and silent, but look around you at all the blessings I've provided. I'm here! And you don't acknowledge me. You just burden me with your sins, which I've taken on myself, for your sake."

To read this argument, from God himself, is to realize how ridiculously ungrateful I am, and how foolish for not leaning into this loving Father. But that's the problem: I'm reading it. I'm not hearing it, or watching the words come from His lips. I have to will myself to believe it. I have to push past the thought that there are lots of books I could read, not just this one. I have to make a choice to believe this one.

Every morning as I read Isaiah, you say it again: "I'm here! Acknowledge me. I formed you to be my child. Acknowledge me." I'm sorry, Lord, that I'm so weak in my faith, and so easily distracted.


This weekend, we got a dog. The process was exciting and scary--my heart raced, I didn't sleep. Found him on Petfinder, deliberated with Lee about whether to drive an hour to meet him. When we did meet him, I was still unsure. I'd thought he was non-shedding. Now it seemed that might not be true. I'd thought he was house-trained. Now the rescue worker admitted he wasn't. I'd thought he was a cocker spaniel/poodle mix. Now I discovered that the rescue worker had simply guessed at his breed; she had no idea, really.

He was listless, sluggish, didn't want to play. But also so gentle, so friendly (his tail wagged every time we came close), and the perfect size and color. And quiet. And Lee wanted him. That Isabel wanted him goes without saying.

So we adopted him, laying down $250 and then untold more for crate, food, supplies and grooming. Very stressful.

But two days later, I already love him. He is beyond adorable, doesn't seem to shed, is half-way housetrained already. And most of all, sweet. He is sick--we think with kennel cough, so it's hard to judge his personality yet. But oh, how I love him already.

Was he answered prayer? I prayed for You to lead us to the right dog for our family. But Lord, I don't know anymore what's answered prayer and what isn't. This story isn't over yet--still have to bring him to the vet. But for the time being, I'm going to choose to believe that Hunter is, indeed, answered prayer. So, thank you, Lord. I love him.


I pray for Sara, that she'll have a experience with You in your perfect time. I pray that You will fill me with ideas about how to glorify You, and that You would show me an opportunity to write a book that glorifies You by September 2011.


In Your son's name I pray.
Amen