Summer is a wonderful time for family and friends to spend time outdoors doing things that they love, whether it is gardening, fishing, swimming, or even a day at the lake. With so much going on in our country these days it is also a good time to Thank God for the blessings we have. In LeFlore County, we are blessed to be out of the mainstream where we do not have to deal with riots and the other things that seem to be plaguing our nation. I watched a movie recently called “I Still Believe.” In one scene a character asked his father after just losing his wife if he ever had regrets over the things he had prayed for that hadn't been answered. This wise father told his son: “even though not everything I asked for has been given to me, I am blessed and I am blessed because of the NO’s God has given me.”

This stuck with me and made me think. I do not know about you, but there have been several times where God has said either no or not yet to my prayers. Do I truly feel blessed despite the answer from the Lord that I did not want? I am sure that you are in the same boat. Everyone has prayers that were either not answered or answered differently. Do you feel blessed?

Scripture is full of people that didn’t receive what they asked for or the answer was delayed. Exodus 3 states all kinds of ways Moses tried to get out of his calling, yet he still freed the Israelites. David, a man after God’s own heart lost a child in the midst of his prayer and fasting. Job endured the loss of his whole world and was only restored after the trial was completed. Mark 5:25-34 shares the story of a woman who had an “issue of blood” for 12 years. It doesn’t say if she prayed, but as a woman of that kind of faith, I feel like she did. She had to wait 12 years for her healing to show the power of our savior.  All of these people had the faith to do what was asked, wait for the miracle, or move on and begin again.  I believe each of these people also felt blessed, maybe not in the process, but certainly afterward.

Let's look at 2020 with new eyes. Yes, it has been a crazy year with all sorts of changes, but it has also been an opportunity for reflection and growth. God is in control and He knows exactly what is in our future. Let's look at the blessings we do have. Blessings that might have come about because of the NO’s or not yets we have received from the Lord.   After reflection, I can say yes.  I am truly blessed for the answers to my prayers that I didn’t expect or necessarily want.  Let's take this summer and the rest of 2020 to reflect on the blessings that we didn’t seek, but God gave us anyway.  You may be pleasantly surprised to see that the prayers you thought were never answered, were answered, but in a way you never expected.