Answered Prayers

I met some new moms today. Well, actually not new moms, but new friends to me, I should say, and we got in to a discussion about how busy life is lately. One of them pointed out that she feels like when people ask her how things are, she says “busy,” but when they ask with what, she can’t really explain. We all excitedly nodded in agreement. Sometimes you just need those moments where another person looks at you and says “I get it!  I understand that crazy thing you are trying to explain!” It was great to know I’m not alone.'

But I do not like it at all.  I don’t want to be caught up in all these busy (usually pointless) tasks. When my friends in Cambodia post news articles about their power being deliberately shut off and rationed for HOURS at a time – like 10-12 hours or more a day some of them – and write things about cities in Cambodia literally running out of water in their reservoirs, I have to stop and think about what is really important in life.  All the things I have that I don’t really have to be “busy” to get.  Like power.  And water.  And internet.  And freedom. 

I’ve been struggling with this since we got back. The “I’m home but this isn't home anymore” feeling that comes and goes at the most unexpected, and often inconvenient times.  Like when my face was wet with in a parking lot because I found some yellow mangoes like in Cambodia. Don’t get me wrong, they were happy tears, but that didn't stop my kids from wondering where my brain had gone!

And then there are things that make me just stop everything busy in life, get on my knees, and pray.
The tears that come with answered prayer are so sweet.

Let me tell you what brought me to my knees this week so you can rejoice with me:

My friend who runs the organization we are walking for tomorrow emailed late Monday night saying that a young girl, 17, who they had been working with for several years, urgently needed prayer. This poor girl left her abusive father at age 12 and found herself working in a brothel.  She’s HIV positive and has been off the medications for 3 years. And she’s pregnant.

The email was to say that she was in labor. A year and a half ago, she was forcibly injected with crystal meth at the park.  And that happened again. And again. The safe house tried to help, as they have been doing for years, and she was clean for two full weeks before she ran away and went on a meth binge and kept taking customers.  Yes, at 36 weeks pregnant.  She showed up that morning, sober but in labor, and a massive plea for prayer went out.

This one got to my heart. 

This girl needed help.
And it couldn't come from anyone but God.

All the things keeping me busy had to stop while I just lifted her and that baby up to the Lord.

The following day, her labor stopped and she ran away from the hospital.  She was being treated horribly there, being HIV positive and a sex worker.  It was 100 degrees outside and she didn't even get an air conditioned room. Or a bar of soap. Or a roll of toilet paper. 

They eventually found her and she went into labor for real this time, when my friend and her coworkers had to fight for a c-section because apparently that reduces the chances of the baby contracting HIV by 50%. They had a lot more obstacles but in the end, my friend found the girl in post op and the baby in the nursery.

Baby was born today, this morning, and the report is he is perfect.  That’s what I heard.  P-E-R-F-E-C-T.

That made me stop in my tracks again and pray. I had tears of joy running down my face and the whole world seemed to stop as I praised God for his goodness and mercy. I felt His presence with me as I rejoiced with Him like he was my very best friend.

The baby still needs lots of prayers as the next steps are decided, but he is alive.  And perfect.

Wow.

What if I prayed that fervently about everything?  What if I stopped being busy all together and just spent time praising God?  You see, He answered my prayer the way I hoped this time.  It isn't always that way.  But it’s His way that is best, even when I can’t see it. What if I started praising Him for just being who He Is? 

Praising God, the creator of the universe, my Savior who died for me, and the Spirit who lives in me.  Praising God for loving me so much that He wants to be a part of my life. 

Not pushed away because I’m busy.  

I want my focus to be on HIM because He truly is alive and working miracles every day. 

And I am grateful.

(And grateful to be raising awareness and money for this organization tomorrow with traffick jam 2013)