Answered Prayers - and What to do Next
Mom and and I have prayed more intensely, frequently, and specifically for our children and their families in the last 18 months than perhaps during any previous period of time. Each of you has carried (or so it seems to us) an unusually heavy load duirng these months. For some of you your load has been huge, and we all know of it, and pray for you. For others, perhaps by comparison, you feel that I can't be referring to you. But these are difficult times for all, and you all have faced in one way or another greater challenges than you have before.
Our prayers have been three-fold (if I am to speak only generally):
1) That Heavenly Father would be mindful of you, and draw close to you, and where appropriate in His wisdom, open doors for you where the way has seemed blocked.
2) That you would recognize His hand in your lives when He answers our (and your) prayers, and acknowledge your gratitude to and your dependence upon Him.
3) That you would use wisely and faithfully whatever He sends to or opens for you.
This blog is to testify that we know that our prayers have been answered! (No surprise, because He loves and knows you more deeply and personally than we are capable of as mortals.) Some of the answers have (to us) seemed quick, and yet so small that they might not be recognized immediately by you. Other answers have seemed to come much more slowly (in our time, at least - likely not in His), and appear to us quite recognizable.
We have poured out our thanksgiving to the Lord, but cannot do much about parts 2 and 3 of our prayers on your behalf. That is up to you. Our 2nd purpose for this blog is to extend an invitation to each of you. We invite you to:
1) Come together as a family and make a written list of evidence that God has helped your family over the last many months. Consider it as a husband and wife; invite your children to join with you. Be as specific as possible in your list, and do your best to recognize even the smallest gift of help from Him.
2) Consider how well you have responded to and used the gift He gave. With the smallest, perhaps just acknowledging to Him that you know, and that you thank Him will be acceptable to Him. Larger gifts may require an evaluation of the acutal use of the gift: how have things changed in your lives that would reflect having received the gift, and somehow moved forward as a family and/or as individuals. Where you find that the gift has NOT been properly acknowledged and/or used, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT NOW.
3) Keep an organized watch for the hand of God in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Make it a recurring family tradition to "Take Time to Find Heavenly Father in Our Family".
4) In all of this, include the study of some specific scriptures. Among others consider:
D & C 59:21; Mosiah 2:20-25; Mosiah 4:16-24
We love you so deeply. We continue to try hard to offer love, appropriate support of all kinds, and occasional counsel which you are always free to ignore, and no feelings hurt nor love lost. We continue to pray for you - and to thank God that our quiver has been so richly filled with such giant sons and daughters of God! (Psalm 127:3-5)
