A Day at the Beach In the Fields of the South

It was just a thought on a dreary day.

A passing prayer really.

"Lord, I wish I were at the beach right now soaking in the sun and peace"

My weary heart imagined the perfect weather and joy of a restful day at the beach but sighed in recognition that a perfect day at the beach was far out of reach for the time.

The next day the weather cleared. From the inside looking out, the weather looked like it would be clear but chilly.

In the afternoon my daughters and I clambered outside for some fresh air.

Stepping outside, the warmth of the sun settled on my cheeks and the wind cuddled me in it breezy embrace.

The day was beautiful but before I could think anymore about it, my mind was distracted by the gleeful squeals and demands of my energetic little daughters who were only too happy to be outdoors.

As one daughter and I kicked the ball back and forth it suddenly hit me.

The weather was perfect! In fact, it was exactly what I had imagined and prayed for minus the sand and waves.

God had answered my prayer!

Was it the actual beach?

Nope but it was just what I really needed and better than I had imagined. I didn't really need or want the beach. I needed and wanted the beauty of a day graced with delightful weather. The beach was the only place I imagined that it could happen but God was not going to be placed in the confining box of my finite thinking.

It is in those moments that I realize God hears me.

He HEARS...ME.

He hears the most simple passing prayer I make. When I mumble out a wish thinking he may or may not care or listen, he is in truth always leaning in to hear me. He treats even the passing prayers of my lips as an important heart cry that he can't wait to fulfill with an answer that will speak to the very core of my longing. He treats my heart and desires with grace and tender understanding. He is always seeking to give his goodness to me in the answers He gives.

Sure, the answers don't always look like what I thought they should, could, or would. Sometimes I am downright dumbfounded and even initially wounded by His answers. BUT, without fail, whether it be within minutes, hours, days, weeks or sometimes years, I always end up seeing how His answer was the best one.

He knows me and he knows you better than we know ourselves. His ways are higher than my ways or your ways. This means we will never always understand why God answers a prayer the way He does. But when those times come, and they will, we can hold fast to what we know from the answered prayers like the one above that God has my good and your good in store...ALWAYS.