Thankful for Answered Prayers

"Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

This is one of the verses I clung to during the 7 years of waiting to become a mother.  Someone encouraged me with the verse.  She was on the other side of the promise, so I trusted her words.  This promise changed in meaning for me over the years too.  My prayers changed from, "God please give me a positive on this test" and "Please allow it to work this time" to...

"Change my heart, Lord.  Change my heart to match Yours.  I cannot stand the hurt anymore, and I want to desire what you desire for me."

It wasn't until my prayers changed that my heart changed.  God's promise is true.  If we take delight in Him, He will give us the desires of our hearts.  But many, like me, misinterpret what the verse is saying.  I thought this meant that He would give me what I'm asking for if I just spend more time with Him and walk with Him and study Him and follow Him. 

That is not the case.

If we truly take delight in the Lord, our hearts will change.  We will begin to desire what He desires.  We will find His plan for our lives.  And OH!  It is immeasurably more than anything we could ask for!

My true desire was for this little blue-eyed sweet girl!  God knew my heart's desire.  He knew I needed her and she would be waiting on me.  He knew the days that would lead up to her birth, and He chose a family for her. 

And now I pray Psalm 17:8 over her...and many others.  I pray that I will continue to pray for His desires...that they will become mine.  I pray that I desire for her what God desires for her.  I pray that He will remind her daily and hourly what a delight she is.  That He takes delight in her!

I know He is able.

Because He's done it before, and He can do it again.  And again.  Even the years of "unanswered prayers" were answered prayers.  I just didn't know it yet.

There are many unanswered prayers that we may never see answered on this side of Heaven, but I trust the One who knows the desires of my heart better than I do.  Because He has proven Himself over and over again.  His plan for our life is immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine!

I am thankful.