I salute Laura Ingalls Wilder

I wholeheartedly salute Laura Ingalls Wilder. She had to go fetch the water, then heat it over a fire just to take a bath. Nope. Nope. Nope. I am admittedly spoiled by indoor plumbing. Our hot water heater went out last week, and because we have a home warranty company that is never in a hurry to do anything, we are now on day six of no hot water. I must admit that I am frustrated over the delay. We are thankful for the showers available at our YMCA but are eager for the phone call we are expecting today about scheduling the repair.

Have you ever been anxiously waiting for something, and it seemed that it was taking too long? Perhaps you are praying for a wayward child or a troubled marriage. Maybe you are begging God for relief from financial difficulties or health problems. Waiting for something that we are eagerly anticipating can be frustrating. Sometimes we wonder if God hears our prayers or cares about our struggles.

Friend, I assure you that God cares. Even David, who was called the apple of God’s eye, had times when he felt God was distant and uncaring. David asked in Psalm 10:1, “Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” I don’t know why God made me wait for certain things. But I do know that during some of the times of His seeming silence in my life, it caused me to seek Him that much more fervently. It taught me to trust Him. If He had immediately answered every prayer, it wouldn’t have taken much faith or trust on my part. I would have definitely missed out on precious times of growing. As David sought God in the writing of that Psalm, he later affirmed his trust in God with Psalm 10:17, “You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry.”

Friend, God hears your cries. Keep praying. He is trustworthy. So trustworthy, that His answer is for your good, even if it is not the answer you might expect. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. (I Thessalonians 5:24).