Prayers and Puzzles

I am blessed beyond words and more than I deserve. I know it, and I try to remind myself every day.

I think back on some requests I've asked of God, and how I've seen them answered.

Here are just a few of them...

For years we lived in apartments surrounded by people with no yard to play in. I'm not saying it is a bad thing to be surrounded by people. What I'm saying is you can't send your young kids to play outside when there are literally thousands of strangers right outside your door. I prayed for years that God would give us a yard to play in safely, a yard where the kids could play outside while I could do things inside  like dishes or laundry, a  yard where I wouldn't have to keep an eye on them every second.

In 2005, with three kids ages 6, 5 and 1, we moved into my parents basement. They have the best yard! My kids love it! It's big. It's fenced in. It has trees to climb... Watching them play one day I said a prayer of thanks for this blessing, and then I thought "Well, I forgot to pray for the house that went with the yard! Think of what I might have received in answer to that prayer." (giggle) I did get exactly what I asked for.

We stayed with my parents for four years. You can ask any one of us (there were 7 in that house with 1 bathroom), and not one of us would say we regretted it. It could not have gone any better, and we all know that was God's plan for us for that time. We are so grateful for those years that mom and dad allowed us to live with them, and that they still loved us after we moved out. I think it took them a while to forgive us for taking the kids with us when we left.

Another prayer request I had for years (since Jordan was born) was that my kids would be able to go to Christian school. I never knew how it would ever be possible, but I never stopped praying. When it came time to start kindergarten and the only option was home schooling you better believe that prayer became even more fervent!!! We home schooled through 1st grade for Jordan and kindergarten for Taylor. That summer we met with the administrator at our school and found out it was possible! We put them both into 1st grade together (I am no teacher!). Putting them in the same grade just worked best for us. It has proven to be the best decision over the years. I am positive it will only have more and more benefits as they go through middle school and high school. It will always be a sacrifice, a matter of prayer and trust in God to provide for our kids to be able to stay in Christian school. God is faithful! He always provides for His will to be done!

My dreams and prayers of owning our own home came true in 2009. Most of you know that story. Our home is my dream house! It is little, but I love every little brand new inch of it! It meets every need we have. The road to our house was at times a rough one, but when I look back at it the story is beautiful. All the puzzle pieces fit together perfectly. Sometimes I fought to put a few of the pieces in places where they didn't belong, and often tired to fill in the middle of the puzzle before the edges were complete. But through it all, God was always in control even though I tried so hard to be.

Have you heard it too many times or should I tell it? It is one of my favorite stories to tell.

OK. I am not going to tell the whole story. If I told the whole thing  - every step that God choreographed perfectly - this blog would be way too long.

I will just write about one tidbit that makes me laugh. We were waiting for the final meeting to find out if we were selected after 4 months of qualification steps. The meeting was supposed to be on October 9th, or at least I thought it was. Late in the evening on the 8th my cell rang. I answered it. The lady said, "Hello Mrs. Worley, This is.... with habitat... I am calling to tell you that... Your family has been selected for the property you chose. Congratulations!" (This is the part that makes me giggle at myself now when I think back on it.) I said, "Um, the meeting isn't until tomorrow." I was so stunned. We had been praying and praying about the meeting on the 9th. She said, "Mrs Worley, you have been selected." That is the only moment I can recall truly sobbing and laughing at the same time. God answered that prayer a day early!

These are just a few of my answered prayer stories. Wish I was better at documenting these kinds of things. It is really such a blessing to look back on our lives and remember all the gifts from God.


Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17


As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. Ps. 18:30