Answer to Prayer

How many times have we prayed asking God for something, never mind what it is.  We sometimes ask for a pretty outfit we saw at the local mall, the newest smart phone (because we have to keep up with the Jones’), or maybe it is something really expensive like a new car.  Now these requests are what I like to call desires.  What if our request was more of a need verses a want?  Sometimes we ask God to allow our grocery bill to be under a certain amount at the checkout counter because we know we won’t get paid for another week, or maybe we have a friend or a loved one that has been sick and needs a healing touch, or maybe it’s finding that new job. 

Well in my case it’s the new job, I have finally been offered a new position within the UnitedHealth Group Appeals Department, after many, many years of searching for something else.  I have had a very stressful job and many days have left so depressed all I wanted to do was lock myself away and cry.  The job I have is not hard, but it wears on you, when you listen to people yell and scream and call you all kinds of names day in and day out.  Now I know that my new position will come with its own set of problems, and I am sure at times it will be stressful. 

Now God answers prayer in His own time, not ours.  I have been with UnitedHealth Group for 10 years and have been applying for different position within the company for probably the last 7.  I would constantly get responses to my applications that the position had already been filled or no longer offering the position at this time, and sometimes I would get a response that I was not qualified.  A few times I got an interview, that would lead nowhere.  I also gave my resume to other companies, but also never heard anything.  It felt as if God was telling me NO.  I see now it’s not that God was telling me NO, but wait, I have something better for you.  I believe God has answered this prayer for me, because I wasn’t sure how much longer I would be able to keep my sanity with the customer service department and God pulled me out in the nick of time.  Because I have been with the customer service division for so long I have been able to learn so much about the ends and outs of the company and the many departments within UHC and have learned from them as well.  So during my interview the hiring manager was surprised when I told her I already had entry level knowledge of one of the systems that they use on a daily basis, I would not have been able to say that a few years ago.  God placed someone in my life who thought it would be beneficial for me and my current job to be able to access appeals and give our members info on the spot so they wouldn’t have to wait for a letter from the appeals department.  You know what they say, hind sight is 20/20, God was preparing me all along, it never ceases to amaze me how God is in control of every aspect of my life and it is He who is gently guiding me along this journey. 

We always need to remember that God has a divine plan for all of our lives and He has mapped it all out before we were even born. 

Ephesians 1: 4 ~ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

We complain from time to time and we fail to see God’s hand in our lives, when what we should be doing is praising God for his Sovereign Grace. 

Psalms 143:1 ~ Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, [and] in thy righteousness.

The River

I can’t believe it has been three months since I took the time to sit and think about what I was going to blog about.  We have had such a busy summer, we have been camping, hiking, kayaking, VBS, revival and just being plain lazy. We have enjoyed our time together as a family and are thankful we have all made it safely thru the summer.  I was talking to a friend last night who was involved in a really bad car accident a few years ago and while he was telling me about the accident and all that he had been thru, I kept thinking oh my goodness you poor thing.  He then told me even though it sounds really bad it could have been worse and I thank God that I am alive and able to walk around today.  That got me thinking about my little accident that I had over the summer while kayaking with Jason and Jeremy on the New River.

 

It started out as a normal trip on the New River, the mountains have had a lot of rain this year, and the river was up.  We got about half way through our trip when we came upon a low water bridge.  Normally we have to lie down in our boats and just float right underneath the bridge, but not this time.  It had rained so much there was very little of the bridge above water; most of the bridge was either under water or just level with the water.  Jason went first, thinking he could just skim right over the top, and he got stuck.  I was in the middle and Jeremy was bringing up the rear.  When I saw Jason was stuck on the bridge, I started to back paddle to allow myself to come in at a different angle so I would not plow into my husband.  While I was back paddling I got caught in the current and it pushed me into the bridge and some debris.  Jason at this point was walking on the bridge and came over to help me push the kayak away from the bridge, but then my boat got tipped and started taking on water and then I flipped.  Now I have flipped my boat before, this was not the first time I have been dumped in the river, but never before have I been caught underneath my boat before.  I was scared and kicking and clawing for my life, the next thing I knew I was under the bridge.  I grabbed for the bridge and was trying to pull myself up for air, but I was panicking and I kept hitting my head on the underside of the bridge.  I kept thinking I am going to drown, but God.  As I have said in the past I love this phrase, but GOD.  At what I thought was the end, I felt a sense of peace as I remember all of my white water rapid training from the past.  If you have ever been white water rafting the one important thing they tell you is this … If you fall out of your boat, don’t try to swim back to the boat or stand up, and just allow your body to be carried with the current.  At that moment I relaxed and allowed the current to carry me out from under the bridge.  As I surfaced Jason jumped in and grabbed me, I have never been so thankful to take a breath of air, to feel the air fill my lungs and be able to breathe was such a blessing. 

 

Now just like my friend Andrew, it sounds bad, but it could have been worse.  God could have allowed me to drown and take me home, He could have said Constance I don’t need you down there anymore, your journey is over you have run your race and it’s time to come home.  But GOD has other plans for me.  I don’t know what those plans are, but I have not finished my journey.  There is still a great work that God needs to have accomplished.  As the bible says in Hebrew 9:27 ~ And as it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.  I am so thankful that God had not set my appointed time to be July 16,  2013, not that I am not looking forward to spending eternity with my Savior, but I am human and this old flesh is selfish and I would like to be around a little longer for my husband and children.  As I said before, God spared me for a reason and I don’t know what that reason is and I may never know.  There still might be that one that God will reach through me.  I may never talk with this person or it could be someone that I am close to.  Whatever the reason, I pray that I will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and when He speaks I pray that I will listen and be obedient.   I am so thankful to be one of His children and that He spared me and has allowed me to continue on my journey.