Unanswered Prayers

There's an old Garth Brook's song that I love. Back in the day, I was totally infatuated with it. It goes something like this:

"Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers

Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs

That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care

Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers."

I've had quite a few. Unanswered prayers, that is.

So and so never called and asked me out. She didn't turn out to be that great of a friend after all. He wasn't the one. The job offer that didn't pan out. The relationship that ended when I didn't want it to...

I could go on and on.

But, ninety-nine percent of the time, when I look back on any one of those prayers, I realize that - even though I was initially devastated they weren't answered - something better always came along. Each and every time, something bigger and more full-filling was just waiting to jump into my life and sweep me away. In the end, I never failed to breathe a sigh of relief when I realized what I could be missing out on if those prayers had, in fact, been answered.

The Universe always knows what's best for us. Our soul, our source, our higher self (or whatever you want to call it) has a much better vantage point than we do from which to view our lives, our needs and, as it turns out, our desires. Nothing is just black and white. There are always, always, always shades of grey.

In fact, if I've learned anything over the years, it's that a silver lining hides in every unanswered prayer.

When Chris and I first started dating, that particular song bounced around in my head almost daily. Because he was better than anything I'd ever prayed for before. It was then that I began to realize just how grateful I really was that certain celestial requests had been overlooked. I realized that if any one of them had been answered, I wouldn't have wound up with (as corny as it sounds) the man of my dreams.

And, ultimately, with the life I have today.

So tonight when I go to bed, instead of praying for something, I'm going to give thanks, give appreciation, for all of my unanswered prayers. And know that, no matter what happens, my life is working out just the way it's supposed to.

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"More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones."
-- Mother Teresa