Not Exactly What I Prayed For

Many years ago, Barbara Bartocci wrote about a time when she was searching for the perfect birthday card for her husband. She came across a humorous one. On the outside, it read, “Sweetheart, you’re the answer to my prayers.” Then, on the inside, it read, “You’re not what I prayed for exactly, but apparently, you’re the answer.”

That funny birthday message became the Bartocci family motto over the years. Whenever a family member struggled with a setback or disappointment, someone would remark, “Well, it’s not what you prayed for, but apparently it’s the answer.” The family learned to find comfort and wisdom in accepting life as it was, not as they would have it be.

There is no doubt about it, humor helps us deal with the heavy side of life. And, it is true that sometimes God answers our prayers with a “Yes,” sometimes, “No,” and sometimes, “Not Yet.” While we don’t always know how God is at work, we can trust that God is with us through it all.

Let us pray: Grant us, O God, an ability to laugh even in the face of the abyss. Above all, help us to trust that you are at work in our lives and in the world around us. With your grace and peace, we know we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us. It is in his name we pray. Amen.