Answers

God usually has four answers to our prayers:

"Yes."

"No."

"Wait."

Or, "I've got something better."

When I was six years old, I all but prayed that I would get to be a flower girl. Some of my best friends got to be flower girls (multiple times!), but not I. One of my friends even received a great prize in exchange for donning a beautiful dress, dropping flower petals, and briefly being the center of attention: a dark wood jewelry box with a little white ballerina inside that danced endearingly to a charming tinkle when you opened the lid. And I coveted that flowery status. My consolation came in realizing that when my oldest siblings got married, I would be guaranteed the high ranking position of flower girl in their wedding(s). Every fiber in my being longed for it. I don't remember praying about it, but I wouldn't be surprised if I did. I waited for God's answer.

Fourteen years later, He's asked, "How about being a bridesmaid instead?"

In my first wedding with a dear girl friend and a dear brother getting hitched to each other. What more could I ask?

God's answers are always better than what we had envisioned ourselves.