The Opportunity

There have been some thoughts mulling around in my head for awhile. When I was a little girl, I would often pray for things like faith, obedience, and courage. And a few days later when I didn't feel more full of faith, more obedient, or more courageous, I became disappointed thinking that the Lord didn't find me fit for those blessings. I wondered why I wasn't good enough to have more faith, obedience, and courage. However, I think my thoughts as a young nine year old girl were incorrect. 

Our Father in Heaven loves each of us more than we can realize. He finds each of us more than worthy to receive every blessing that He can bestow. However, I don't think that when we pray to Him, asking for a blessing, He will give it immediately. Lets take my simple prayers, for example. 

As a young girl, I wanted to have more courage. So I prayed for it. I expected it to come immediately and I would feel like I could conquer the world! However, what I think is that I missed the opportunities that Heavenly Father gave me to be courageous.

When we ask for a blessing, He does not bestow it immediately. He gives us an opportunity to exercise the attribute or quality that we desire. When we pray that we will have more faith, He will give us an opportunity, an experience, to exercise greater faith. To act in such a way so that our faith will grow. 

In the movie Evan Almighty with Steve Carell and Lauren Graham, she (Lauren Graham) prays that their family will grow closer together. She prays for this at the beginning of the movie, and then not too much later in the movie, Steve Carell is asked to build an ark. He grows an unstoppable beard, starts wearing ancient clothing despite his many attempts to wear a suit, and animals flock toward him. The world thinks he's crazy, and poor Steve Carell is under the scrutiny and criticism of the world as he starts building a giant ark in the neighboring lots to his house. His wife decides to take the family away from him, and go visit her mother for awhile, hoping that her husband will pass through this crazy "phase." 

While on the road, they stop at a restaurant for some food and Morgan Freeman, (in the movie he plays God) is their waiter. He sits and has a talk with Lauren and helps her to realize that all of this is a perfect time to help their family grow closer together, which is what she prayed for. It is at that time that she chooses to go back and support her husband. As a result, their family is as happy and united as Hollywood can make them.

While that example may be silly, I think there is truth disguised in there. If we pray for something, like courage or greater family unity, we cannot expect it to be delivered to us instantly. But what we can expect is an opportunity to bring family closer together and help from the Lord in doing so. He loves us. He will bless us with everything that He has if we will live righteously, and ask Him in faith.