He said, "No."

I glanced over and the lady 10 feet away from me was looking our way...chuckling. She had just overheard my 7 year old ask for something like a pet giraffe and then whine out, "You always say no!" Pointing out all of the times in the last week when I had said "yes" wasn't going to go anywhere. At that moment all she heard was "no."

I had to chuckle to myself, too. Once again, God put His gentle finger upon my heart and tenderly made a point. "Mandy, if only you could see how I see...some of your requests are 'impossible' or dangerous. When I say 'no,' there is always a reason...a good one."

I knew what He was referring to, of course. He had just said 'no' to our son coming to China with us and the dates that He'd given us for going are far from my first choice for many reasons. But, He answered. And He is God. And all of His judgments are righteous and good and just.

So often, as believers in Christ, we talk about answered prayer, but what we tend to define as answered prayer are the times when God says 'yes.' I am reminded through the latest mile of this journey that 'yes' is not the only answer. I have experienced and lived the 'wait' answer. This time, the answer is 'no.' And I will rejoice in knowing that once again my God has answered me with His perfect answer. And, I don't have to understand why it is perfect...it just is because He is.



In Him,