Strong and courageous: readjusting expectations when answered prayers fall short

Recently I shared with Facebook readers and newsletter subscribers about “Strong and Courageous,” a new story of mine featured in Guideposts’ forthcoming book “Exploring God’s Promises: Hope,” which follows my family’s account of God’s promise fulfilled—in the midst of trauma and uncertainty—after my husband was hit by a drunk driver and resuscitated at the scene. Up until the past few months, Bob has navigated his myriad deficits through exercise and pain management. But the day finally came for him to see a specialist. Before his appointment, we prayed for a definitive answer; a hip replacement wasn’t the response we’d hoped to hear. And because what we want doesn’t always line up with what we need, it forced us to readjust our expectations. Yet the promise in my story—that God will never leave us or forsake us—continues to hold true two decades later. It also will when Bob returns to the trails with his brand-new hip.

How do you respond when answered prayers fall short?

Photo by: Catherine Heath on Unsplash