Some days it’s tough to crawl out of bed in the morning.
And some days, it’s tough to put down the book and get up off the couch. But I think for me, the hardest challenge is to turn off the hot water and get out of the shower. In the winter, the bathroom always feels chilly after the hot shower water and I dread the transition. Of course, I could always turn up the bathroom heat, but then I never remember to turn it back down. It’s kind of like turning off the oven after baking. But that’s a different story.

This morning I was running a bit late, but I still lingered in the shower. Finally, I sent up an arrow prayer to God, “Help me get out!” as I twisted the shower knob a little bit higher. Only, I accidentally twisted the knob in the wrong direction. As the water suddenly got colder, I very quickly hopped out of the shower.

Prayer answered.

Not exactly how I expected it to be. But answered.

I can say that about a lot of my answered prayers. Not exactly how I expected, but answered. I’m sure that’s what I’ll be able to say one day about my currently unanswered prayers. Because they will all be answered one day. Most definitely not how I’m expecting, though…

For example, I prayed for patience and I got the most vocal, energetic, and emotional class I’ve ever taught. I’ve earned each iota of my patience.

My grandfather prayed for a closer relationship between my brother and I – and I ended up spending a lot of healing time on his couch when recovering from some of my surgeries.

There’s also the day I looked in my closet and told God I needed some new clothes. That evening a friend handed me a bag of clothes she’d decided to get rid of.

All three of those prayers were answered in unexpected ways.

I remember a Sunday School teacher once telling me that there are three answers to every prayer: Yes, no, and wait. Every time you bring a request to God, He’ll respond with one of those three. But I think there’s a fourth answer. I think sometimes, God whispers back down, “Open your eyes and look around.”

When John the Baptist was in prison, he began to question why was he still in prison if his cousin Jesus was really the Christ. He sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the one, or if they should be looking for someone else. Jesus answered, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them” (Matthew 11:4-5). I wonder what John thought when they brought that answer back to him. Because even with all those miracles, he was still in prison.

But, maybe that’s not what he was thinking. Maybe he focused on the miracles. Maybe he focused on the work Jesus was doing, on the healing and the preaching.

When I prayed for patience, not only did my students teach me patience. They also filled my heart with joy and taught me how to be a better teacher than I ever thought I could be. My days on my brother’s couch brought me closer to his whole family. That bag of clothes from my friend filled me with excitement and encouraged me to fill a bag of my own extras and pass them on again.

God goes above and beyond with His answers.

So keep asking. And if you don’t get an immediate yes or no, the answer could be Wait. But it could also be, Look. Look around you and see the unexpected answers. It could be as simple as a splash of cold water in the shower, or as complicated as a cancer diagnosis.

Somehow, it’s all part of His plan. And trust me, it’s gonna be a good one!