Prayers Answered?

Thank you so much for sharing this story! It is so great to hear this and everyone else's stories who have responded. Bless you.

I'm not religious, but I deeply admire and respect people who are. I'm so happy for you having 'that moment'!! I think it's wonderful :)

What I don't think is wonderful is that you have to ask people to be kind about this, THAT'S a bummer :( We shouldn't have to put a disclaimer on something in fear of other's negative answers.

Anyway, super happy for you :)

Almost 10 years ago, my 16 year old daughter had a sudden massive heart attack. She was on life support for 2 weeks. Her only hope at living was a heart transplant. We were living on prayers. She was a tiny skinny girl when it happened, 5'5 and only weighed 105. Well, in those 2 weeks, she had lost weight down to 82 pounds. She was anorexic, disgusting, horrifyingly thin. So one night, my husband and I looked at each other and said "It's time to let her go". So when we went to bed, we prayed "God, we can't put her through this anymore. We are giving her to you. Whatever you are going to do with her, please do it". Shutting off life support wasn't an option, as she wasn't brain dead. But what we were doing was admitting that we were as ready as we could be for her to die because it was so horrifying living. After our prayer, we went to bed and the phone rang at 2 am with the news that a heart was available.

That was my pivotal faith moment. How much clearer could it be?

I got Lyme Disease and my neurologist had me on 2 strong narcotic pain medications. I ended up going to treatment to get off the medications. I was in a 14 year long unhealthy marriage. With all the counseling I got in treatment I became strong enough to file for divorce. But it was only when I had read the story of having faith the size of a mustard seed, then the next morning in group therapy, a counselor said "M., all God expects of you is to have faith the size of a mustard seed." I thought "wow, how did she know I read that last night?" then a couple of days later, at family visitation, my daughter said "momma, I brought you something." she reached in her pocket and pulled out a mustard seed necklace, knowing nothing of me reading that or the counselor telling me that. It was that moment that I looked up to heaven and said, "I get it lord." I trusted Him immediately and prayed constantly that His will be done in my marriage. The day I got home from treatment, I filed for divorce. I am now in an awesome relationship with a man who treats me like a queen. I am hopeful that your marriage will be restored. Trust God, He will lead the way! I loved reading your story first thing this morning. God bless you and your family!

My faith was tested in 2009. Both my husband and I were laid off. We had enought money to get to August 15. Then we'd start missing bills. Despite filling out numerous applications neither of us received any interviews. 'The DAY' kept getting closer. The money getting lower.
On Aug. 1 hubby received 2 calls for interviews and a job offer on Aug. 8.

There came a time shortly after that when I couldn't pay one of the bills. $103.09 I had no money and it was 2 weeks til payday. That night, that I realized I couldn't pay it, 2 checks arrived in the mail. An expected refund for $100.99 and an unexpected check from our car insurance for $2.13. Total to arrive was $103.12.

Honey, you just ignore the pagans and heathens that have anything negative to say. God is real and he cares. We all go through periods of doubt and disconnect. God does not move or change. It's all US. But the distance between our head and heart is long at times.

So happy you have something positive to hang onto today. Never stop reaching out for God. He tells us in Hebrews that he rewards those that have faith.

Isn't it funny how God knows what we need and when we need it better that we do ourselves? Wonderful story that brought a smile to my face. Thank you for sharing and I wish you and your husband many, many years of happiness.

Ditto to Rachel D about having to ask people to be nice about it.

I find that God speaks to me the most when things are tough. My husband was out of work last summer (2010) and the sermons at church were all about the plight that the Egyptians and Israeli's went though. I left in tears every week. The pastor was telling how things were horrible and would get worse, but that God was there and was going to make it all right. He did. At the end of summer, at the end of the series of sermons, my husband got a job. God is good!! He always answers our prayers in the way he intends to.

God bless you! So nice to hear other people's stories of how God has spoken to them!!

Your story is so beautiful! You are so blessed that your heart opened to receive such a gift.

I was also raised Lutheran and although I never questioned what I believed in, I always felt like I was such a casual Christian. I wanted to figure out how to feel it, live it, breathe it more and never could quite get there. I like your terminology of "Restore My Faith".

Ultimately, we had a very ugly situation with my son's teacher in 3rd grade. She absolutely broke his spirit, confidence, and desire to EVER go to school again. To solve the problem, I decided to change schools and for whatever reason ended up at the school at my church. I knew it was there, but never knew anything about it. Come to find out they score in the top 10% in the nation and offer an amazing school and spiritual experience. Well there was not an opening for him. I was SO sad. I had no idea where to put him or where to turn. I remember saying one little prayer asking God to give me direction and help find a place for him. The next day I got a call from the church school, they had an opening and out of the 4 kids on the waiting list they chose my son to attend.

Now 2 1/2 years later, I struggle to pay the tuition as now my S. boy goes there but I have a family of friends from the school and the church. I am in a Life-Group, run the Sunday School Store and have learned to praise God the way I have always wanted to. He brought this school to me knowing that was just what I needed to enrich my faith and teach my children to understand as well.

I feel so blessed that I was given this gift and I love to hear stories like yours.

Have a beautiful day!

My Grandmother died when I was 11. I took it very hard. I remember when at her funeral I started crying hysterically and the pastor stopped speaking to come and embrace me. He said a very short and quiet prayer in my ear. It was something I never forgot.
When my husband and I were looking for places to marry I called every church around. No one would marry us because we weren't a part of their church. My husbands friend and coworker gave us the name of the pastor that married he and his wife. I called him, we spoke for about 5 minutes and he asked "are you related to a Hannah ...", I said "Yes, she was my grandmother". He was the same pastor that did her funeral services. I can't really put into words what I felt in that moment but, I think we both felt he should marry us.
I hope everything works out for you and your family! Find strength and no matter what the outcome you will make it through good and bad. Take care.

What a nice story. I'm very happy your husband is willing to work on things.
I've never doubted that there was a God but my eye opening moment was when my daughter was in a car accident last year. She got hit by someone who went through a stop sign going 60MPH. She got thrown from the car and landed in a yard about 25ft away. And she walked away with only a broken color bone and some stitches..After that I knew there was a God and that my parents were angels watching over her that night.

I am very happy for you. One thing I know is prayer works. I try to talk to God about everything, instead of always calling a friend. He is my friend. God likes us to invite Him into the situation. He won't invade on the situation LOL!! I've noticed in my walk the more you have a personal relationship with God, the more you "feel" his presence. And believe me you can't have relationship with anybody you don't talk to. I don't think God wants divorce for any of us unless staying in the marriage is a threat to our life. So happy you and your husband are opening your hearts!!

YAY!!! I am SOOOO happy for you!!!

There has been a couple of times when God has worked His magic in my life and left me blubbering like a baby!!!

I'm so glad you didn't give up!! YOU GO GIRL!!!

I cried a little reading your post, it's amazing!

Have a fantastic day and a wonderful life!

I am feeling closer to Him now too. My family is going through a very trying time and the bills were mounting. So I went looking for a job and got offered one at the very first place I went and got to pick my shift. Then I started looking for childcare for 2 days a week and the only person I trust in this town agreed to watch my babies.
Oh and we were stressing out about money but I found a check for 1000$ I forgot all about. We were able to get the kids some needed winter clothes.

Aaaw, what a great post! And the first one I've read today, awesome way to start my day, thank you!

I'm so pleased at your lightbulb moment, or 10 minutes. Faith is a journey, and like any relationship, will have it's ups and downs.

I hope when things get bumpy again in the future (you know they will!) you remember this moment and sit tight.

Your husband's a lucky guy. I hope you'll continue to 'be determined' to make it work.

Have a great weekend with your fam!!

:)

I have never been a deeply religious person. Went to church off & on as a kid, but was not "raised" in a church & my parents never went until I was in highschool, then stopped soon after I stopped going after I graduated.
Anyway, I rejoined a church close to home shortly before the birth of my S. son (I have a 4yr old & 8mo old). I had been going for a little while before that, but just decided to become a member earlier this year. My husband does not go. He was raised going to church, but like yours talks about "organized religion" and stuff, so we don't really talk much about it. I take the boys & our 4yr old will tell him stuff about Sunday school. And my husband did take him to VBS & will take him to choir practice when needed, but not to church services or Sunday school.
Recently I've been going to a Bible study group. The book we've been reading is How to be more than a Good Bible Study Girl - I swear alot of that book speaks to me!
My sister and I hardly talk. I haven't seen her in atleast a year (she lives an hr or less from me). We have never had a really strong relationship, but we did used to talk. We are total opposites in our lives for the most part. However, I felt the need to openly speak with her about things - and honestly. So we talked & cleared some air. I found out that she & her husband have recently found God in their lives & my sister is actually going to school right now for Religous studies - just for herself, not for a job or anything. I really feel right now like God brought us together in this way. I have no other explanation. And she & I have plans to talk more (and be open & honest-even if it hurts), and get together more. She hasn't seen my boys too much & she has a 14yr old daughter that I miss as well.
On a side note - I had the open & honest talk with my hubby recently & with my parents yesterday. My side of the family is not so good with telling each other the truth, we tend to walk on eggshells so we don't hurt each other, but I'm kinda over that - I said I don't know if it's age, being mom of 2 little boys, an act of God, or being married to my husband for almost 10yrs now (he's a "tell it like it is" kind of guy, if that makes sense).
I wish you luck with your husband & hopefully you guys can work things out - if not, like you said, maybe it's just not in God's plan for you - but since your hubby brought it up, maybe it's Gods plan for you to stay together :)

I am happy for you! I am glad to see that your husband wants to try to make things better. I hope that things continue to work well for you. Good Luck in your journey together. :)

That's great! Good luck in everything you do!

The first person we called to help us was a minister when we were going through a really bad time that we couldn't handle ourselves (I'm a pantheist, my dh is agnostic). They are trained as counselors, so it doesn't surprise me that your pastor was so helpful. I am happy to hear you guys are working on healing your marriage, I wish you the best of luck.

Hi Adansmama,

I think this is a wonderful post! I'm so glad for you. I have a similar background...raised Lutheran, became very skeptical, and had several instances of feeling His presence to bring me back to Him.

I think the biggest moment concerned having a 3rd baby. We had a boy and a girl. They were getting to be school age, so I was at a crossroads. I could return to the workforce or pursue a career put on hold by having kids and chasing my Military husband around the country. My husband, who had been deployed for both of the other kids' first years, was really hoping to have a baby so he could experience all those firsts. I was really torn because not only had I had 2 babies already and knew all the work and sleeplessness it involved, but I had done it alone! First time with a 4 month old and S. time with a 3 year old and a newborn---including driving my self to the hospital while having contractions and delivering our son while my husband was halfway around the world. My parents were there to help, but it still felt quite "alone".

So anyway, I wasn't sure I wanted or needed a third baby because doing it alone is so HARD. Yeah, he would be here this time, but the experiences with the first two were so difficult it was not something I was jumping at. Anyway, we started trying.
Nothing. For like a year. The other two were so quick, we just looked at each other and BAM...pregnant. But nothing.
Then the doctors found a lump on my thyroid. They couldn't tell if it was cancer, so they removed the whole thyroid.
Come to find out the thyroid is a pretty critical gland! I was probably near death, and went thru quite a struggle to find alternative means of getting better. I felt duped by the doctors. The lump was nothing! Yet they removed a critical gland!
So after finally feeling sort of human again, we thought of trying again. We actually got pregnant, but miscarried. Come to find out that pregnancy is like a thyroid stress-test. Thyroidless folks tend to have fertility issues and miscarriages...a 3rd baby may be impossible. We looked at adoption, but the costs involved seem prohibitive.

So one night, I was just spent. My health was better, but life was drastically different than before. I was still mourning the miscarried baby. I was mourning the loss of my thyroid and my health. At that point, I felt like I would like to cuddle a baby again, but it just may not happen. (Like you don't know you want it until you can't have it?)

So I just remember surrendering. I was like, this is out of my hands now. If a third baby is even possible, it is up to God. And a certain warmth spread over me like a hug, but not a physical hug.

Anyway, against all odds, I got pregnant again. (and I say that because timing and opportunity for trying was like nonexistent.) Seriously, it was almost like the very next day how fast it happened. I still held my breath expecting another miscarriage.

And as if that weren't miracle enough...I actually LOST weight having this baby. I had a zero-net-gain pregnancy, the extra weight I had from before went into the baby! That never happens! AND she was born on St. Patricks day, which is the day my husband and I first met. So there were many inexplicable things other than God had a hand on it. She is our little miracle child.

God is there sometimes we just do not listen or sometimes we forget to thank him for something that happened because we may not think it had anything to do with God. I have many experiences of God's work in my life. Big things you can see but there are everyday things like the smile from a stranger that makes the day brighter or the person on the phone that we helped through a small crisis because God brought them to us. Be grateful, know that you are loved and Thank God. I wish you luck in your life/marriage.

I have been married your entire life. There are times things are bad and times things are better. Since my husband had his birthday this year he has changed, he will be 70 his next birthday. Apparently this has scared him. Our church began a study called DNA of relationships by Gary Smalley. This is entirely scriptural, even has memory verses! We have been doing this for about three sessions. Each session lasts about 45 minutes and then there is a discussion time so we do a video one week and discuss the next since it is during Sunday School. I already see a difference in our marriage! There are many points but the main one is to accept personal responsibility. No matter how much you may want to, you casn not change any one else. The only person you can change is yourself. I would google Gary Smalley and see wht you could find online. I understand you can;t afford to buy videos but maybe you can find his book cheap on amazon or something. I would urge you to look into it. btw, God always answers., especially if you go to Him and bare your soul with sincereity. This doesn't need to be words in King James style but just modern English.