Unanswered Prayers

Yesterday on the way home I was listening to Judith Orloff's book, Emotional Freedom, and she was talking about how to deal with the disappointment when you don't get something you want. She talked about a concept I'm familiar with but hadn't really allowed myself to apply to my situation with the New Englander, until now.

I could explain the concept, or I could let Garth Brooks explain it:

Just the other night at a hometown football game
My wife and I ran into my old high school flame
And as I introduced them the past came back to me
And I couldn't help but think of the way things used to be

She was the one that I'd wanted for all times
And each night I'd spend prayin' that God would make her mine
And if he'd only grant me this wish I wished back then
I'd never ask for anything again

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

Just in case you didn't get it (although if you watch the video you'll see thousands of people singing along who know exactly what he's talking about), the concept is that sometimes things happen for a reason that at the time, we cannot understand, but that doesn't mean it isn't in our best interest.

As I made my way to work this morning on my bike -- that's right, it was -18 on my iphone when I left -- I tried not to cry too many tears lest my goggles freeze to my face -- I sang along with Garth:

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he may not answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered

Some of God's greatest gifts are all too often unanswered...
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

We'll see about that. But for now, I'm making room for the possibility that this is one of those gifts...