Praise for Answered Prayer

Lately the Lord has seen fit to answer prayer that's been in my heart log for a very long time.  Answers to prayer that come according to God's timing are worthy of praise even more than the quickly answered ones.  I like knowing that in His time he answers the prayers that I sometimes forget. Lately, however, He has answered prayers that I have simply asked that His will be done.  And I have waited on Him to see what His answer would be.  I await the results of His choices in my life with expectation, that these things will work together for my good.  I refuse to manipulate things to fit my desires, and ask that He grant help even in areas where I don't know what to do. 

Much Praise Dear Jesus for the things you are doing in my life.

A true story:
Yesterday, I was in a store. I noticed they had my favorite lip balm, exactly where they ususally stock it. My Husband was paying for something at the counter, so I pulled it from the box and was going to have him pay for it. But he said, "no wait and look around a little, I know you wanted to, and see if you find something else you want to buy." So, since it was a small item, I reached around the corner and placed it back into it's little box.  As I reached around, I over heard a gentleman saying to his friends as he showed them a logo on a package, "this was one of the first pieces of Graphics I ever did."  It caught my attention, and I looked up at him to see if I recognized his face from online graphics companies I had researched. For a fleeting second, I thought, "I wonder just what it took for him to make that first successful Logo." I looked back down at the little box where I place the lip balm into the tiny little slot where it belonged, and as I turned to go back into the store area to browse I looked once more at his face. Then I dropped mine and sheepishly tucked my forfingers into my pockets as I often do to keep my arms close to my body in a crowed place. I was still thinking of what it might be like to actually get a peice of my graphics on a product line, when I realized that I couldn't go in the direction I had planned, so I headed away from the crowd and into the corner to start looking.  There I found some cast Iron skillets similar to what I thought Jimmy might be interested in for cooking cornbread.

I was suddenly brought back to reality, when the store manager came around behind me, and looking only at my pocket where I still had my forefinger tucked, she said, " what a bright yellow shirt you have on." She looked only once quickly at my face and then back at my pocket where I dropped my hand away from my pocket, and looked only intently at her.  I knew exactly what she was thinking, because I had seen the clerk behind the counter go to her as I left the lipbalm box, and I was sure she told her she thought I stole it.  I never really know quite what to do in that situation, but because I constantly check for my cell phone and keys to still be in my pockets, and I often tuck my fingers into them to walk, I am often suspected of being a theif. 
It really hurts me so badly that I can hardly speak. And the people checking me out, misread my facial expressions for guilt. It happens enough that I just want to stay home and not go anywhere, or shop ever.  I stood there until she was finished eyeing me, and I went to find Jimmy to show him the skillets. She had already cornered him and he was his ususal laughing self, but becoming annoyed at our not being able to look without the interuptions, totally oblivious to the fact that we were being monitored for our activity. I have worked retail and I know the deal. I lost my desire to look around, or buy the lipbalm or even show Jimmy the pans, but I didn't want to look like we were leaving as if guilty.
I got Jimmy away from the manager long enough to show him the pans and we discussed that they were not exactly what he had in mind, and turned to look more in the store, but there she was again. Blocking our way, because we were near the door.  Jimmy still didn't pickup on what was happening, and was annoyed enough that when she finally left us he said so, loud enough to be heard.  By then I just wanted to leave, and he looked at me puzzled and said, "I thought you wanted to look around." He headed to the candy wall looking for something sugar free. I followed him and told him they thought I stole the lip balm, and he just said I was silly.  "I just want to go," I said about to cry. He said, "Well get the lip balm and I'll get this candy and we will go."  I was still trying to figure out if I was choosing my favorite shade, when he joined me there near the register, and he said, "I don't understand why you won't finish looking around." I was holding back tears, now til I could hardly stand there with all the associates looking at us now, so I just tossed the lipbalm on the counter and said, "I'll be outside."

I have been so upset about this because it is a place we frequently go together on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, and I will forever be afraid to go back in.  I wondered will I forever be on someone's list as a theif. Will they look at me and think that is someone I should look out for.  I am so far from a thief that any one who loves me knows I would never steal anything. Yet I fit a profile, so I am constantly living in fear of being accused of something I didn't do.

So after almost letting it ruin my day, I asked, "Lord how do you deal with being falsely accused?"  His answer was quick.  "I know you didn't steal it, or have any thought or desire to do such. I know.  I know your heart. So no matter what happens in life, that you cannot control, remember that I am the one who knows the truth."

Joseph in the Bible was falsely accused, and he used the opportunity to tell men in the jail about God.  I pray God doesn't choose to test me in such a way, cause I just am not half the couragous individual that Joseph was. I am crushed when people misjudge me. I don't know why, but I guess I just think people can look at you and know you love God; but it isn't so, is it?

Our character will be tested often in life. We won't always respond in a way that encourages the people judging us to think differently about us. Our only recourse is to know that an Omniscient, Omnipresent, All seeing God  Knows the truth. He is the one that counts.

So now when I look at the lipbalm, I will have to resist the urge to think of what it took to buy it, and say to myself, God knows all things. Maybe God knows I needed a lesson in that premise and this is how he will renew my thinking.

Lord, Help me to look to you, not to my emotions when I think people are misjudging me. Strengthen my ability to act like a person who tries to do the right thing.  But requardless, give me peace in my heart to walk past the fear of what other people might think. AMEN