Summary: <br> I try not to play favorites around here, but sometimes I just can’t help myself. I have a confession, I have a favorite group of listeners. It’s a group of beautiful folks in St. Louis between the ages of 72 and 102, and they’re the residents of a long term care facility. They listen to the devotional podcast as part of a group activity called “Devotional and Doughnuts”. So here’s a special shout out to my friends this morning, and this one is for you!<br> These special friends of mine perhaps know something that the rest of us young whiper snapers don’t … they know how blessed they have always been. They have a greater perspective on life, standing on the top of that mountain seeing all God has brought them through. And I bet they would tell us today they no longer worry about the little stuff. Why? Because God has proven to be faithful. He has never failed them yet. They have been blessed.<br> Oh, what if we could have that perspective today? To know that we are undoubtedly, undeniably, unequivocally blessed! To open our eyes and realize we are surrounded with an abundance of answered prayers and favor every moment of our lives, including this moment. Let me prove it to you.<br> Do you have someone in your life that you love? I bet you once prayed for them didn’t you? And you got them. But have you forgotten they are a blessing? Have you forgotten they are an answered prayer because now they’re messy and moody and slightly demanding? How quickly we forget the gifts we have received when the gifts grow a little old.<br> At 15 years old I literally prayed for my husband. Now I wasn’t looking to be a child bride, however I was looking for some new boys to come to my little country town of Ava, Missouri. By about the 7th grade every boy in my school was either my cousin or I had already dated him, or worse … he was my cousin and I had already dated him. So I prayed. I prayed to the God I was just beginning to know and I asked him to bring some new boys to our school. As a result of my prayer, and some other extenuating circumstances I never took the time to learn about, a family was uprooted from Dallas, Texas and their UHaul showed up on a little farm outside of my hometown. This family included a 17 year old male. We just called him “new boy” and he was an answer to my prayers. We began dating immediately, I married him 6 days after my high school graduation, and 3 kids and nearly 25 years later, he’s still mine.<br> Now why is it on most days I look him right in the face and forget HE IS THE ONE WHOM I PRAYED FOR. He is my answered prayer. I woke up in the bed next to a full blown miracle. Why wouldn’t I be in sheer giddiness over this? Oh yeah, because it’s all just become normal. Somehow I’ve allowed miracles and answered prayers that moved a family cross country because of a 15 year old girls prayers for a boyfriend to just become ordinary.<br> Perhaps you’re the same way. You too are surrounded by one answered prayer after another. I prayed for my children. I begged God to give me a baby. Just because that baby is a 19 year old soldier in the US Army doesn’t mean I have to miss the fact that he’s a miracle. The result of the prayers of my heart. My daughters … I met them in an orphanage in Mexico and I prayed God would somehow make those beautiful little brown eyed girls mine. Oh he moved mountains to answer that prayer. He did the impossible for me. Now they’re seniors in high school with boyfriends and cars and attitude. When is the last time I looked at them with the perspective that they are my answered prayer? It’s been a while!<br> How about you? Has it been a while since you looked at your life with the same perspective? You prayed for him didn’t you? You prayed for her. And you have no idea all the mountains God moved for you to receive your a...
