Prayers Prayed… Prayers Answered

As I’ve described in posts Saturday, Sunday, and Monday… the way I ended up in New York for internship is something that only God could orchestrate.  The stories are cool, but what is even more amazing is to see the ways in which God has answered so many specific prayers this year that were prayed even months before I even knew where I was going.  Here are a few examples with some excerpts from some of my prayer journals:

January 6, 2010 – “… To me, going to Africa the same summer as starting my internship seemed impossible, but You are the God who makes the impossible happen. Set my heart at rest to depend on your faithfulness. …”

I had planned to go to Africa the summer of 2009, because it seemed like it would be impossible for me to go the same summer that I was starting internship.  God knew that not only was it possible, but he knew it was the perfect timing being that I would be headed to one of the most mission-focused churches I’ve seen with people that truly wanted to hear my story and help me process what I had just experienced.  And if I could only express how much that sending cloth meant to me and to so many other in Uganda. 🙂

(Click here to read another funny God-story about the Uganda/internship combination.)

January 21, 2010 (the day of my placement interview for internship) – “…God, I also pray that you would help me as I reflect on my interview with Tim about preferences for internship. I don’t really know what I want. … Despite anything I said or didn’t say today, prepare the place and job description as well as preparing my heart for that position. … begin creating a support system in that place for me in some way.”

What I wrote in this prayer is true.  When I did my placement interview with Tim, I really didn’t even know how to answer the questions about what ministries I wanted to do and when I listed college-age ministry near the top of my list with a couple other lesser-common ministry areas, he kind of looked at me as if to say, “I doubt that’ll ever happen.” 🙂  And here I am on my internship with almost half of my time dedicated to college-age ministry.  Women’s ministry was also near the top of my list and it’s been a joy the past month or so to start up a Young Women’s Life Group.  God has cool ways of answering prayers.  (Neither college-age ministry, nor women’s ministry were even on the possible list to rank. 🙂 I just added them!)

Also, with that, “High School Ministry” was pretty low on my preference list at the time, but thankfully, God came through with the “prepare my heart for the position” part of the prayer too and I truly love that part of my job too and am so glad God knows my heart better than I do even!

Lastly, in that prayer, I prayed for a support system to begin being formed wherever I’d end up. I knew how much I depended on the people around me at school and that with all the transitions (especially with Uganda thrown in there) I knew I’d need people around me and again, I can’t think of a better place than First Trinity to find that.  Again and again God has shown me this love and encouragement and friendship that I need in ways that I couldn’t have even imagined. 

March 21, 2010 “…Father, I pray for my internship site.  In less than three weeks, I will know where I’ll be heading… but you already know. … I pray that as Tim makes these placement decisions, that you would reveal to him the perfect place for me to serve and share your name with the gifts and passions you’ve given me. …”

I thought I’d throw this one in there too just because it’s funny to me I said, “You already know God” and was kind of thinking, I’m sure that maybe Tim was starting to figure it out or something…. At this point, First Trinity hadn’t even expressed an interest to CUNE in getting an intern. 🙂  But, yes, God did know already.

April 10, 2010  “TONAWANDA, NY!!!  Well, at least I can write the town and church in here even if I can’t anywhere else.  First Trinity Lutheran Church.  Father, I praise you for this church and Sue, Jason and Pastor Chuck and I haven’t even been there. Thank you for the conversations with Sue and Jason today and consistently reassuring me that your hand is in this.”

If you didn’t know, due to Sue being on vacation and then Pastor being in China, they couldn’t announce the fact that they were getting an intern until about a month after I found out, which is why I couldn’t say much on Facebook, etc. but I COULD write about it in my journal and that I did. I continued to pray for this place and God has consistently answered those prayers again and again:

I didn’t know how I would pay for my Uganda trip and get furniture I needed in my apartment. Without me asking, they asked the congregation if anyone had extra furniture and now everyday, I am reminded of the Ciminelli family as I head to bed, and the Phillips’ as I eat dinner, and the Canfields as I turn on the lamps in the living room (and so many others who gave). 

I prayed for wisdom and guidance to balance my work/ministry with my need to just be alone with God and renewed and refreshed.  God provided a beautiful apartment in which I can come home each day and relax in Him.

The list can go on and on … and does go on and on.  God never ceases to amaze me!  So, there… now you have the crazy story of how I ended up as an intern in New York! 🙂  What a great 9 months it’s been so far!!