Yesterday during our worship service, as we do each Sunday, the pastor invites the congregation to share any praises or prayer requests. My favorite part is to listen to the praises and hear how God has answered prayer and worked in the lives of our church family.
I was quite surprised though, when Carl stood up to offer a praise, because that is generally out of his comfort zone. He shared how much I loved to play the harp and how the surgery to remove the tumor and lymph nodes left a question as to whether the muscles and nerves would be left intact enough to continue playing. How the surgeon wasn't sure she would be able to make that happen. He shared how, through prayer, God enabled me to go through the baby steps of strengthening the muscles, and over time, allowed me to be able to progress enough to play again.
As Carl continued to speak, my eyes filled with tears. For it never occurred to me to ask God that I would be able to play the harp again. I was consumed with the fighting of this disease. But Carl, in his wisdom and love for me, knew how important the gift of music was in my life. How one day I would miss it. And so he quietly prayed. He continued to pray. He offered up prayer on my behalf, without me even knowing, and God answered that prayer. I was able to play my big harp in worship last Sunday.
Oh, the incredible power of prayer when lifted up on behalf of someone else. God knows our needs and desires of our heart even when we can't see them for ourselves. How thankful I am that God knew that I would one day want to play the harp again. And grateful that He blessed me with a godly husband who lifted me before the Father to ask for that prayer to be answered.
And from this day on, each and every time I sit at my harp to play, I will pause to give God thanks for the music of a quiet prayer lifted on my behalf.
