Looking for an Answer to Prayer? Work, Watch, Wait

October 12, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.” Psalms 37:7 NLT

“It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:7 NLT

I recently “planted a seed.” No, not a literal seed. But I sent out a small thing that I hope will bring back a harvest. That seed is surrounded by prayer. How and when will God answer that prayer and what should I do while I’m waiting?

Another seed: I finally wrote a book! Years ago, God gave me the seed of an idea as I prepared a sermon. It took a while for me to plant that seed in writing and then for the seed to germinate as I developed the ideas. Now, I’ve begun to see sprouts and am learning how to tend the seed for growth. Soon, the plant will be developed and bear fruit. The book will be published before the end of 2024. I am planning for December 1st. If you would like to receive email alerts about the book, click here.

Are you waiting for a harvest, too? What can you do while waiting for an answer? If you have planted a seed of prayer or action, there are things you can do while you wait.

Work. Being still before the Lord does not mean you plant yourself in a chair and stay there until the answer comes. It doesn’t mean you stare at the seed until you see a sprout. Being still before the Lord means you quiet the inner need to make something happen. It means you step back, open your hands, and let Him lead the way.

In the meantime, you work.

Why Does Healing Take Time?

July 20, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

What is God doing? I am still not sure. I am a healthy person, but in the last three months, I have found myself with doctors multiple times. If you are a regular reader, then you know about the fall in May that broke both my wrists and led to surgery on the right wrist. A miraculous, immediate healing would have been nice, but I knew it would take time to recover. My orthopedist says we are almost “out of the weeds”. Praise God! Recovery has taken more effort and patience than I imagined, but it wasn’t unexpected.

Most recently I ended up in the doctor’s office for something that seems small and unnecessary. If you know me as well as my husband does, you know that even deciding to see the doctor is a big deal. My practice with most anything is to try to figure it out myself first or wait to see if it resolves. I don’t ask for help until I am absolutely certain that I need it. That has not served me well when it comes to medical issues. I confess I sometimes wait too long before heading to the doctor’s office or emergency room.

I was experiencing ear pain and then couldn’t hear out of my left ear. After a few days of trying to resolve the issue, I determined the problem was earwax that wasn’t responding to home treatment. Earwax! Come on! Do I really need a doctor for that? I called and was surprised to get an appointment the same day. I thought I would go in, get it taken care of, and go home healed. Not so!

My diagnosis was correct, but my expectation was not. The PA could not flush out the wax with the normal tools. It was too hard! She told me to continue drops at home to soften it and come back in a few days so they could flush it out.

Tom told me the doctor I was to see on my return visit “doesn’t mess around.” I didn’t look forward to the process but was confident I would go home hearing. But no! After some uncomfortable efforts he told me what he had already done would normally have removed it. The largest clump was still too hard. He sent me home to continue drops for another five days and then come back… again! The next day my ear began to open, and I could hear...most of the time. Finally, I went back to the doctor and left with success. But still questions.

Why does God sometimes require us to participate in the healing process rather than give us a quick resolution? I’ve got a few thoughts about that. I hope they encourage you.

Patience requires trust. If you and I are honest, we want a quick healing so we can just go on with life as it was.

Invitation to Celebration

March 9, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.” Colossians 1:6 NLT

Do you ever feel like you are just crawling through life? The things you want to accomplish are still a dot on the horizon. The person you want to become is just a fuzzy image in the mirror. The minute hand seems to move at a minuscule pace a millimeter at a time. It can be discouraging.

In those moments when you feel like you aren’t growing at all and that you are going nowhere, stop for a moment. Look back and find something to celebrate. It may be a pebble compared to the boulder you still see in the way, but when you celebrate small victories, you gain perspective. You’ll see that change is actually taking place — just not at the pace you would prefer.

So, today I want to celebrate one of those pebbles. Last week I sent back a pair of glasses that I had ordered. I know, that may not seem like a lot to you. But to me, it is an indicator that I am not the person I used to be. And that, my friend, is a reason to celebrate! What might it do for you to celebrate some small victories?

One Thing Yoda Taught Luke: Be Present in the Process

October 14, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” Psalms 105:4 NIV

Are you a Star Wars fan? No? Well, let me intrigue you and you might become one.

There’s a scene in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Yep! I am a Star Wars fan!) where Yoda, the Jedi Master, is deciding whether or not to train Luke Skywalker and chides him for a mindset that will prevent him from becoming the Jedi knight that he wants to be.

Yoda says, “A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away...to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing.” (“8 Creat Life Teachings from Yoda” StaWars.com accessed 10/12/23) Because Luke was always looking ahead, Yoda knew he would not be present in the process. Unless Luke committed to be present in the process, his progress would be limited. Did you catch that? Luke’s tendency to be far ahead in his mind, imagining what he wanted to be doing and where he wanted to be, would keep him from being fully present in the very thing that would get him there, his training. As his training begins, Yoda’s concerns prove to be correct.

What about you? Are you fully present right here and right now? Your dreams of where you want to be are important. They can motivate you. They can inspire you. But they can also distract you. If you are always in the future in your brain, but not present in the present you will miss the presents that are waiting for you here and now.

August 8, 2026

A - C = P: Anxiety - Control = Peace (Repost)

'Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. ‘Philippians 4:6-7 MSG

I was listening to a podcast when I heard a quote that brought so much clarity, I couldn’t get it out of my head. Here it is: “Anxiety results from wanting to control something God has not given us to control.” I didn’t remember the name of the person or why she was on the podcast, but what she said made so much practical sense. (I looked it up later. So, if you are interested, it was Joanna Weaver’s podcast, The Living Room, and the guest was Sharon Hodde Miller, author of The Cost of Control: Why We Crave It, the Anxiety It Gives Us, and the Real Power God Promises Us.) As I pondered her statement, a formula took shape in my brain, “A – C = P,” Anxiety – Control = Peace. Easy to remember and a goal worth aiming for.

Anxiety is something we all experience. Anxiety steals peace and commands focus. Whether it’s something personal about your family, or a job, or something broader like politics and the world situation, anxiety creeps up behind us, leaps upon us and gets us in a stranglehold. Ever feel that way?

Your brain goes in circles, trying to resolve something you are powerless to resolve. You can’t sleep and every waking moment is consumed with mental and practical fruitless attempts to solve the problem. Suddenly, it seems like nothing else is happening in your life. What started as a thought becomes a huge shadow. What do you do?