God is Good!

God is Good! I just strongly feel the need to write about this today from answered prayers I have seen in my life the past little bit.

I feel like I have been on the longest journey. I'm not quite sure when this journey started and I haven't yet reached the end. Sometimes the journey feels really long and daunting, and sometimes I receive an incredible answer to a prayer that gives me the assistance to focus less on the journey, and a little bit more on becoming like my Heavenly Father. The closer I draw to my Savior and my Father in Heaven, the more I see of His goodness.

Often when I pray, I expect the answer to be instant. For example if I'm going through heartache or grief, if I'm praying for peace, it's appropriate and a good desire to want that peace right then so I don't have to feel so miserable, right? Or another example, if I'm praying for stronger faith and courage so I can continue to move forward, wouldn't it be so wonderful to have that come instantly so my steps would be a straight and consistent movement towards goodness, so I not once had to fall? As much as these intentions of prayer are good or even great desires of my heart, they would take little to no faith on my part if all the answers came immediately every time I asked.

The more I pray, the more I learn that Heavenly Father desires to bless me and YOU! He loves the good desires of our hearts. And even in those times when I don't have good desires, He recognizes how hard I am trying. He recognizes the very nature of my heart. But here's the thing, even though He desires to bless me, He desires even more to help me become a little bit more Christ-like. He rather me go through some pain and discomfort so I can be refined.

So even though each time I pray, I keep hoping and praying that I will see the results and answers to that prayer soon, if not instantaneously, I am learning that every single prayer is ALWAYS answered. ALWAYS!! It has taken a lot of practice and diligence to prove this to be true. It has taken more faith than I ever knew was inside of me. It has taken more observance on my part to look for the answers hours, days, or even months, or years later down the road.

I see His goodness in my life as I look for it, and that brings me hope. Sometimes I lose patience and I end up praying, with tears streaming down my face "Do you even hear me? Do you even care?" and this is what I have learned - He ALWAYS does! It's okay to tell Him how you feel. It's okay to take your real and vulnerable questions to Him. It's okay when you doubt, as long as you take your doubts to the right source for them to be healed. And I testify, your doubts will subside as you strive to let light into your life - because God is GOOD! He loves you! He is forever in the details of your life.

He wants to pour blessings upon you. 
He wants to meet you where you are, to take you to where He sees you can be.
He wants you to be happy!
He wants to help you and hold you!
He will do ALL of these things, if you just ask!!!

Make it a goal to seek out His goodness, I have NO doubt you will find it!