When we pray and it doesn’t happen, we assume God didn’t hear.

Or at the very worst, he doesn’t care.

Sometimes we have to take a step back and think about how small we are in comparison to the universe. The blue planet is suspended on nothing we can see. But there is an unseen force holding earth – and us – in place.

We are specks. And it’s almost humorous how big we think we are.

We shake our fist at God, we demand answers, we hold him accountable when everything goes wrong.

And yet, he understands.

And yet, he loves.

A father or mother can love a child who does all of the above.

God’s love is greater.

If we continue to demand and shake our fist, we only hurt ourselves and those around us. Yet, he lets us feel all the emotions of pain.

In fact, God feels our pain.

God heard your prayer because God hears.

It’s been said, God did hear your prayer. He said no. That platitude deserves the scorn it gets.

God doesn’t give us pat answers. People do.

Pain deserves understanding, compassion, and time.

God hears because he is with us when we’re in pain.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

We will never understand everything in life, but we understand enough. God wired us to find comfort with him if we want to.

For awhile, you may not want his comfort. You are angry at him for not intervening, not fixing the problem, and allowing pain and death.

One day, God promises to make it right. Then we will understand.

But for now, we do not.

You might not be ready to hear it now, but God is the one who you need during pain.

Everything else we try in order to cope and to ease the pain is temporary.

You will find that out. God watches and waits. He is with you even if you don’t feel it.

Answered prayer is a time of happiness.

Unanswered prayer is a time of sadness.

God is with us in the happy times. God is with us in the sad times.

God hears.