God’s timing is often confusing.

I don’t know why some prayers are answered immediately (like the time a few nights ago when I bumped a car parked on the street – I examined the damage and realized I didn’t just bump it, but scraped the entire driver’s door! LORD! Please let this car owner be graceful and merciful with me! Turns out, that scrape had been there for months. I hadn’t actually done ANY damage to the car!)

Some prayers take a little longer to work out (Last August I begged, Lord, get me to San Salvador AHORITA! NOW! God will get me there, but this year has been so amazing. I wouldn’t have spent it anywhere else, other than Columbus, Ohio)

And some prayers just don’t ever get answered (Lord, my mom is a good woman. She has life to live. I have life to live with her! Take this cancer! Mom passed away almost 5 years ago. I know God has His reasons, and I trust him, but I haven’t quite figured them out yet.)

And sometimes I get answers to prayers I never prayed.

Amanda is the Youth Pastor at Rock City Church. I am a 9th Grade Girls Leader. Over the past year, Amanda has become possibly one of my closest and truest friends. She honestly gets me. And when she doesn’t, she just smiles, shakes her head, and says, “I love you.”

I don’t know why God brought such an influential, imperative person into my life when He knew I would only have a short time with her before jetting off to San Salvador to live out His call on my life. But I am blessed by every day I get to spend in the midwest with Amanda. She has taught me how to love teenagers, even when they’re crazy idiots (which is most of the time). She has shown me how to love and be loved by the people around me that might not always understand me, but love me just the same. She has taught me the importance of holding teenager’s feet to the flame, pushing them to look inside themselves and come out stronger, more faithful and more independent.

I could go on, but at this moment, I am late (story of my life. I’m on that El Salvador time) for birthday dinner with my best girl, the Harry to my Ron.

“Go in peace! The two of us have vowed friendship in GOD ’s name, saying, ‘GOD will be the bond between me and you, and between my children and your children forever!’” // 1 Samuel‬ ‭20‬:‭42‬