Opportunities to grow

We were watching the movie "Evan Almighty" recently on TV and the one scene that was replayed in my head since, was that conversation God had with Joan.

This was what God said, "If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?"

This is another reminder for me that God is not our vending machine, where anything that we ask for in prayer pops out for us. We need to be observant and look out for the opportunities He presents to us when we pray for something. It is when we are discerning, can we grab these opportunities and allow ourselves to be transformed and to grow into the person God created us to be.

Dear Lord, may my prayers help me to be aware of these opportunities that you to create for me and grant me the grace to allow you to mould me into a better person.