I would have to say that one of the most incredible experiences of my short life so far has been the unexpected privilege of seeing Garth Brooks in concert. When that man puts on a show, he puts on a show. The music is, of course, fantastic. The energy in the room (if it's not an outdoor concert) could power a small city for three weeks. There is just no experience like seeing Garth Brooks in concert. I have always been a fan of his music, and seeing him in person was perhaps the quintessential unreal experience. He is perhaps the closest thing Country music will ever have to a rock god.
However, I must take issue with the man on one point. One of GB's most famous songs is a touching little number called, "Unanswered Prayers." It's one of those (okay, most songs would fit this category) where when he gets to it in the concert, every mouth in the arena was singing right along in near perfect harmony. That's how well known it is. If you're not familiar with the song, go now and YouTube it or something. I'm sure there's an illegal version of it somewhere. Don't worry, I'll wait.
[WAITING PATIENTLY]
[STILL WAITING PATIENTLY]
[KIND OF WANTING YOU TO HURRY, NOW]
Okay, good, you're back. So you see, now? Unanswered Prayers. The overarching theme of this song (yes, English teacher in me coming out) is that God ignores us for our own good, expecting us to understand. Aside from the obvious theological problems with the song, I take issue with the notion that this is God's greatest gift. "Well what is, then?" you ask. Well I'll tell you.
I believe that God's greatest gift to mankind is sometimes abnormally answered prayers. "But...that sounds a lot like what Garth was saying, Adam." Yes, I know that. Which is why I used him as an engaging lead-in. But bare with me for a second here.
When we pray, God always answers (SEE: aforementioned "obvious theological problems"), and he always answers in one of three ways: Yes, No, or my favorite, Maybe/Wait. Yes is great, God answers our prayers and cool things happen or we're blessed in some powerful way by God right then, or at least pretty soon. Good stuff. No is okay. God is usually protecting us from something we don't need or somewhere we shouldn't be, doing His best to keep us from screwing our own lives up. That's who God is, and that's why He has the most difficult job in the un/known universe. You want to make someone do something, tell them you're protecting them by keeping them from it. But then is my personal favorite, and that is the "Maybe" or "Wait" answer.
Oh, the "Wait" answer. It can be excruciating. It can be nerve-wracking. It can be tempestuous, at best, while we wait for God to answer our prayers. And who among us knows why at the time? All we know is that God doesn't like us and He doesn't want us to be happy, so he forces us to sit around waiting on something we really, really, really want. Ugh. But the reason I love this part of who God is is simple. Because when God says yes or no to our prayers, it is usually pretty straight forward, especially with an answer in the negative. It just doesn't happen. But when God answers us with a "Wait/Maybe," He has the chance to get real creative in how those prayers are answered. And that is the aspect of God I love seeing come to fruition.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm not telling you that I jump up and down for joy when I feel God answering one of my prayers this way. I am as impatient as the next guy, and I want it now. But when I can see how God worked something in my life like this, that is when I get jazzed up, given the advantage of hindsight and understanding. It's beautiful! Let me give you an example.
When I was a little kid, I remember constantly praying for a brother. That was the one thing I wanted. I grew up with two sisters (who are both wonderful, but let's be honest, I didn't know that at the time and I didn't care), but really wanted a brother. Always. I can remember one time sitting in the back of Mom's van while leaving one of Amanda's softball games at the point of tears because I was begging God to give me a brother. Now at the time, I did not understand the difficult processes and theologies that go behind answering prayers (SEE: all that stuff I was just describing to you). So I just thought that God was ignoring me (Thank you, Garth Brooks).
Fast forward now about fifteen years, we'll say, although I'm not exactly sure. I am still the youngest in my family. I have not been given any little brothers, although Amanda has given me an adorable niece and an awesome little nephew. Now, if you're a more attentive reader, by this time the question you are no doubt asking yourself is, "Where is the answered prayer? I thought this was a story about how God answered your prayer after many years?" It is. I'm getting there.
Biologically, I am still brotherless. There are no little male scamps running around with similar DNA to me, which also eliminates illegitimate children, in case you were wondering. But that is not to say that I am without. Some of you are no doubt familiar with something I've on occasion referenced called TLN, or Tau Lambda Nu. If you follow me on Twitter (go now if not, @42Cobras), you've likely seen #TLN. If you know me from UGA, then you likely either saw the old sign on our apartment door or you heard one of us reference said letters.
If you're not familiar with it, TLN is my fraternity. Not a University sanctioned, "Pay us $1,000 and you can hang out with us," fraternity, but a fraternity nonetheless. Me and three other guys (Rylan, Andrew, and Josh) lived together in East Campus last year and formed said fraternity. At first, it was just a joke amongst the four of us. We would kid around about it, and we would host TLN sponsored events (mainly just movie nights where people could come watch something on Rylan's inappropriately large tv). It was a grand old time.
But over the last few months, ever since I moved back home while those guys stayed in Athens, I've grown to really understand how much of a brotherhood we were. That's what a fraternity is supposed to be about. Brotherhood. I know that when I need someone, I can go to any of those three guys and (almost) expect them to lay their life on the line for me, as they know I would for any of them. On more than one occasion, I've talked to one of these guys about tough decisions and troubles we're experiencing in life. There is an unspoken pledge between the four of us that we would do anything for any one at any time. I don't know exactly where this came from, except to say that in the year we lived together, and in the time since as I have frequently slept on their cat-ridden couch, we have built a brotherhood, and I cannot express how blessed I have been by having that relationship. I thank God that He did not take the easy way out and just give me a brother, because now I have the closest brothers I could ask for.
And to be honest, although there is this core group of Tau Lambda Nu, I feel I can honestly claim that my fraternal relations extend beyond that. There is a group of guys that I've known for the better part of the last four years, and some I knew before that, who have made my life what it is. A man with many friends has a group that will entertain him, but a man with many brothers has an army that will save him. I could not consider myself more blessed than with the brothers I have been given, and for that reason alone, I thank God for abnormally answered prayers.
So when you pray, do not pray like the ignorant who will receive nothing and believe they are being ignored. Listen, and with faith, expect God's blessings to come somewhere down the road. You may not even realize it when it happens, but the greatest thing God can do for you is give you a gift worth waiting for. Trust me on that.
Adam Wynn is the author and proprietor of 42Cobras Publishing, namely the blog you are reading right now. He is also the one typing this message in italics for the sake of humorously looking more important and pretentious than necessary. He graduated from the University of Georgia with degrees in English and English Education, both of which obviously qualify him to blog. He is from Dacula, GA and now spends most of his time in his Dacula home writing and looking for a real [sic] job. He is also the author of the ambiguously popular serial novel, "Will Baker is Dead!" the first 8 episodes of which are available for free at 42Cobras Publishing, which is the blog you are reading right now. The remaining episodes are in progress and will become available shortly after their completion this week. In the meantime, he will continue to tweet voraciously, Facebook excessively, and blog randomly at varying intervals at 42Cobras Publishing, the blog you are reading right now. Thank you, and have a nice day.
However, I must take issue with the man on one point. One of GB's most famous songs is a touching little number called, "Unanswered Prayers." It's one of those (okay, most songs would fit this category) where when he gets to it in the concert, every mouth in the arena was singing right along in near perfect harmony. That's how well known it is. If you're not familiar with the song, go now and YouTube it or something. I'm sure there's an illegal version of it somewhere. Don't worry, I'll wait.
[WAITING PATIENTLY]
[STILL WAITING PATIENTLY]
[KIND OF WANTING YOU TO HURRY, NOW]
Okay, good, you're back. So you see, now? Unanswered Prayers. The overarching theme of this song (yes, English teacher in me coming out) is that God ignores us for our own good, expecting us to understand. Aside from the obvious theological problems with the song, I take issue with the notion that this is God's greatest gift. "Well what is, then?" you ask. Well I'll tell you.
I believe that God's greatest gift to mankind is sometimes abnormally answered prayers. "But...that sounds a lot like what Garth was saying, Adam." Yes, I know that. Which is why I used him as an engaging lead-in. But bare with me for a second here.
When we pray, God always answers (SEE: aforementioned "obvious theological problems"), and he always answers in one of three ways: Yes, No, or my favorite, Maybe/Wait. Yes is great, God answers our prayers and cool things happen or we're blessed in some powerful way by God right then, or at least pretty soon. Good stuff. No is okay. God is usually protecting us from something we don't need or somewhere we shouldn't be, doing His best to keep us from screwing our own lives up. That's who God is, and that's why He has the most difficult job in the un/known universe. You want to make someone do something, tell them you're protecting them by keeping them from it. But then is my personal favorite, and that is the "Maybe" or "Wait" answer.
Oh, the "Wait" answer. It can be excruciating. It can be nerve-wracking. It can be tempestuous, at best, while we wait for God to answer our prayers. And who among us knows why at the time? All we know is that God doesn't like us and He doesn't want us to be happy, so he forces us to sit around waiting on something we really, really, really want. Ugh. But the reason I love this part of who God is is simple. Because when God says yes or no to our prayers, it is usually pretty straight forward, especially with an answer in the negative. It just doesn't happen. But when God answers us with a "Wait/Maybe," He has the chance to get real creative in how those prayers are answered. And that is the aspect of God I love seeing come to fruition.
Now don't get me wrong. I'm not telling you that I jump up and down for joy when I feel God answering one of my prayers this way. I am as impatient as the next guy, and I want it now. But when I can see how God worked something in my life like this, that is when I get jazzed up, given the advantage of hindsight and understanding. It's beautiful! Let me give you an example.
When I was a little kid, I remember constantly praying for a brother. That was the one thing I wanted. I grew up with two sisters (who are both wonderful, but let's be honest, I didn't know that at the time and I didn't care), but really wanted a brother. Always. I can remember one time sitting in the back of Mom's van while leaving one of Amanda's softball games at the point of tears because I was begging God to give me a brother. Now at the time, I did not understand the difficult processes and theologies that go behind answering prayers (SEE: all that stuff I was just describing to you). So I just thought that God was ignoring me (Thank you, Garth Brooks).
Fast forward now about fifteen years, we'll say, although I'm not exactly sure. I am still the youngest in my family. I have not been given any little brothers, although Amanda has given me an adorable niece and an awesome little nephew. Now, if you're a more attentive reader, by this time the question you are no doubt asking yourself is, "Where is the answered prayer? I thought this was a story about how God answered your prayer after many years?" It is. I'm getting there.
Biologically, I am still brotherless. There are no little male scamps running around with similar DNA to me, which also eliminates illegitimate children, in case you were wondering. But that is not to say that I am without. Some of you are no doubt familiar with something I've on occasion referenced called TLN, or Tau Lambda Nu. If you follow me on Twitter (go now if not, @42Cobras), you've likely seen #TLN. If you know me from UGA, then you likely either saw the old sign on our apartment door or you heard one of us reference said letters.
If you're not familiar with it, TLN is my fraternity. Not a University sanctioned, "Pay us $1,000 and you can hang out with us," fraternity, but a fraternity nonetheless. Me and three other guys (Rylan, Andrew, and Josh) lived together in East Campus last year and formed said fraternity. At first, it was just a joke amongst the four of us. We would kid around about it, and we would host TLN sponsored events (mainly just movie nights where people could come watch something on Rylan's inappropriately large tv). It was a grand old time.
But over the last few months, ever since I moved back home while those guys stayed in Athens, I've grown to really understand how much of a brotherhood we were. That's what a fraternity is supposed to be about. Brotherhood. I know that when I need someone, I can go to any of those three guys and (almost) expect them to lay their life on the line for me, as they know I would for any of them. On more than one occasion, I've talked to one of these guys about tough decisions and troubles we're experiencing in life. There is an unspoken pledge between the four of us that we would do anything for any one at any time. I don't know exactly where this came from, except to say that in the year we lived together, and in the time since as I have frequently slept on their cat-ridden couch, we have built a brotherhood, and I cannot express how blessed I have been by having that relationship. I thank God that He did not take the easy way out and just give me a brother, because now I have the closest brothers I could ask for.
And to be honest, although there is this core group of Tau Lambda Nu, I feel I can honestly claim that my fraternal relations extend beyond that. There is a group of guys that I've known for the better part of the last four years, and some I knew before that, who have made my life what it is. A man with many friends has a group that will entertain him, but a man with many brothers has an army that will save him. I could not consider myself more blessed than with the brothers I have been given, and for that reason alone, I thank God for abnormally answered prayers.
So when you pray, do not pray like the ignorant who will receive nothing and believe they are being ignored. Listen, and with faith, expect God's blessings to come somewhere down the road. You may not even realize it when it happens, but the greatest thing God can do for you is give you a gift worth waiting for. Trust me on that.
Adam Wynn is the author and proprietor of 42Cobras Publishing, namely the blog you are reading right now. He is also the one typing this message in italics for the sake of humorously looking more important and pretentious than necessary. He graduated from the University of Georgia with degrees in English and English Education, both of which obviously qualify him to blog. He is from Dacula, GA and now spends most of his time in his Dacula home writing and looking for a real [sic] job. He is also the author of the ambiguously popular serial novel, "Will Baker is Dead!" the first 8 episodes of which are available for free at 42Cobras Publishing, which is the blog you are reading right now. The remaining episodes are in progress and will become available shortly after their completion this week. In the meantime, he will continue to tweet voraciously, Facebook excessively, and blog randomly at varying intervals at 42Cobras Publishing, the blog you are reading right now. Thank you, and have a nice day.
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