Philippians 4:6 – Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. (NLT)

Sometimes it is so hard to have patience when we are waiting for an answer to prayer. The answer may not come immediately. We must remember that our Lord works on a different time schedule than we do. We always want answers immediately. God will answer, but when He feels it is time — His time, not our time.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, we had a close-knit group of four special friends. We called ourselves the "Four Mousketeers", as we had all been Mickey Mouse fans as children. We had a special love for each other, a love that I thought would never end. Every Friday, we would meet at one of our homes, and one would play hostess to the others. We had our lunch and laughter together, and sometimes we even shared tears and warm hugs. It was a special bonding time to which we all looked forward and we all needed.

But things change.

In July, 1991, our friend, Suzanne, had to have a heart valve replaced. She went home to be with our Lord that day. It was hard on the three of us. We held on to each other even more tightly.

Then in January, 1993, our friend, my dear sister, Sharon, was diagnosed with breast cancer and went to be with our Lord in July that year.

The day of Sharon's funeral, Vickie signed herself out of Princess Margaret Cancer Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, so she could be with me during one of the hardest days of my life. Ten months later, in May, 1994, Vickie was also with the Lord.

I could not understand why my Father had taken my three closest friends away. I prayed for years that He would bless me with another close friend.

He did, but I was too blind to notice at first. She lived just down the street from my parents, she vacationed at the same trailer park as my parents, and she sat beside me at church on Sundays. After knowing this dear lady for over ten years, God finally got through to me. "Hello! Your friend whom I have given you is right beside you. Wake up and realize I did answer your prayer."

I was looking so hard for an answer, and all along, God had put my answer right beside me; yet I was not willing to see. Our friendship and sisterhood in Christ has since flourished, and we are blessed more each day as to what He has given us.

Let us ask God to help us recognize the answers to our prayers which He sends, and in some instances, the answers He has already given.

Prayer: Dear Lord, open our eyes so that we can see what You have placed right in front of us or beside us. We do not have to search for the gifts You give us; we just have to reach out and accept them. Thank You, dear Father, for Your wonderful gift to us of love and friendship. Amen.

Our God always answers our prayers. We are an impatient people, so maybe we don't get the answers fast enough to suit us, or it might not be the answer we wanted to hear.

My sister, Sharon, had multiple sclerosis, which left her both blind and deaf because of the disease's effect on the nerves. We communicated by the deaf/blind hand signals.

Then she developed breast cancer. We were all so devastated. She had suffered so much with the MS, and now this. We prayed for a healing. Sharon had to undergo surgery and chemotherapy, which left her in such a weakened state. The cancer grew faster than anyone expected. None of us gave up; we still believed we would get our miracle.

Sharon's morphine doses were increased to help control her pain. She was having so much difficulty trying to communicate because her brain was in such a fog because of the drugs.

We still prayed for a miracle, for her healing.

Then Sharon went into seizures brought on by the MS. When she came back to consciousness, her hearing and her sight had been returned to her. She could see us and hear us. We were able to communicate with her, and she was able to understand us. We had our answer, and our miracle.

God had said "no" to us on healing Sharon of her cancer, but He gave us the ability to talk to her, and for her to see our loving faces, the faces of her husband and children, and of her family and friends. He gave us the opportunity to say goodbye, and for me to tell my dear sister how much I will always love her.

We have a loving, merciful Father. He gives us what is most important for us, even if it is not what we had asked for. He answers our prayers and gives us the most precious gifts possible.

Prayer: Yes, God, You do answer our prayers! Help us to remember that You know what is best for us. You are our Father, and You love us dearly. Amen.