God answers as fast as He can

For several months I’ve been preparing for a two-week trip to Europe :) Leaving in a week and a half!

I want to take just one carry-on and decided to buy a new travel bag. Sometimes I struggle spending money on myself, so I made it contingent on a stretch goal — getting to work 5+ minutes early for 30 days. I reached 30 days last week!

What does this have to do with our Heavenly Parents answering prayers?

Maybe it’s a silly thing, but I prayed for help in deciding what bag to buy :) I picked one that was enough of a motivation, but as I neared my 30-days, I felt less settled on it.

I don’t want this post to be an ad so I won’t say what bag I got, but 3 days before I reached my goal, a new bag was released that fit perfectly. I bought it on Wednesday :)

It wasn’t possible to answer my prayer earlier…

…because the bag didn’t exist yet. My Heavenly Parents knew there’d be a bag I’d want to buy, but they couldn’t help me decide on it until it was released.

One other example…

I applied for a promotion three times over the last year and put a lot of effort into networking and qualifying for the position. I prayed for help in this situation as well. But I never got the job :(

A couple weeks ago that specific position was discontinued and everyone working there given new responsibilities (that I wouldn’t have enjoyed as much). Our Heavenly Parents knew for the past year (and longer) that would be the case, but I couldn’t know it until now.

I believe they answer every prayer as fast as they can.

I think our Heavenly Parents only wait to answer prayers when it’s necessary. Sometimes they’re waiting on things out of our control, and sometimes they’re waiting on us to be ready, but they never wait longer than they have to.

And when answers do come, we will…

“…not only be satisfied with the judgment of God; we will also be astonished and overwhelmed by His infinite grace, mercy, generosity, and love for us, His children.”

O How Great the Plan of Our God! Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Hindsight is 20/20 but foresight is better.

I see my Heavenly Parents hand in these past experiences, and I want to do the same looking at now and the future. There are still several things I’m waiting on (there probably always will be), but my recent HWN has been in recognizing that answers will come as soon as they can!

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p.s. Some updates since my last post… I got to see Freaky Friday with my mom and two sisters :)

I visited Vernal Utah with some friends :) I touched dinosaur bones at Dinosaur National Monument and the bricks of the Vernal Temple. My great great grandpa David Manwaring was the brick mason who made the bricks :)

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I visited friends and family in California for a weekend and recreated a picture with Maddison at the County Fair (2015 + 2019)

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I went to a Haunted House with friends :0

Orson Scott Card book signing! :) My favorite author!!! He blinked during the picture ;)

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And my mom sent me this picture from early 1993 (I think) when I was 5 years old! You can see the San Diego Temple under construction in the background. And check out Josh, Matt, and me and our style!