“God never says ‘no’” (02/05/2026)

I recall my conversation with Bill, the hospital chaplain. We were talking about the way the LORD hears our prayers and answers them. Then he shared something an older Irish priest told him at Normandy on the anniversary of D-Day. According to Bill, the old priest said: “God hears our prayers, every one of them. And God never says, ‘No.” God says, ‘Yes,’ or ‘Yes, but it will be a while,’ or ‘I have a better idea.’”

I had to think about that a bit. I had experienced the first many, many times. And I’d experienced the second many, many times when I felt the LORD had said “no” or put me in a prayer queue and I was waiting my turn only to have my prayer answered. It wasn’t always exactly like I had asked, but I realized that prayer isn’t like Amazon where one gets to select every facet of the shipment. It was the third, “I have a better idea,” that I struggled with for most because I could recall many times then what I prayed for didn’t materialize at all.

In the rearview mirror, with all honesty, I did have to admit the LORD’s idea and the way things unfolded was way better than what I had hoped for in my prayer. I remembered wanting to get back to finish my degree but having to postpone and postpone because of our frequent moves. But in the end, when I finally got back, I realized I was at the best place and time for getting the degrees I needed. Things like that happened a lot in my life. I could accept that explanation.

But then I thought of losing my grandson, Michael, and our family’s prayers for a miracle, for help so that our tiniest member could survive and thrive. But Michael died after five days. As I sat and held the words “I have a better idea” in my mind, it didn’t fit what I had in my heart, not at first. I wanted more time with Michael. I wanted Michael here with my daughter and his dad and siblings. God’s better idea was that Michael live but with Him, without suffering. And when I weighed it, I had to admit the LORD’s idea was better for Michael.  As I continued to ponder the old priest’s wisdom, it dawned on me that the LORD gave me what was in my heart for Michael, peace, love, joy, purpose, and life. He did give Michael what I was silently hoping for in my heart, it’s just that it didn’t match my spoken words in prayer.

I’m still pondering the old priest’s words. I’m still re-tracing the prayers of my life and thinking about how “I have a better idea” might explain the way they were answered. I frequently say, “God writes straight with crooked lines.” This may be one of those times.  Funny how it took me over 75 years of the journey to hear the old priest’s wisdom and to ponder whether maybe, just maybe, the LORD has been answering my prayers, all of them, not solely on what I utter but taking into account what I lovingly hope for the other.

One thing I took away from my talk with Bill and his story of the old Irish priest was that I need to keep praying. We all need prayer on our journeys. And we need hope, trusting that the LORD answers every prayer. We may need to add in understanding, the ability to see a “Yes” that the world might confuse for a “No.”

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.