understanding here after

No doubt you've experienced plenty of unanswered prayers.

This could be prayers that seem to hit the ceiling, as if they haven't really been heard.  Either we prayed selfishly or otherwise wrongly, and it's sounded like crickets ever since, God-wise.  I know I can concoct some pretty amazing scenarios in my mind, turn them into prayer, and then get the silence that's an appropriate response, I suppose.

Or it could be prayers that didn't turn out as we'd like, either in the wrong thing happening or the right thing vanishing: injustice triumphs, sickness persists, or death comes too soon.

Our God is sometimes perplexing and certainly can be inscrutable, particularly in what He's up to with us and those we love and pray for.  St. Peter was often perplexed with Jesus, as when He called out Peter's huge catch of fish, called Matthew Levi to be a disciple, or wanted to wash Peter's feet.  In the latter case, Jesus said to Peter, You do not realize what I am doing, but later you will understand (John 13:7).  One translation says, you will know hereafter, implying that all will be revealed to us in the life with Jesus yet to come.  I suppose so.

But I believe that later, here after, a while, we will not know fully, but we will understand. We are fully known by God, Who doles out the understanding of His Plan and Will as we are capable of receiving it which, humanly speaking, is mostly incapable.  Nonetheless, we can be made receptive to His timely explanations.

In my life of prayer, rife with unanswered requests, I find God to be frustrating at times, but ultimately satisfying my need to know, with a gentle Look that says, "you will understand, here, after, a while."