The last couple of weeks have been full of people and situations to pray for. So many family and friends faced with trials weighes heavy on my heart. I hate to say I feel helpless...that all I can do is pray, but it's true. I can't fix what they're going through. I can love on them, make them dinner or help with their kids, but I can't change their current circumstances. Only God can do that. In my helplessness, His strength is made perfect. When there is nothing I can do, He can do everything. That changes my feeling of helplessness to one of surrender. I can take my friends to the foot of the Cross. I can intercede for their circumstances, trusting in the One who knows their need...the One who loves them infinitely more than I do.
A friend who'd been praying with me over several of these situations mentioned how much I had to thank God for this past week. True, three of the situations ended with answered prayer. By answered prayer I mean "answered in the way we prayed". While I thanked Him for answering, I had to check my heart. What if the situations had ended in a way we hadn't prayed for? Would I still thank Him? Would I trust Him enough to understand that His ways are higher than mine; that His plan is so much greater? Yes, I had a lot to thank Him for, but if I truly trust Him, then shouldn't I be thanking Him regardless of the outcome?
Let's be real - It's not easy to thank Him through despression, or cancer or relationship challenges, but in doing so I'm expressing my heart's surrender to His plan...His PERFECT plan. I may not have been thankful at the time for the depression in my life, but through it all I am very thankful for what He did to change me. I am thankful for the molding and shaping that took place through those darkest of nights; those nights when I felt the sun may never rise again. It taught me to be thankful for the promise of a sunrise. I'm thankful that from the ashes of depression He was able to bring something beautiful to life again.
Thanking Him regardless of His answer is the truest expression of thanks.
I know what you mean. We can be thankful that when he brings us through we will be more conformed to his image, if we let him do his work in along the way.
ReplyDeleteYes, and YES!
ReplyDeleteA talk topic I've had rolling around in my head is "What if He isn't Willing?" You know they guy who said to Jesus, "If you are willing, You can make me clean." And Jesus said, "I am willing. Be clean." And the guy is filled with gratitude and tells everyone about this amazing thing. Sure. Makes sense.
But what if He was't willing? What if the best thing would have been for that man to remain sick? Would he still have been filled with gratitude? Would we?
You're raising a very good point here, Angela.
yes this is something I'm ever trying to learn, but not quite grasping yet!!! I always wanna do something and I'm starting to learn that prayer is doing the best thing!!! I am totally pitiful at being thankful!!!
ReplyDeleteRight on! God always hears our prayers and answers... but not always in the ways we asked for. This is a tough one to wrestle with! Although, a number of times I have recognized when His answer was different than I had prayed, and it was CLEARLY better than I had asked for! :) I often remind myself that He works ALL things together for good -- and HIS "good" is always the best. :)
ReplyDeleteWOW!!!! Praisng GOD for HIS leading me to wonderful Sisters in CHRIST like you!!! KEEP GOING for GOD ALMIGHTY Sweetie... PRAISE HIS HOLY name in and thru alll things...Praying for you and your Fam. too.. HUgsssss DE
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