For as long as I can remember I have been told that there are no silly prayers. There is nothing too small or trivial for God. And while I know that God’s concern for every aspect of our lives is never a question…I am convinced that God does us a favor by not answering some of our silly prayers.
This last week without a doubt has been the most challenging of the last 2 years. For the first time someone from the PURE family went to be with Jesus. Something that a community and family should ever have to endure…but death is the unwanted intruder in life.
As the week unfolded I clung to something Mark Batterson shares. “Many of our prayers are misguided. We pray for comfort instead of character, or an easy way out instead of the strength to make it through…But if God answered [those] prayers, it would rob us of our greatest opportunities.”
The difficulty of this week wasn’t a personal challenge or a point of personal failure. The difficulty in this week is found in having no words. No words to share with a mother, a brother, a sister, or a niece that can make sense out of the loss of Justin. In the midst of pain we are often quick to find ways to make people feel better…when far too often there are no words, and there shouldn’t be. Sometimes there is no cute prayer or verse in a time of pain and loss that can begin to measure up or explain why.
While believing pain bring perseverance and perseverance brings character and that sometimes God lets us walk through things we don’t understand to grow us in ways we cant imagine…how do you explain to a mother that her loss may actually be God walking her into a place that He alone can be her strength? You don’t…you let God do what He does best love people, comfort and heal.
For each of us it is probably far too frequent that our prayers are wasted on relieving opposition instead of asking ‘What do you want me to learn in this God?’ No question Gods heart breaks when we experience pain…and He will always comfort when invited. Is it possible that at times we ‘waste prayers’ by asking God to make us feel better instead of heal and teach us in every step of life?
So where’s the opportunity? Tues will be the the opportunity. A moment in the lives of the people that love Justin Morrow to learn about the eternal part of a young man whole believed with conviction that Jesus Saves.
live//PC
posted by lissa_cobb in Uncategorized and have
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