All I can do is pray
Today, I had a phone call that lasted the better part of two hours. Mind you, I'm not complaining, just prefacing. This person and I talk, not often, but when we do, it's usually a marathon. However, today during our call, my heart was breaking. There is nothing I can do to help this person physically...all I can do is pray.
Life has a habit of handing us lemons, and sometimes those lemons are frozen, rotten or unripe. We do what we can with what we have, and put aside the "lemons" that we can't use or fix. Those of us who are called by His Name, we give the unusable stuff to God and let Him fix it. Sometimes. That's generally what I do, anyway. A lot of times I use what I can, give the rest to God, then take it back when the answers are slow moving, there are no visible resolutions, or the answer is no. I don't wait for His moving, I just take it back and do what I can.
This time...well, I can't fix what's broken for this person. If I could move this person closer to me, I would, in a heartbeat. I would take care of them so they wouldn't have the issue they have now ever again. I could do that, but it's not going to happen. Not because I don't want it to, but because right now, that's not where God is directing me. All I can do is pray, and pray that the resolution comes quickly.
Later this afternoon, I got a text. Another person is in need, and its an urgent need. Again, I don't have the magic wand to fix what is going on. I do not have the ability to make sure that all will be taken care of, that all issues will be fixed, excised, healed, mended, or any of the other synonyms that go in that direction...all I can do is pray, and pray hard.
I can pray them through the valleys that they're walking through. I can be the shoulder to lean on, to cry on. I can be the ear to listen, and I can be the prayer warrior that I'm called to be, but that doesn't stop me from wishing I could do more. That I could be more.
This year I have seen my fair share of mountains and valleys, although the valleys have been wide and sometimes barren. I won't lie, I'm tired. I'm beat up, and I don't like roller coasters like the one that 2017 has supplied. Ask anyone...I hate roller coasters and avoid them like the plague. 2017 has been the mother of roller coasters. Let me off, I want to puke now. Frustrated? Yes. Angry at some of the stuff that has happened? You betcha. Ready to stop the world and let me off? Nah, not yet. God hasn't finished with me yet, and I know there is still much to do...but most of the time, with all that's going on, and all that seems to be looming on the horizon, all I can do is pray.
Pray for peace within myself and those I'm praying for. Pray for comfort for those who are inconsolable. Pray for strength for those going through trials, through the valleys with no end. Pray for grace. Pray for mercy for those who seek mercy.
I pray for healing for those suffering, physically, mentally, emotionally. Pray for salvation for those who are without Christ in their lives. All I can do is pray.
So, as I sit here typing this out, my heavy heart is still burdened, but not as much as it was just moments ago. I feel that God is moving, is hearing my pleas and working in the lives of those who I'm praying for. I know that the answer to whether or not certain things will happen are absolutely in His control...and I'm good with that. Right now. Maybe not when we see how He has answered, and I will fight within myself to have the faith that God is sovereign and I am not.
All I can do, and am doing, is to pray. God has this...I have to have faith that He knows what He's doing. I have to have faith that God was at their beginning, is with them now, and is at their end. He knows what needs to be done, and is in fact working to the conclusion of the matter as I type. What I'm asking of you now is this: Please pray.
Because that's pretty much all I can do.
Life has a habit of handing us lemons, and sometimes those lemons are frozen, rotten or unripe. We do what we can with what we have, and put aside the "lemons" that we can't use or fix. Those of us who are called by His Name, we give the unusable stuff to God and let Him fix it. Sometimes. That's generally what I do, anyway. A lot of times I use what I can, give the rest to God, then take it back when the answers are slow moving, there are no visible resolutions, or the answer is no. I don't wait for His moving, I just take it back and do what I can.
This time...well, I can't fix what's broken for this person. If I could move this person closer to me, I would, in a heartbeat. I would take care of them so they wouldn't have the issue they have now ever again. I could do that, but it's not going to happen. Not because I don't want it to, but because right now, that's not where God is directing me. All I can do is pray, and pray that the resolution comes quickly.
Later this afternoon, I got a text. Another person is in need, and its an urgent need. Again, I don't have the magic wand to fix what is going on. I do not have the ability to make sure that all will be taken care of, that all issues will be fixed, excised, healed, mended, or any of the other synonyms that go in that direction...all I can do is pray, and pray hard.
I can pray them through the valleys that they're walking through. I can be the shoulder to lean on, to cry on. I can be the ear to listen, and I can be the prayer warrior that I'm called to be, but that doesn't stop me from wishing I could do more. That I could be more.
This year I have seen my fair share of mountains and valleys, although the valleys have been wide and sometimes barren. I won't lie, I'm tired. I'm beat up, and I don't like roller coasters like the one that 2017 has supplied. Ask anyone...I hate roller coasters and avoid them like the plague. 2017 has been the mother of roller coasters. Let me off, I want to puke now. Frustrated? Yes. Angry at some of the stuff that has happened? You betcha. Ready to stop the world and let me off? Nah, not yet. God hasn't finished with me yet, and I know there is still much to do...but most of the time, with all that's going on, and all that seems to be looming on the horizon, all I can do is pray.
Pray for peace within myself and those I'm praying for. Pray for comfort for those who are inconsolable. Pray for strength for those going through trials, through the valleys with no end. Pray for grace. Pray for mercy for those who seek mercy.
I pray for healing for those suffering, physically, mentally, emotionally. Pray for salvation for those who are without Christ in their lives. All I can do is pray.
So, as I sit here typing this out, my heavy heart is still burdened, but not as much as it was just moments ago. I feel that God is moving, is hearing my pleas and working in the lives of those who I'm praying for. I know that the answer to whether or not certain things will happen are absolutely in His control...and I'm good with that. Right now. Maybe not when we see how He has answered, and I will fight within myself to have the faith that God is sovereign and I am not.
All I can do, and am doing, is to pray. God has this...I have to have faith that He knows what He's doing. I have to have faith that God was at their beginning, is with them now, and is at their end. He knows what needs to be done, and is in fact working to the conclusion of the matter as I type. What I'm asking of you now is this: Please pray.
Because that's pretty much all I can do.
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