Well, I Didn't See That Comin'

WELL, I DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING

My son loves to wrestle with me. Sometimes we arm wrestle. Sometimes I’m putting him in a headlock. He knows he’s going to get beat, and yet he starts it up on a regular basis all in good fun. I tell him no matter how big he gets (he’s fortunate to be 13 now) that I will always be able to take him down, and once I’m through with him, his daddy gets a turn. Invariably during our roughhousing I’ll do something my son isn’t expecting in order to “dominate,” and he will say, “Well, I didn’t see that coming.”

My prayer life is a lot like that. I pray with a burdened heart for God to heal this person, fix this person, resolve a situation, or something along those lines, and when He starts to heal that person, fix this person, resolve that situation, He does it in such an unorthodox way that I say, “Well, I didn’t see that coming.”

Sometimes healing that person means giving them a perfect body without pain in heaven. Sometimes fixing a person means He deals with me, my flaws and weaknesses, and my attitude which can be hefty at times. Sometimes fixing a situation means exposing sin and lies to break a situation down to what is true, so He can restore a relationship, a Christian or bring someone to Christ.

In the past few years, I’ve prayed some pretty big, bold, complicated prayers regarding burdens in my life, and two times God has answered in ways I would never have imagined. Why would He allow a marriage to be shattered in order to restore fellowship within the marriage and with Him? Could it be He was dealing with a couple of hard-headed folks which may or may not have had hard hearts? Why would He remove a livelihood? Maybe to remove those who were not encouraging spiritually and was otherwise dragging you into the gutter.

Before you get angry at God for not answering your prayers the way you wanted, better ask yourself some questions:

1.     What was the end result for which you were praying?

2.     Did you in any way try to handle this problem, person or situation yourself? How did that turn out?

3.     Why did you turn it over to God if you weren’t going to trust His hand, His method, His will?

4.     Do you know as much as God?

5.     Is there a possibility there are things going on that you are not privy to or facts you aren’t aware of? I mean, are you all-knowing like God? Because if you are, you should be rich, the most financially stable person on the face of the earth.

6.     God asked Job who he was to question Him. I ask you the same thing. Who are you to question God? Who am I to question God’s dealings, motives or plan? We are simply to obey.

So when things start going sideways in the situation or with the person for whom you are praying, let me make a few recommendations based on my experience.

1.     Get a grip on your lip. Stop talking. People talk because they think they have so many important things to say. You can’t possibly see God’s hand moving and working if you are too busy running your mouth.

2.     Open your eyes, your mind, and your heart. When things go sideways and it’s not of your sinful doing, it means God is up to something, and you should pay attention.

3.     Take notes. Journal. Journal. Journal. The Israelites would stack stones to remember what God had done in certain places, so they could tell their children and their children’s children. Journaling is your way of stacking stones.

4.     Wait. DO NOT MEDDLE. God does NOT need your help…at all.

5.     Move and speak only as the Holy Spirit leads.

6.     Be grateful. Find things to be grateful for along the way. Praise God during the wait. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, In everything give thanks.

7.     Trust. You trusted God enough to take it to Him; trust Him enough to leave it there. Trust that He has gone before you and is already preparing the way (Isaiah 42:16).

I could go on with this list, but these are the top 7 things to do when things appear to go sideways when you pray.

Pray Big. Pray Bold. Trust Greater. And Watch God do His thing. Then TESTIFY.

Holiday Miracles

Have you ever heard of miracles happening during the holiday season?

Have you ever prayed for a miracle during the holidays.

Sometimes God provides the miracles, but we fail to acknowledge them as such.

This Thanksgiving week, I observed what I will call a minimum of three miracles. I’d like to share them with you.

1.     A young widow who lost her husband due to brain cancer found many things for which to be thankful. She was even grateful for grief. That’s a God thing. That’s God working in her and through her, sustaining her, upholding her with His mighty arm.

2.     A mom whose 15 year old daughter died of cancer finding things for which to be grateful. She was grateful death came quickly. She was thankful there was no regrets. She and her daughter had lived life to the fullest, lived life loud, lived life vibrantly the last several months Cam had on this earth.

3.     I saw a young lady meet her birth family for the first time. God’s grace and mercy was enough, so they could begin to build relationships where there once was none. If you have never been part of an adoption story, you may never know the significance of this, but if you have, you know the weight of it.

The holiday season is not easy nor joyful for everyone. Sometimes the season doesn’t live up to the hype and disappointment rears its ugly head. Depression can be a constant companion for many. But I encourage everyone to look for things for which to be grateful. If these women can find things, surely you can too. I cannot fathom walking in their shoes. As a matter of fact, I can’t even let my mind go there. But the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in everything.”

There have been times when my sister and I have felt so beaten down that we struggle to look for something for which to be grateful. So we come up with some of the most off-the-wall things. Please feel free to use any of these if you are that desperate. (Keep in mind, we use levity to help us cope.)

1.     Bellybutton lint because that means we have an inny-bellybuttton.

2.     Toe jam because that means we have more than one toe. Toe jam requires more than one, and some people truly don’t have more than one or any.

3.     Nose hair because without it that bug that flew up Lori’s nose would have traveled to her brain.

4.     Dirty laundry because it means we have been blessed with clothing for our family.

5.     Scrubbing potties because it means we have indoor working potties, and in some countries this is a luxury.

6.     Molded cheese in the fridge because it means our family had plenty to eat, and there was excess. To many this is unheard of.

7.     Fighting kids because our kids are well enough to stand-up to each other and aren’t in a hospital or worse.

8.     Music or TV that’s too loud because it means we have the gift of hearing.

Do any of these apply to you?

Philippians 4:8 is a verse I have to remind myself of on a regular basis. “Whatever is true; whatever is noble; whatever is right; whatever is pure; whatever is lovely; whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.” Things in my home and family are not perfect. We struggle. We are constantly battling to protect our family from principalities and evil forces, but if I can just keep my focus on these things, if I can keep my focus on Christ, I can find something for which to praise Him, something for which to say, “thank you.”

I’d like to pray for those of you who are struggling. You feel like you barely survived the Thanksgiving holidays and don’t know how you will manage Christmas.

Abba Father,

Thank you. Thank you for loving us and being with us even when we are in pain. Thank you for never leaving us alone. Thank you for never leaving us in our struggle. Thank you for never wasting anything in our lives.

I want to lift up this sweet girlfriend to you. You are her wonderful Creator. You know her most intimately. You know her need before she does. You go before her turning the darkness to light, making rough places smooth (Isaiah 42:16), but sometimes God it’s just hard. It’s hard because we can feel so overwhelmed, and the void and emptiness seems to want to swallow them whole. But God, I know You have a hold of her and won’t let go of her.

Please surround her with growing, mature, godly girlfriends who will encourage her. Help my girlfriend to have the courage to take the next step to follow after you. And above all, heal her and bring her through. God, in Isaiah 43:2 it says you are with us when we pass THROUGH the waters and the rivers which will not overwhelm us, and that we will not be scorched when we walk THROUGH the fire. In all of these trials, God, we are passing through. We don’t stop there. We don’t live there. Satan wants us to think we have to stop and live, but that’s not your plan. So, give her the courage to make that next step.

Lord, I pray she feels Your Spirit. I pray she feels Your undeniable presence.

We will give you all the praise and glory.

Amen