I'm really glad I didn't blow off church this morning, although I came really close. Hubster and I were up a good bit of the night, cleaning up puppy pee, plus we had a houseful of over-excited kids (including our OWN kids), AND to top it off, we had a King-Sized thunderstorm move through our area at about 3 AM this morning. The kind of storm that comes out of nowhere and the windowpanes rattle and the wind howls and the rain comes down in sheets, and sleep is all but impossible. (But really, we needed the rain, so I won't complain TOO loudly.)
All that added up to a lousy night's sleep, but I managed to drag my sleepy self into church this morning (courtesy of 2 Mountain Dews). The part of today's teaching that really struck with me was: "What a difference a comma makes" and, in our bulletin was a little two sided card.... one side said:
All that added up to a lousy night's sleep, but I managed to drag my sleepy self into church this morning (courtesy of 2 Mountain Dews). The part of today's teaching that really struck with me was: "What a difference a comma makes" and, in our bulletin was a little two sided card.... one side said:
Please, God and the other said Please God
I've been dealing with a couple of personal issues and my prayer life has felt like it's been hitting a brick wall, and I thought to myself (after hearing today's teaching) "Am I focusing on pleasing God?" or "Am I just 'pleading' with God to get my way?" The answer, I'm embarrassed to admit, was the latter. Which probably explains why I feel as though my prayers have been evaporating into thin air.
Time to change some things in my world.
"Find your delight in the Lord. Then he will give you everything your heart really wants."
Psalm 37:4 NIrV
12 comments:
You know what's funny about prayer? Sometimes God answers them and we are thrilled. But other times, He lets us sit for a while and think about it... and then our hearts start to change. So without getting our prayers answered, we still find delight in the Lord.
Maybe your non-answers are just God's way of saying "wait a minute... let's think about this a little bit... " Sometimes while we're there thinking, another blessing takes place. It might be in line with what we were praying for. But it could just as well be another path that we couldn't see. We're only human, after all.
Beautiful picture! Great message.
That is very true. And these are both personal "issues" that I've been struggling with for a long time (one, for many years).... neither of them are really suitable for online discussion.... THAT is for sure.
God has never let me down before. Ever. And I know he won't now. I just need to turn my lens away from ME.... and towards HIM instead....
Thanks for your thoughts, sweet Sugar. :-)
Very good reminder. We can't forget to take the comma out!
Actually, I think the two go hand in hand, but not necessarily in a cause and effect type of way.
This is a great lesson - thanks so much for the reminder.
Have a good week - see you soon - Kellan
this is very good. I will have to ponder this also...I think I may have been doing the same thing.
I have to tell you I thought the title meant coma. Like someone in the hospital, sleeping, non responsive.
My spelling is getting bad lately. :)
Sugar said what I was going to. We've all been through those moments when we don't know if we know how to listen, we don't know if we are praying right, we don't know if God is ever going to give us the answer, and what if he gives us an answer we didn't want. Our personal relationships with God are huge, they take work, they don't always go as planned, but we learn a lot along the way.
email me if you want to talk more, ok. I really wish I could get to a starbucks with you.
Also, I lived in Florida for 3 years, I was in Tallahassee, so just a few miles away from Georgia, I went to Atlanta often. I know the type of rain storm you are referring to, they don't happen here, and I miss them...unless I have all the things going on that you did at the time.
You're a sweetheart, D'Arcy. :-)
Suz,
Yes a coma would make a big difference.
Silly Jilly. ;-)
Wow, thanks for the message. I have been so upside-down in my spiritual life, and God is sending me messages from all over: friends, bloggers, "HELLO ARE YOU THERE GIRL?" I think it's time I wake up. Thanks for the message and the beautiful photo.
This was one of those posts that comes up from the page and thumps you one right between the eyes.
I have that phrase up on my wall now. 'Please, God or Please God'. I think that is something we need to think about everyday, the importance of giving praise to an ever loving God. Then; 'Ask anything in my name and it will be given to you.' What a promise!
Susy,
Yes, it is indeed a wonderful promise and since I quit focusing on "ME", I have found a good deal more peace about the issues I'm dealing with. The issues are still very much there, but my perspective is slowing changing.... now that my lens' focus is shifting off of ME and onto GOD.
It is cool, indeed.
Thanks for stopping by. :-)
I really like this.
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