"God Bless You!" or "God Bless You?"

Good morning!  I wonder:  if I sneezed, what would you say to me?  Typically, the words “God bless you” or--so as to not offend anyone (ahem)--one might just hear “Bless you!”  in response to an explulsion of air.

A lot of times when sneezing is prevalent, these words are expressed sincerely and without thought:  they just seem to be a natural response to the situation at hand.  I mean, seriously, have you ever really heard anyone not be solicitous to the soul in need of a quick blessing as the body is wreaked with an uninvited attack on its senses?  

Why then is it when someone is asking on behalf of another for prayer, for blessings from the Lord, that so many of us stub up and instantly become defensive?  “Unh uh, Lord.  I’m not going to pray for her.  You know what she did!  There’s no way I am going to ask You to bless her life.  Why, Lord, she’s not even living for You or she wouldn’t be blatantly living her life in sin.”  

This recently happened to me.  Someone asked me to pray for a situation concerning their family.  My first reaction was embarrassing.  Though I didn’t say these words out loud, I thought them.  “Why should He?  Why should God bless them when they are only applying His Words to the parts of their lives that they need Him to?  Why, they’re making a mockery out of this whole religion thing when they expect God to bless them when they clearly have no immediate plan to live for Him first.”  Something to that effect.  Something natural?

But then, my thoughts almost immediately turned back to me.  “Why should He bless you, Stefanie?  Are your sins any less:  any less wicked, any less blasphemous, any less needy?”  See the progression there, folks?  Ugly, bad...helpless.  Those fingers weren’t pointing to someone else this time.  They were pointing at me.

Helpless.  

Yeah.  

That’s what I am.

What they are.

What we all are.  

Helpless.

Needy.

Lord, I cry out to You.  Forgive my intolerance.  My critical attitude.  My...me.

I am helpless.  I am needy.  Bless this lowly woman who often doubts, often fears, dreads, and wonders and wanders.

For Jesus’ sake--surely not for mine.  But for Christ’s sake, Father, so His sacrifice is not in vain.  Would You bless me, us, again?  

"There is one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see!" John 9:25

That's What Friends Are For!

Two are better than one, because...if either of them falls down, one can help the other up.

Last night was a time of affirmation.  Let me rephrase that:  last night was a time of much-needed affirmation!

I’ve been in a rut lately and my soul has been burdened.  While it’s nice to be able to share these things with the hubby, I was able yesterday to speak with two folks who really got me.  I mean, they didn’t just nod their heads in understanding while looking for the nearest exit.  They not only confirmed my feelings but had nearly equal ones in response!  Do you know how good that feels--to know you aren’t crazy, to know that while your spouse agrees with you because, after all, you’ve been married so long that your thoughts often mirror the others’, and to know that all things work together for good?  If you don’t, my hope is that you will be able to go out on that limb and risk it.  Either you’ll break the tree because your weight is too much for it or you’ll find that when Christ is the vine and we are the branches, love covers all.  Rooted and grounded in Him, we can remain steadfast.

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, thank You for brothers and sisters in Christ who are there when needed.  Thank You for the fellowship, the compassion, and the love You placed in our hearts towards each other, in spite of the world trying to convince us that we are on our own.  We aren’t.

Father?  My heart is still heavy and while it was nice to share, the answers weren’t there.  These friends didn’t have them, as they too were searching for the best avenue to take.  Will You help us--both individually and corporately--to keep seeking Your Word to find what we need?  Thanks.

Lastly, Lord, I pray for those out there who feel alone, uncared for, unheard.  I ask that You send someone their way to see their souls, to hear what’s not being said, and to respond to the cries for help that don’t make it past the eyes.  I ask these things in the name of Christ Jesus, my Redeemer and my Advocate.  Amen.

And the hits just keep comin'

Sigh.  It’s been another one of those...months.  You know what I mean?  It’s not just a day.  Not just a portion of time.  Rather, it seems to be an endless attack on my fragile self that often seems to be barely hanging on.  Remember how Steve likes to say “If you aren’t living on the edge then you’re taking up too much space?”  I think I could use a little more ground under my feet.

Now, I could whine, could grumble, and could go into great detail and list all the somebody-done-me-wrongs so that you would be fascinated and hanging on my every word, wondering why some of these trivial things have the power to even bother me (like a pesty gnat would) or perhaps you might marvel that I didn’t go off on one or two of the souls who really pushed all of those buttons that I left exposed rather than hidden.  However, I am not going to do that.  As my pastor quoted some other fella a couple of weeks ago, “It’s okay to groan but not to gripe.”

That stuck with me and reminded me of the Bible verse about this.  Romans 8:26 tells us “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”  

Kind of also reminds me of the latest MercyMe song “Even If” when these words are sung:

They say it only takes a little faith
To move a mountain
Well good thing
A little faith is all I have, right now
But God, when You choose
To leave mountains unmovable
Oh give me the strength to be able to sing
It is well with my soul

A little faith.  

God, when You choose.  

Give me the strength.  

Make it well with my soul, Lord, is my heart’s cry to You right now.  In Jesus’ name I ask this.  Amen.