This year, so many of us are feeling loss somehow. But we are not without hope.
Just in my small circle, friends have suffered through miscarriage, betrayal, death of a spouse, loss of jobs, spouses choosing substance abuse over relationship, children living in compromise rather than promise, sudden health crises status, potential suicide of a loved one. And it went on and on.
Earlier this week, it all overwhelmed me. I love Jesus. But how could I possibly say anything of value without sounding trite or cliche.
We all know how that feels when someone basically says, "Oh that's problem number 29. All you need is promise number 50."
But as I began to try to pray for my friends today, I asked, "Lord, what?! What can I pray something real that will carry your presence into their lives?" I felt like He spoke these words to my spirit. I will write what I heard in first person because that's how my heart heard it, but I am not saying this is a "thus sayeth the Lord." But for those of you hurting and those of you walking into thankfulness, here's what I understood His answer to be.
"I am the God of the here and close by. I do not visit the prayers of where they are thinking their meaning comes from when they think if only He'd give me what I'm missing. I want to draw them to me in their here and now. I would be closer than their present pain and misery. I would be so close in their mind and heart that the circumstantial things can only dwell on the outside in comparison. I would give them ME! And I only wait for them to ask. The only reason I withhold a misplaced prayer for what they are missing is to draw them to myself so that they realize I am giving them myself as their I AM. This truth is what they ache for and I am closer to them than where they are looking for me, not further away. I am here."
So my prayer is that we would not seek for Him in what we are missing. That place whre we feel like we are dying is a grave he has made empty. "Why do you look for the living among the dead, " as the angels said at the empty tomb. He is Risen. He is here among you. It may surprise you how close he is to walking through your walls. He in no way negates your pain. He only wishes to be closer than your pain so that you can be held.
Merry Christmas, dear one. He is here.
love,
©2023 Lydia D Crouch
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