It took time, effort, and prayer to change our house so I can live in it while we work towards the next one.
It has taken more energy than I expected to learn how to live with asthma.
Friday afternoon, as I drove north to spend a few days with Tim, Sis, and Faith I realized it was time to choose what I was thinking.
Of late my mind has been bombarded with tasks, lists, and expectations.
Our next month calendar has already been riddled with events, deadlines, and “to do”.
Not to mention the things which have been pushed into this last week.
As I drove I was praying.
Or thought I was.
The Lord was the One to gently speak to my heart about what I was actually doing.
I had been “worrying with words”.
I was carefully asking God for specific things in detail.
I was telling the Lord everything that I needed to have occur and exactly how to make it.
What if I don’t?
-pause-
“You are right Lord. You know best and I do not.”
Do you trust Me enough to allow things to fail?
-do I?-
-it is a choice-
“Yes Lord, You know what is best.”
-emotions do not make my choices-
“Lord, please forgive my lack of understanding that I would think I know what is best. Please forgive my attitude that I need to tell You how to handle any thing.”
And from there I changed.
I began by telling the Lord how much I trust Him.
I named all the things about Him I could think of.
I praised Him for all He has done for me and my family and so many others.
That led into choosing to thank Him no matter the outcome of any of these details which I had been praying for.
And as my prayers continued it became apparent these things were flowing out of a choice.
The Lord had shown me the error in my “worrying with words”.
He was calling me to choose to think on all things through the faith of a little child.
Never have I had a small child ask me the details of preparing a meal.
They just want to know when they get to eat it.
I can apply that to prayer.
Instead of trying to pray in grand detail over every particle of the problem, I can humbly come to the Lord and tell Him of my need.
Then, I can communicate the emotion which is tied to my request.
With the burden unloaded at my Savior’s feet it comes logically to praise and thanksgiving.
What else is better than being able to bring my cares to Christ and then to rest in His will?
And throughout this process my heart needs to be listening.
Prayer is communication with God, which means He too has something to say.
And I want to hear it.
With each lesson I learn from the Lord, I want to apply it.
Praise the Lord for His patience and willingness to teach me.
Now the opportunity is to make a new habit.
I will choose to think on Christ and to follow the path He has laid out for me.
-no matter what-
Praise the Lord!
patientlyhopeful 