I remember as a child thinking how old and plain this picture looked; clearly the message was lost on me. Thankfully I had parents who brought me up in the church and taught me how to pray. My mom often reminded me in the most difficult times, when my faith was being tested, that God would always hear us when we prayed.
Ever heard the phrase, "A moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips?" A prayer can be said in a matter of minutes and can have lasting effects on our life. A simple prayer can change our attitude, our minds, and can put us on the pathway to healing not only our minds and bodies, but our world as well. And my heart is living proof that He still answers prayers (and we sent up a lot of them).
While I was sick, I remember hearing someone say that we often turn to God and ask for something and then when He doesn't answer, we begin to really beg. After He still doesn't answer, we finally begin to really seek Him and plead for an answer. Sometimes I think God brings us to our knees kicking and screaming. But I am so glad when I finally reach His feet. And although we often don't understand His answers, I am so thankful that He always does what is best for us when we seek Him with all our hearts.
My life has changed so much since my illness. Like this painting, I feel like I have grown older and gained maturity (whether I wanted to or not). I also feel like Ray and I have simplified our life. Much like this painting, I feel like we are trying to get back to basics. Before the heart failure, we were ALWAYS on the go. I am sure that most of you pack way more into your day than you should. We run ourselves ragged. But because my body doesn't allow me to live at such a fast pace anymore, we slowed down. Know what I found? I LOVE life! There are so many things in life that bring me joy that I wasn't really enjoying because I was always in a hurry.
So each day I tell myself to slow down a little and pray. Pray for peace, pray for healing, pray for strength, pray for the courage to overcome injustice, pray for resolve, pray for family and friends, pray for those in need, pray for our Country and those serving it, pray. Pray to God with all your heart and soul, then gather up your might to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
Prayer changes us. It awakens us. Our eyes begin to notice beauty where we never noticed it before. Our hearts begin to feel compassion we never knew we had. Our priorities shift. As we talk to God, we receive the encouragement to live up to the potential inside us. Soon we start to see beyond ourselves into the world that is waiting for our help.
I believe God is listening. And I believe God answers us. God’s answer to our prayers may be very different from the answer we were searching for; God’s reply might come as the strength to fight on. It may come as the courage to face what we have been fearing. God’s answer may be the ability to accept what we have been denying. Or it may appear as hope in the face of despair. God is neither distant nor deaf. We are not alone. God is present in our lives. When we stop bargaining with God and start opening up our souls, we will find that He is waiting patiently with open arms to teach us how to be a little more like Him. Blessings to you.
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