Overpowered (conclusion)

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My morning prayer time yesterday became overwhelmed with the many severe problems on my post-it notes, each in need of prayer. Can a person become too discouraged to pray? Isn’t that the moment we ought to double-time-it toward God with our needs?

Blubbering all over my notes, I finally set everything aside, closed my mascara-smudged eyes and said, “Father, help me here. What am I supposed to do? What should I be thinking about all this?”

Immediately, from out of nowhere, he plopped an old photo into my mind like a slide into a projector, a 65 year old black and white picture Mom had taken. It’s one of my favorites from childhood and shows a 3-year-old-me sitting on the beach, upset about something. My daddy is leaning over my shoulder trying to do several things:

  • hear my words
  • understand my problem
  • show sympathy
  • help me cope

My head is tipped toward his, pressing cheek-to-cheek as if to say, “I’m not going to let you fix this too soon, because I’m really loving being close to you.”

As I sat in my chair, eyes closed, I thought about that picture. What was its connection to my feeling swamped by the heaviness of so many prayer needs? As I sat quietly, God answered that question.

“Margaret, the reason you like this picture is because it shows the power and security of a father’s love. After your daddy came close to you, you became sure everything would end well.

“I’m also your Father. I’m near to you in that same way. I love you as he did, and I care about your problem and those of the people on your notes. You need to have the same confidence in me that you had in him. Since you’re talking to me now instead of him, I’m here to tell you everything is going to end well.”

I was stunned by the simplicity of God’s solution to my predicament. I’d made it far more complicated than it needed to be, so he gently brought me back to the basics:

He can.

I can’t.

The minute any of us puts a toe over the line of “I can fix this myself,” stress soars and tears flow. When we trust God to do the fixing, stress lowers and faith soars.

My task in yesterday’s prayer time, then, was to lift my post-it-people to God, not with a heavy heart but with strong trust in him for whatever comes next in each of those lives. I’m to be confident he has heard, has understood, will sympathize, and will help… just like my daddy.

It didn’t occur to me until I wrote this blog that the first letters of those 4 things God did for me (and my daddy, too) spell HUSH. God had to hush me up so I could listen, before I could understand the right way to talk to him.

“When you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver.” (James 1:6)

10 thoughts on “Overpowered (conclusion)”

  2. After my Mother died, my Dad was in such grief, he didn’t want to pray or read his Bible. At first, my reaction was one of being disturbed over this seeming lack of faith on his part. However, as I thought about it, I think the Lord just picked Daddy up and carried him until he mercifully brought him Home 14 months later. Dad might have been incapable of holding on to the Lord, but the Lord is always willing and able to hold on to us. That’s grace.

  4. HUSH – that is a great reminder! I’m so happy that God speaks to your heart and you share it. It is also a great word for those of us in Stephen Ministry. We hear what our care receiver is saying, we understand, we sympathize, and we help. At least that is what we should do. Perhaps the word HUSH will help us to remember!! Thank you, once again,
    Margaret.

  6. Parents are the windows through which we first see God. How blessed you are to have had an earthly father to model these things for you to relate to your Heavenly Father. For the struggling souls who have had abusive, unGodly fathers, the stretch of faith becomes more difficult. David left us with the words, “when my father and my mother forsake me, The Lord will take me up.” He is forever making a way:-)

  7. LOVED the post today. I am writing HUSH on a posted note and putting it on my bathroom mirror. Thank you Margaret. I am enjoying your book too!!!