I have to confess I didn’t like you much the first time I
heard about you and when I met you I liked you even less. I can’t say my second interaction did much to
improve my opinion. They can dress
you up in medical jargon but it doesn’t change what you are: a killer, a
destroyer and a thief. Experts would say
that somewhere within the brain proteins are malfunctioning and synapse are
breaking down. That’s informative but it
doesn’t begin to encompass what I saw as I watched a friend in a battle to help
her family cope with illness.
Alzheimer’s is horrific.
I got off the phone and reached for my bible. Overwhelmed and sad, I looked for comfort,
flipping through the pages looking at highlighted verses trying to find
something to turn back the darkness that was swallowing a friend. That’s when I saw the verse in Thessalonians,
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess 5:16-18
There are some scriptures I get along with. I love them, I quote them and I bask in the
light they bring to my soul. Then there
are others that get right up my nose and make me angry. This is one of them. I went from sad to vexed in about half a
second. Why is it, that devotional time
is always described as pleasant, uplifting and inspiring? Specifically, what is wrong with me that some
days spending time with my bible makes me want to scream at heaven and punch
something? It’s not good. At that moment, Beth Moore, Francis Chan or
Carter Conlon could have come through my door to encourage me and I would have
grabbed a bible and hit them with it.
I called my friend back.
God is merciful to sinners. I explained I was feeling powerless and
getting caught in a trap. We are called
to rejoice in difficulty. In my
ridiculous mind, I think that if I spend enough time in prayer, I can get spiritual
enough to turn suffering into something beautiful.
I can’t.
Suffering is suffering and anyone who tells you otherwise
is stupid.
I apologized and asked if we could pray together. “But this time, let’s try to add thankfulness
to the suffering. Is there anything to
be thankful for? It doesn't matter if it is little, we can use anything. ”
What unfolded was the most precious prayer time. We were able to carve out places and
some of them were tiny, where she saw God.
Where God was kind, and merciful and even lovely.
I want to share some of our prayers with you friend,
because I want you to understand how small the seed of thankfulness can
be. Not everything in our prayer life is
beautiful and elaborate. Sometimes I am
gritting my teeth and grasping for straws. Anything, anyway, to give God the praise he
is due and turn the tide in my angry heart.
We started small.
“Father God,
I bring you this circumstance. I confess that I would give anything not to
be here. I’m so upset, so angry that you
are making me walk through this. I want
to be delivered out of this. I don’t want
to do it. I thank you I can be angry and
you still love me.
Thank you that I didn’t have to wait at the pharmacy and
the pharmacist was kind. Thank you for
the drug coverage. That coffee shop was
a nice place to stop Jesus, thank you for the flower on my hot chocolate. I pray you would bless that young man’s
coffee art. I was pleased that when I
came home, the dog was happy to see me. Thank
you that when the dog threw up, he did it on the lino and not the carpet…….”
And on we went. The prayers became more insightful. We
laughed through some of it, we cried through other parts. What grew in that prayer time was a genuine
thankfulness for many who were in the trenches giving care, courageously
walking though pain and sorrow. It was
still awful, but God was there.
God is still here dear friend.
Lord Jesus,
I ask that you would be with all of us who are walking
the season of sorrow. Show us where you
are Lord God, in the midst of the trial.
Lord, many have disappointed hearts, because you did not answer our
prayers the way we asked. You have
entrusted us with disappointment. Heal
our hearts Father God and bring us closer to you. Help, because we are weak and small. Have mercy, because we are broken. Give us eyes to see little things, little
blessings. Help us add thankfulness to
our prayers. Help us to rejoice.
For we ask it in Jesus name.
xoxKaren