We have a hierarchical system around here with our pets. The top belongs to the cat who adopted us. He comes and goes as he wants. Eats when he wants. Then there is his servant, Felix, who attempted to follow Milo out in the wild. When we put up the signs around the neighborhood, he came home. I envisioned a conversation between Milo and Felix where Milo was like, nice try, but it’s time to go home. Felix follows wherever Milo goes. Milo can be a little mean to him, doesn’t matter. Still loves him. Round out our little system is the dog. Luna loves them both, but Felix will play and taunt. Felix bullies Luna, just as Milo bullies Felix. Milo really does not give Luna the time of day.
It’s interesting the agreements they have made. How each one is treated. They fall into a pattern and it’s wild how little they deviate from it.
If we are honest, we do the same things in our relationships. (Well, I hope you don’t whap people with your hand or chase them down the hallway..) I think of these past years with a difficult person in my life, I really just resigned myself to a certain path. Guys, this is going to sound so basic, but I started praying for this relationship, in earnest. Not just complain about it. Pray about it. I don’t think the Cara of a year ago would believe how different our relationship is today.
It’s hard to measure change, isn’t it?
I think the practice of writing prayers and thanksgiving has been helping my reflection on the gifts. Not just the hard. Intentionally looking at the answers. They are there. Our breath prayers are lovely, don’t get me wrong. I am finding documentation changes my heart.
Going back to our little hierarchy here at the homestead, there was a significant shift when we lost Starburst. She never played with the cats or interacted with them, unless they bothered her. After, we saw the dynamic change.
Prayer is our dynamic. That changes things. My life is a living testimony to the power of prayer and I have so much to learn.
God hasn’t chosen to alleviate my physical pain. He hasn’t healed my dad of his slow moving dementia. I bet you have things as well that are still no movement towards an answer. I still pray. I still ask the Lord to move.
I can do that because I have seen God answer prayers. In my small group, seeing the answers that we boldly pray. Husbands surgeries that just go perfectly. Hearts changing. Relationships. Felix coming home. Dad staying longer at rehab longer than we could have imagined. Nurses, doctors’ kindness to him. Aides. Therapists.
So I look to the Lord for the answers that have not coming yet. Over the weekend I read Luke 18.
“Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and had no respect for man. There was a [desperate] widow in that city and she kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice and legal protection from my adversary.’ For a time he would not; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and legal protection; otherwise by continually coming she [will be an intolerable annoyance and she] will wear me out.’ ” Then the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says! And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf? I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?””
Luke 18:1-8 AMP
We do not serve a God like that judge. We know that our God is good. He is good. He does good. So we continue to pray for intervention without shrugging our shoulders saying, well, if God hasn’t answered it yet, then maybe I should stop asking. Ah. Here is the rub.
In my reading, in my asking, in my singing, in serving I continue my relationship with my Father in heaven. This is my lifeline. He is not my last resort.
Even when the job for Joshua has not come yet, or money is tight, or whatever I face today. I can still say God is good. I need to keep in my mind the things that are true. In fact, I know that He is…
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