Category Archives: Prayer

Random thoughts that cannot seem to be contained

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I’m just having a hard time today with the killing of these children and teachers in Connecticut. These are the things swimming in my head today ~

I’m thinking about all the violent, personal warfare video games (and the insistence that it’s fine for kids to be playing these types of games). I’m having a hard time with the efforts that have been spent on legalizing marijuana; this thought courtesy of an article in the paper this morning (in the same section as the many articles on these killings). Why is this something our culture values?

The passionate plea to end ANY mention of God in schools, the expulsion of our church youth leaders from the lunchrooms of our schools, Christmas trees in public places now being called “Holiday Trees” or “Celebration Trees”. We all know they are Christmas trees. You can call them what you want, we still ALL know what they are.

The mocking of Christians & Christian beliefs in mainstream media – and yet the prominent pictures showing up today in mainstream media of people praying, and mainstream media displaying images of the hundreds and thousands of people in churches. We mock it, then are grateful for the peace and comfort these images create within us. I’m grateful mainstream media shows these pictures, I’m just confused by the constant mocking.

My mind can only think about all of this in small bites, then I have to divert my mind. In a chorus of a worship song this morning, I dropped to the floor, with tears splashing on the tile on behalf of these families. When I got up I had to move my mind to a different place – I could not think about it any longer.

I’m horrified for the parents, families and communities who don’t get to divert their minds. I’m just aghast by the families drowning in sorrow today.

Listening to worship music, and praying, praying, praying….

A good article by Rev. C. Emily Heath in the Huff Post. Dealing with Grief: Five things NOT to say, and five things TO say in a trauma involving children. Read it here.

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Anger, Frustration and Forgiveness

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The last few weeks of parenting the youngest has caused some disruptions in my heart, and it’s messed with my mind a little bit. If you’ve been reading here for awhile, you may know we were foster parents to him when he was eight, after a year and a half he was moved to try a reunification with his birth mother. When that failed, (after trying for a year and a half) he returned three and a half years ago and we adopted him into our family.

That “into our family” part has been tricky. It’s hard to pull in someone who is resisting. But, a few months ago, much of his darkness departed and he began to make good progress. Less argumentative, more peaceful. Brighter eyes and an open attitude towards many issues. My sister recently told him that she had heard he was making some good choices lately and that she was happy and proud of him. He told her “Well, I’ve been doing some healing lately.” Good, good stuff.

Then a few weeks ago it began to feel like everything was coming undone. Anger and deception were back. Arguing and manipulation resurfaced, and then sabotage followed, even an in school suspension this week. But that’s where this post will stop describing him.

Here is what began happening to me, I became full of anger, fear, frustration and bitterness. After so many years, and so much effort, time, tools, therapy, mentoring, teaching, techniques, prayer, prayer, prayer and more prayer, why and how is this happening all over again??!! I was sucked back into the vortex of what seemed dark.

I felt justified in this anger and frustration. For everyone who ever wants to come right out and say “Well, if you just did it this way…”, I invite you to come into my world and parent into this for as many years as I have and then tell me which way to go. (Do I hear a little resentment too?) Which isn’t to say I don’t need direction, I do…oh my gosh…I do.

A few friends – who love me and love the Lord – spoke into me. They allowed me my feelings of anger, frustration, even bitterness. Then they boldly told me those feelings needed to be dealt with so that they could not take root. This was truth, and I knew it.

I needed to open my Bible, Where to begin, what do I need to read? I wondered. I was led, by what I believe was the Holy Spirit, to go right back into my already established reading plan. I know where you are in the Bible, I felt God would tell me.

So I opened my Bible and read Matthew 8, Jeremiah 42 and Isaiah 52. And the prayer flowed….Lord, if you are willing, take away my fear, bitterness and anger…as I continued my prayer – straight from scripture, confessing both my unworthiness and my need for forgiveness, I asked boldly for a calm to the storm – not the one on the outside, but the one on the inside. That I would awake and clothe myself with strength, that I would remember that the Lord goes before me, and is my read guard.That I would act wisely. I confessed my inadequacy and my limitations to parent this one from such a broken foundation. And I placed my eyes back upon Him and asked in His great love, mercy and compassion, that He would hear my prayer.

I was talking to a friend this morning about this and as I shared my prayer, she asked if I would be willing to send her this prayer. She said in her own parenting struggles she could really use this to begin each day.

Maybe those of us who sometimes really, really struggle – maybe we are not alone. But in the darkness, it’s easy to feel alone, and embarrassed, by our feelings – or lack of feelings. I’m here to confess to all of you – sometimes I’m off track. Sometimes I lose hope. Sometimes I do not know what to do with the feelings that well up within me. But then I am reminded, sometimes by a good friend, that Someone knows my course, I have a God in which to place my hope, and He knows exactly how to dispel the feelings as well as shed light on the darkness.

If you need to know this today, then consider this a message from a friend ~ Allow for your feelings, then make sure you deal with them so that they do not take root.

Love,
Sheri
You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Psalm 86:5

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A King. A Threat. A Prayer.

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In my Bible reading plan for today I was to read Acts 3, 2 Corinthians 7, Jeremiah 28, and Isaiah 36. So, I love when this happens….I read Isaiah 36 and thought hmmmmm….I wonder what happens next. (Seriously, I LOVE when this happens when I am reading the Bible!)

One King (Sennacherib of Assyria) had sent some guys (a field commander and a large army) to another King’s (Hezekiah of Judah) guys and basically said, Let’s make a deal – we’re going to wipe you out anyway, so quit basing your confidence on your King’s message that The Lord will deliver the city, He won’t. So come and make peace with us and then we will take you to a place where you will have plenty and not have to experience the hardship of what will come from battle. Oh yeah, and they throw this in, Furthermore…The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it. (note to myself…both claiming God gave them a message – in direct opposition of each other. Ever been in that position?)

I wrote this in my margin in summary of chapter 36, The people heard a threatening message. They also heard a promise…IF the gave in – or surrendered. I had to read the next chapter.

The cliff notes are that King Hezekiah heard this, tore his clothing, put on sackcloth (as a sign of great distress) and went into the temple of the Lord. This intrigued me because there are so many Kings in the Old Testament that don’t inquire of the Lord. I discovered there had not been a King go to the Temple and pray to the Lord in about 250 years! Now I was really paying attention, this King was someone I wanted to know more about.

He then sent his guys to Isaiah the prophet and asked him to pray. Margin notes added at this point are: 1) Go to the Lord, 2) Seek Godly counsel, 3) Ask for prayer.

There are more threats that come to the King through messengers and a letter. With the threats, they also give evidence of what is to come; they name the countries that have already been destroyed, the kings who are no more and ask about the gods of the destroyed nations.

Here is what I love about Hezekiah…he read the letter and then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. And then he prayed to the Lord.

Really. Let this sink in…the King didn’t go to his army, he didn’t rally the people, he went to his God, who is unseen, and spread it all out before Him and prayed.

Pause. Margin note: Lay it all out before the LORD and pray.

He asks God to give His ear and His eyes to what is going on. He acknowledges the truth and severity of the threats but also the truth that the other gods were fabricated of wood and stone made by human hands. Then he asks God to deliver them from the hand of King Sennacherib – so that all the kingdoms would know the Lord, the only God.

God sends a message to King Hezekiah through the prophet Isaiah and it begins with this, “Because you have prayed to me concerning…..”
Margin note: Prayer matters!

I continued reading on through chapter 38. Hezekiah is ill and is at the point of death. He “turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord…” In verse 5 God sends a message again through Isaiah and in part says, “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears…”
Margin note: Prayer matters.

I just had to write about this reading today, and these are my overall takeaways:

  • I have felt threatened – if even in my heart – and there have been whispers of promises that began with, just surrender…it’ll be easier of you do. This hardship will pass if you just give in.
  • This is when it would be time to go and turn to God – even if I haven’t in a long time. However long its been, it hasn’t been 250 years. (!)
  • Seek Godly counsel.
  • Ask for prayer.
  • Lay it ALL out before the Lord. Ask for His eye and His ears. Ask not for selfish reasons but for a result that will make God known and bring Him glory.
  • Prayer matters.
  • Prayer matters.
  • Prayer matters.
    When I am praying for my daughter away at college, it matters. When I lift up friends who come to my mind, parents who are estranged, people suffering with illness with no relief, the prayers offered up matter. I don’t have a prophet coming and telling me the result of my prayers, but I have faith in what is unseen. When there is nothing I can do – there is. Prayer matters. I loved the richness of this word today. Thanks for taking time to read my thoughts on it. You can read Isaiah 36-39 here.
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God Places Another Soldier in the Prayer Box

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Three flights, that’s what it took to get from my home in Indiana to Bismarck, North Dakota for an American Mothers engagement. As I sat in Minneapolis waiting for my next flight, I noticed a soldier standing near talking to another passenger. Oh, there he is. I thought to myself. I had forgotten about the soldier that I was likely to meet, but when I saw him I was not surprised. (If you don’t know what I am talking about check out the links below.) I was sure when we boarded that he would be seated next or near to me, but he wasn’t, and to be perfectly honest, I forgot about him.

As I waited and waited for my luggage in Bismarck, it became clear that it wasn’t going to arrive on the carousel. I wasn’t the only one, there were two of us without luggage; me and the soldier. Of course.

So I chuckled inside and walked over to him. “We don’t know each other, but I have a thirteen year old daughter who has a heart  to pray for soldiers. Each time I travel, there is a soldier on my plane, it’s my job to get his name so she can add him to her prayer box and pray for him.” I discovered his name is G. Cave and that he is leaving in August for one year in Afghanistan. He has a wife and six children and he said he would greatly appreciate prayers. Mission accomplished.

I wondered out loud if my bag had arrived earlier because of a missed flight I had due to a delay. He said that wouldn’t be his case but walked with me anyway as I went to the counter to ask. Both of our bags were brought to us right away and off we went on our separate ways.
Believe what you want, but I believe his name is supposed to be in the prayer box, and God did what He did to make sure that happened. I am amazed as God continues to put soldiers in my path, and that He has placed this ministry of prayer upon the heart of my child. Be safe G. Cave, you and your family are being prayed for in our home.

A Daughter, a Prayer Box & Soldiers (April 2009) & Soldiers in the Prayer Box (February 2011)

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Soldiers in the Prayer Box

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Several weeks ago I learned of a soldier at Brooke Army Medical Center receiving treatment for severe burns he received in a combat operation in Afghanistan. Nearly 40% of his body is covered in burns and he is enduring painful grafting and therapy. Recovering can be long, painful and can feel stagnant.

One of the blessings of my sister and I owning our own company is that we can send our product to others when we feel prompted. (you can click here to see our website, old website – but plans are in the works for an updated site) We believe marking and recording each and every, even the very small, improvements or blessings can keep a heart and mind focused on the forward progress that can be missed in times like this.

Anyway….as I was packing for an American Mothers National Board meeting in San Antonio, Texas, I grabbed a stonemarkers kit to give to another board member who would have the honor of meeting this young soldier and his wife. Erin, my youngest daughter, saw me grab the kit and asked why I packing it. I told her the story and gave her his name for her prayer box. (see The Prayer Box post below) Her heart and dedication to praying for soldiers (and others) continues to inspire me; she is faithful to pray for the names in this box.

As I left for the airport, Erin said good-bye and reminded me to get the name of the soldier who would be on my plane. (Again, see the post below and click on the link to read the back story to this) We laughed and I said I would, not really thinking there would be a soldier.

When I got to my hotel room, I sent her this text message: The soldier’s name on the plane is Randkins, he is headed to Iraq for ten months. :)

Randkins may be in Iraq, and Ronnie may be in a hospital, but they are also in her box, which means they are also before the Father.

(As a follow-up to this ~ Erin said that the first night she prayed for Randkins the word that came to her mind was “Leader”. She said since that night she has prayed for his leadership as well as his faith, strength and courage.)

Read “A Daughter, a Prayer Box & Soldiers” here. Originally published on April 26, 2009

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