Thursday, June 12, 2008

Please Pray for Her

I have a sweet young friend who I meet for coffee about once a month. She is the mother of four children under six years of age! I say sweet, because that is just so descriptive of her nature. Her childhood was rather dysfunctional, but she is an overcomer, pionering new Godly territory for her family. I’m always blessed when we meet. (We meet late at night after her kiddos are in bed). ; )

During her pregnancy with child #4, her ureter got a kink in it. It caused some issues with her kidney (as you can imagine) and has caused her much pain. It has been several months since #4 was born, and the problems have not gone away.

So, you can imagine her daily turmoil in trying to care for those sweet ones, deal with the pain, and still try to function half-way normally.

Yesterday she sent me an e-mail sharing some scriptures that have meant a lot to her during this time. It’s from Lamentations 3 (actually my favorite passage). This is from The Message and it portrays what many of us feel from day-to-day. We could take each scripture separately and write a blog about each one! Yeah, it's long, but read it! It's worth it.

Verses 19-36
I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed.
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God.
It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times.

When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer.
Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear.
Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.

The "worst" is never the worst.
Why? Because the Master won't ever walk out and fail to return.
If he works severely, he also works tenderly.

His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.
He takes no pleasure in making life hard, in throwing roadblocks in the way.

It's the Master who gives such orders.Doesn't the High God speak everything, good things and hard things alike, into being?

(her words) "He speaks both good things and hard things into being..........!!!!
His ways are higher than my ways, His thoughts higher than my thoughts! I'm sticking with God - He's all I've got!!!! Good stuff!" (I told you she was sweet!)

Today I ask you to pray especially for my friend. Do you have some encouraging words to share with her?

Does this passage speak to you as well?

5 comments:

  1. It's beautiful! And yes, she IS a SWEET friend! I love her dearly and am praying for her! Thank you for sharing this. Here are the links to the posts about my mother..
    http://dessertforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-poor-mother.html
    http://dessertforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2008/04/grounded.html

    And we've had no calls since that Tuesday night so we are doing good!

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  2. This scripture is wonderful! I have just prayed for your friend.

    What a sweet mentor your sweet friend has.

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  3. She is sweet! I got to hang out with her last night, poor thing was so tired! I love her to pieces and I love praying for her.

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  4. OH, that's tough. I will pray for her.

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  5. I do have one thing to say to her:

    Your Redeemer lives. YOUR REDEEMER LIVES!

    I know this full well.

    Praying for you.

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