Laced With Grace

“When there is little awareness of real need there is little real prayer.”
~ Donald S. Whitney from Spiritual Disciplines For the Christian Life ~

I told Laurel that I pondered the quote quite a bit this past weekend. I thought about it in two different ways…

One – if we think that we don’t need to pray over or for a certain situation. Whatever the reason might be, we don’t bring it before the throne of grace. For example, we have a situation under control (so we think) or we don’t want to ‘bother’ God because we think it is too small of a matter for God. There is nothing too big or too small to bring to Him – I am speaking out of experience (even if it is *just* for a password you forgot to open a computer application—He will answer )

I want to approach the topic from a different angle though. I am afraid to pray over or for certain things. I am not afraid that God doesn’t answer my prayers – I am afraid He does. His ‘track-record’ throughout human history and mine is flawless. He answered every single prayer. Maybe not the way His people or I would have liked, nonetheless He answered.

One of the things I do not get on my knees for is to write. I am not talking about writing here on Laced with Grace, my Blog, or on CWO (I pray over every single post before I hit the publish button)…I mean write a book—a devotional book. What if I really would get down on my knees; would earnestly pray over it—not just *talking* about it. I am afraid that God just might open the doors — than what? I know I would chicken out!

As am writing this post I am wondering why I am so afraid of praying over realizing a dream. God is God; I should not be afraid of what He can do with my life…

“…fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ~ Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

Maybe I should just get down on my knees to pray easterly for His guidance and His blessing on this project. What is the worst that could happen? Only that it does not get published.

How about you? Are you afraid to pray over a certain issue or area in your life? Are you afraid that He might just answer that prayer?

Lord of Heaven and Earth. You promised in Isaiah that You would give strength and that You uphold me with Your righteous right hand. Lord, I am asking You to guide me in my prayer life. Let me bring the small and the big issues to You without being afraid of Your power. In the precious name of Jesus ~ Amen.

Please visit my friend Laurel at Laurel Wreath to read her take on this week’s IOW quote, and the thoughts of other Christian women Bloggers as they are sharing their own thoughts…

Blessings on your day and as always…

“What used to make us stumble, God can use to make us stand. What once
made us bow our heads in shame,
He can use for His glory.”

~ Joanna Weaver~
Having a Mary Spirit

My cheeks start to burn. My eye dart around me- looking for something, ANYTHING to cover myself with. “Why are there so many people here? Isn’t there anywhere I can hide?” My hands and arms clutch to cover, what they can’t. (funny- before three c-sections they could cover more…) My heart pounds. I break into a sweat. I am naked. And, I do not WANT to be.

Then. I wake up.

Relieved. It’s a dream. A nightmare. Whew. So glad it was a dream. Maybe it’s one you’ve had, too.

Being naked (or nakey- as my youngest calls it) in public, is one of the top rated fears. I can honestly say- it’s not a fear I’ve had to face. Technically. (Well- except for that one time at Olive Garden, when my youngest was nursing and decided to play “peek-a-b**b.” But, nursing accidents don’t count!)

Psychologists say it’s actually related to a fear of intimacy. A fear of being “known.” Or seen as we are.. naked, in a way. We seem to think that we are the worst. That if people really knew us (could see us nakey) they’d reject us.

So- instead of letting people see who we really are, we cover up. We clutch at things to hide our flaws. Clothes, achievements- (or those of our kids) “stuff” make-up, status, lies and money. We grab at them to cover up with. We become master stylists of appearance management. Some of us could be stylists to the stars. We’re that good. We pretend to be perfect, have perfect lives, perfect families, perfect unquestioning faith….. so maybe, just maybe, people will like us. Maybe they’ll accept us. (maybe not- who really LIKES perfect people anyways?)

Sometimes we even play this game with God. We try to put on a “spiritual game face.” We do our best to look perfect. Do all the right things….say all the right things….cover up our flaws so maybe- just, maybe, God will accept us…

The thing is, He already does.
Maybe even more so- when we’re honest and naked before Him.

I wonder what would happen if we were honest/ naked- before each other? What would it look like? (ummm honesty not nudity. Nudity, in my case, looks like a zebra. This according to my son.. who once announced that I had “zebra stripes” on my thighs. A shout out to all my sisters in stretch marks…! )

Anyway, what if the things we try to hide- were actually points of connection we could have with others? What if “What used to make us stumble, God can use to make us stand. What once made us bow our heads in shame, He can use for His glory.” What if, in appropriate settings and times we shared those things that God has done or is doing in our lives…to give hope to others? And in doing in it- we found even more hope for ourselves? What if honesty before God and those around us… opened us up to be changed us into what we want to be, and gave others hope?

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. ” 2 Cor 1:3-5

I’m not talking about walking around naked all day. You’d get arrested. (well- unless you’re famous…. then I guess you call it “clubbing” and get your picture taken…) I’m not even talking about sharing your whole life story with everyone you meet. I’m talking about taking the opportunities we have each day, to risk a bit and be real. Just a little bit of nakey in public. To allow God to use what used to make us hang our heads in shame…for HIS glory. With our loved ones, with our God, with each other…. sharing the comfort God has given….and the sufferings that brought it.

“Dear Jesus- I pray that you’d give us courage. The courage to be naked in public. I pray that you’d give us opportunities and wisdom, to share the things you are and have done in our lives. That each experience- ugly or hard or beautiful and peaceful would be used to your glory, either by building the muscles of our faith, in the work that you do in us, or by sharing the comfort you’ve given…. with others. I love you Lord-use it all. amen”

special thnx to Loni at “Joy in the Morning” our “In Other Words” Host this week! Stop by to read more takes on the quote!

“Lower your expectations of earth. This isn’t heaven, so don’t expect it to be.”
~ Max Lucado ~

I listen “Paul Harvey’s: The Rest of The Story” radio program, whenever I can. (it’s even available on streaming audio at the website now!) In this daily radio show, Paul Harvey takes a slice of life- history or culture and gives the background on them, that you seldom hear. The “hows and whys”, the “when’s and where’s”… all the things that make the difference between “knowing” about something and understanding it. Paul Harvey- is an American Classic and a story teller of story-tellers. I wonder if he’d adopt me? I bet he told wonderful “goodnight stories” to his children! (If not- that’s one story I DON’T want to hear the rest of … leave me in my happy denial… actually, give me a crown and call me the queen… I am, the queen of de’ nile!)

Many of the most interesting stories start out sad, full of tragedy, pain and suffering. You almost don’t want to continue listening, in case it ends badly. But-over the years, I’ve come to trust the outcome to Paul Harvey’s storytelling. I know to keep listening- it’s about to get better. Paul Harvey never leaves you with a bad ending.

If Paul Harvey told the story of my life- (and chances are, it’s true of your’s too) he’d have plenty of days where it looked like the story would end badly. We all have them… sometimes, years full of them. Like Max Lucados quote- “this isn’t heaven, don’t expect it to be” Life hurts. People hurt. Disappointments, struggles, sickness, sin.

Nope- this is most definitely NOT heaven. But, there is a heaven. A story yet to be told.

I wonder if God’s voice will sound a bit like Paul Harvey’s when we get to heaven. I wonder if He’ll greet us with warm, loving arms and a fathers lap to sit on, while He tells us..”The Rest of the Story.” The “How’s and why’s” of the things that happen on this earth, the “when’s and where’s” of His intervening actions. I wonder if He’ll tell us the details of exactly HOW:

“All things work together for good, for those that love God and are called according to His purpose” Roman’s 8:28

Not just the theory- or promise of it- but the details of how it really did. Or maybe- when we get to heaven- the questions that are raised here, no longer need answers. Maybe, when we are in heaven- and are fully in His presense…the “hows and whys, whens and wheres” are revealed to us- like a bride who’s veil is pulled back before her groom, allowing him to see her face, beautiful with joy. He didn’t marry a veiled monster- but a beautiful woman.

“For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Cor 13:9-13

I agree with Max- This isn’t heaven, so don’t expect it to be…. but I also know that someday-in heaven, we’ll hear “The Rest of the Story!”

For more takes on todays “CWO In Other Words Quote” visit Iris- at “Sting My Heart”