You showed up.
I asked you to join me and you did.
Your light pushed through the dark shadows victoriously. Your rays were distinct, bright, almost blinding – glorious.
Glory!
On our walk this morning, you pierced through the branches that tangle me. I’ve felt so interlaced with big decisions, with family health, and other things that weigh a little heavier.
You arrived though to start my day reminding me of your beauty and the Light You are that conquers darkness.
You are holy and Your Spirit rises from the depths of the earth. You flow and release radiance and grace.
Today’s forecast called for a cloudy day but You broke through them and burned them away so I could see You as clearly as I can. Thank You for the vision You’ve given me – the vision of still being able to see what I can see. The vision of local churches joining together – arms locked in arms – for unity. To be light in the darkness that is tangled in our community.
I know You’ll show up. You’re always have, You always will, well, You’ve never left us alone.
That went for Hannah too. I want to be like Hannah.
She longed to be the mother of a son for years as she reminded barren. Yet, You showed up. Well, you had never left her. It was a hard faith challenge. With her faithfulness in You, you blessed her with that prayer request she’d cried and offered to you for years. She held tight to her baby Samuel and cradled him all the days as he became a week, month, and year old. She prayed over him, for him, and thanked God for him. Then she literally handed her longed-for son over to the Lord. With unashamed love, she handed Samual over to the priest to keep her promise to God and to thank Him for answering her prayer. She had tremendous faith that God was going to use Samuel to point people to God – and he did.
Hannah prayed as she gets ready to released Samuel and hand him over to the priest in the Name of God, “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides You; there is no Rock like our God.” (1 Samuel 2:2)
As she lets go, Hannah says,
“As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now, I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” (1 Samuel 1:26-28)
What about your “baby”? Who, or what, is your “child”- your “gift” – that you’ve prayed for for months or years and God gave you? Are you willing to give it back to the Lord? Ever since He blessed you with your desire, has he asked you to give it away? To release it and surrender it all back to God? Have you held too tightly to it, protecting it because you don’t want to lose it?
Have you opened your clinched hands and opened them up as an offering? Do you trust God enough that when you let go of your “child”, He’ll be right there with you? Do you trust that He’ll bless you again for your obedience?
I just read a prayer called, “A Prayer For When We Want Answers” by Emily Freeman.
“…Slowly we’re beginning to see that instead of a map, you offer us your hand.
Instead of an answer, you offer us your presence.
Instead of control, you offer us a cross.
Help us to see your presence as the actual answer we long for. Remind us that you are enough.
As we learn to release our obsession with building our lives, help us to trust in the new life you are building within us.
Thank you Father, for sending your son.
Thank you Jesus for coming down to be with us.
Thank you Holy Spirit for never leaving us alone.
You are our safe place to feel insecure.
May we receive one another the way you have so kindly received us.”
May we see Jesus in the light. May we see how God sees. May we surrender to Christ the thing we hold tightly. May we trust Him more than we think we can.
To see more God Only Knows posts, come on over here.
Comments