Good morning…
“Can you pray for me?” she texted. “I talked to her kindly from my heart, but she did not take it well. She’s not talking to me. She said she can’t say anything right now. I know I have to give her space but it’s hard, because I love and care about her. All I can do is trust that the Spirit was moving in me while I spoke to her and that over time we will grow closer to God and each other through today’s conversation.”
“I am praying for both of you,” I texted back. “I pray that the healing power of God’s Spirit moves in both of your hearts, transforming you from within, softening you to grow up into all that God desires for you, individually and together.”
“It’s challenging to have these important-but-difficult talks,” I continued. “Honesty can feel really hard and really hurtful. Yet when we empty our true selves in prayer with God, as I know you diligently have, then the Spirit can rise up to perform a miracle of deeper healing. God speaks in our silence and may give us choice words which need to be spoken in gentle love. Even if what we say causes pain, the abundant love of God eventually seeps through our hard, hurtful struggle.”
“Pain can serve a purpose, offering us all an opportunity to really look at our whole selves, the fantastic and the faulty,” I texted from experience. “Seeing through the loving eyes of God, we can look closely at our imperfect selves and our imperfect loved ones. The Spirit helps to shed loving light on how we are living in the world and how our blind habits may be negatively impact others.”
“I am praying that you both find a way to surrender yourselves to God in a deeper, more freeing way,” I concluded. “I sense the Holy Spirit becoming thicker and stronger within each of your hearts. We are all trying our best to walk, step-by-step, in the love of Christ. We each are a flawed, unique vessel holding God’s unending, eternal love for all of us.”
We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us (2 Corinthians 4:7, CEV).
“Growth is hard. God’s grace is sufficient.” I love this final sentence sparked by the Spirit.
…but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me (2 Corinthians 12:9, AMP).
…Sue…
