Here’s my story.

Jovanna’s Story from The Well Media on Vimeo.

Where I praise Him.

Quote courtesy of Desiring God.

I used to think it was silly to pray for the little things. Like I was wasting God’s time if I prayed for good weather or a good time during an event. I felt like all these trivial things would take away from God’s time and ability to take care of others (oh how selfless of me, I should get a first class ticket to heaven). I even resented it when others would pray for things that I did not deem to be big or important enough. This whole thought process was flipped upside down after a recent conversation with a friend. He told me he used to share the same feelings about praying for small things, until he read Psalm 37:23-24.

The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
      He delights in every detail of their lives.
 ²⁴ Though they stumble, they will never fall,
      for the Lord holds them by the hand. 

Did you see that second line? He delights in every detail of (our) lives! Every one! And how ridiculous of me to think that my petty requests could really interfere with the time and ability of an all powerful, omnipresent Lord! My lack of prayer for certain things highlights how small my view of God can sometimes be. I need to present my requests, big or small, to God, through prayer and with thanksgiving and have no doubt in his capability to answer them!

So this brings me to my first would-have-been-too-small-to-pray-for-but-now-I-get-it request. Dear Lord, please help me find my Invisalign. Dr. Willis gave me my next set to spare me a visit to his office. I have no clue of course, what I did with them. I pray you help me to remember where I put them. Thank you.

What do you think? Is there such thing as a prayer request that is too small?

This is from my daily devotional. Want to read it every day with me?

**Ok, I just realized, his name is Oswald J. Chambers, not what’s in the graphic. I can’t fix it because I didn’t save the project file, only the picture.

I made this. Feel free to click, save, print, whatev. Enjoy!

This morning as I was pulling in to work, I saw a homeless man walking across our parking lot. His button down shirt was mostly unbuttoned, his shoes were too big and he was carrying a big blue blanket on his shoulders. I thought about the breakfast and mid-afternoon snacks hanging out in my purse. I really was looking forward to them. Some conviction from Don’t Waste Your Life (Click to download a free copy) settled in and I apprehensively approached the man, ready to give up my carefully planned snacks.

“Excuse me”, I said. No reaction. I got closer. “Excuse me”. The man turned slowly toward me . “Would you like breakfast?”, I asked. “Yes ma’am”, the man answered, “Whataburger is just up the road,” he continued.  To that, I shared, “Well, I have a banana and some yogurt and jello in my purse” as I pulled them out. “Oh no thanks, I’m alright,” says the homeless man.

I happen to find homeless people all the time and usually have food to give them or I go buy some and bring it to them. This is the first time I was turned down. Not even a courtesy take? Come on, brother. Jello is soooo good. Oh well. Hope he got his breakfast burrito.

“If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.” Deuteronomy 15:7

“If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.” Proverbs 21:13

“A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” Proverbs 22:9

My friend Denise shared this poem with me. I thought you might like it.

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried:
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
and the Master so gently said, “Child, you must wait”.

“Wait? You say, wait!,” my indignant reply.
“Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By Faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I can relate,
hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?
I’m needing a ‘yes’, a go-ahead sign,
or even a ‘no’ to which I can resign.

And Lord, You promised that if we believe
we need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I’ve been asking, and this is my cry:
I’m weary of asking! I need a reply!”

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied once again, “You must wait.”
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
and grumbled to God, “So, I’m waiting…for what?”

He seemed, then, to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
and He tenderly said, “I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.

All you seek I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want – But, you wouldn’t know Me.”
“You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You’d not know the power that I give to the faint;

You’d not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You’d not learn to trust just by knowing I’m there;
You’d not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.”

“You’d never experience that fullness of love
as the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You’d know that I give and I save…(for a start),
But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

“The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that’s beyond getting just what you asked
of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.”

“You’d never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that “My grace is sufficient for Thee.”
“Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true.
But, oh, the loss! If I lost what I’m doing in you!

So, be silent, My Child, and in time you will see,
that the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.”
“And though often My answers seem terribly late.
My most precious answer of all is still, ‘WAIT’.”

Author: Russell Kelfer

Everyone knows the Love is Patient, Love is Kind… section of 1 Corinthians 13 but keep reading past verse 7 and you will find another treasure piece of scripture [all scripture is treasure, but you know what I mean].

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When 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. 12Now 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.

 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Can you say you’re this person Paul is describing? I think I’ve got some work to do.

Do It!

Thank you Wowsie for making this your G status today.