Prayers For Players

(left to right) Luke, Caleb, David

This past weekend my mother- and father-in-law visited our nephew Caleb at Bryan College. While there, they went to watch his rugby game along with a friend of his. Following the game Caleb and his friend returned to the college with my in-laws. The rugby van that Caleb was to be riding in collided, headlong, with a speeding vehicle, both cars were destroyed, but the guys lived. The players were air-vaced to the hospital.

While as a family we are rejoicing that Caleb was not in the van we are still praying for the injured in both vehicles.

Please pray for the passengers and their family members in both vehicles and also the student body at Bryan.

A Perfect Parent

John McCain's running mate is being condemned by many for this recent announcement issued by Sarah Palin and her husband Todd.

"We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support."

Gov. Sarah Palin, husband Todd,
and daughter, Bristol

Several things struck me. First was that as a mom I know how hard it is when your child makes mistakes. No child is perfect and no parent is perfect. Many people will uphold the child's mistakes as a mar on the parents character. I have had this kind of judgment reigned down on me when my son has made bad choices. My son's bad choices are not always prompted by a lack of parental teaching or example. They are his bad choices made from his own sinful nature.

Second comes to my mind that if we are going to use this standard of judgment on parents maybe we should look to the Bible first. God created Adam and Eve and was the perfect father for them. He taught them right from wrong and was a perfect example. And guess what Adam and Eve did. They made a bad choice and sinned. If God's children aren't going to make perfect choices I know mine won't.

And the timing of this announcement coincides with the kick-off of the Liberty Godparent Home's baby bottle fundraiser. We had guests from the Godparent Home yesterday to meet and speak with our congregation. These young women find themselves in the same situation as Bristol Palin—only without the family support that Bristol has. I spoke to one of the young ladies yesterday that just gave birth to her little angel. She has taken responsibility for her actions and, even though she knows she has no family support and it will be hard on her own, she is raising her daughter. I am glad that the Godparent Home and other Christian homes are supporting her in completing her education and starting her on a path that allows her to parent her daughter. As our church's liaison with the Home, I am hoping to top the amount we raised last year for them.

My prayers are for Bristol Palin as she faces the world media at such a fragile time in her life.

Breaking God's Heart

© Richard D. Gelina

While preparing for this week's Bible Study, I came across this quote by Margaret Gibb:

"We must move from asking God to take care of things that are breaking our hearts, to praying about the things that are breaking God's heart."

How often do we pray this? This quote is what Christians should be praying, taking the focus off us and our desires and focusing on God. It was such a powerful statement and we should all examine our prayer lives constantly to ensure it's all about Him and not us.

Prayers for Stacy and family

My friend Stacy has just found out that her grandfather passed away. He has been sick for some time and Stacy had visited him just a week and a half ago, but now her family is looking at another trip to Florida.

Her grandmother is also not in good health so there is some concern for her also.

Please pray for the family and for the traveling the family will be doing at this emotional time.

Praying Backwards

A couple of weeks ago a friend from church was telling me she wasn't sure how to pray in a specific area of her life. Her heart was really desiring something, but she wasn't sure if it was God's will and if she should pursue it. She saw obstacles in her way and wasn't sure if this was the path she had to follow and learn in the process or if this meant she should not pursue her dreams. She was concerned that she would either push through her own will or nag God into getting her way.

As a parent I can understand that, sometimes you try to save your child from making mistakes but they push and push until you finally let them learn the hard way that the path they took was not a wise one. Now I knew I couldn't give her the answer, Who can know the mind of God, but I also felt that some of my experiences in life could be used to help her to know in what direction she should go. I believe we are placed here to take what we have learned on our own spiritual journey and pass it along.

So I explained by practice of "backwards prayer" not a term you will find in any books but I use often. God already knows the desires of my heart, I don't have to tell him. So I acknowledge my desire to Him and ask that if it's not His will that he place a big STOP sign in front of me (yes, I am very hard headed.) I mean a sign of Biblical proportions—Genesis 11, Tower of Babel sign. Even though the Bible doesn't state it, I believe that God gave them signs along the way, which they ignored. Sounds familiar doesn't it? So God took the drastic step of confusing their languages and making nothing prosper for them. I have used this method of prayer for several years and the decisions I have made doing this I have always remained at peace with.

I don't know if my friend is using this method, but I hope that whatever she decides to do she will always seek God's will.