If there's one comfort in life, it's being able to pray. Being able to give things over to a higher God who is more powerful and strong than I could ever be. A God who actually knows what's going on, who cares, and who can do something about it.
The past couple of days, I've found myself doing a lot of praying. Some prayers are for things that directly affect me, others are for things that have nothing to do with me but are on my mind nonetheless.
This Virginia shooting of two reporters...that was really sad. Perhaps being in the media makes this story hit home even more, but I'm not so sure; I think we are all affected - and shocked - by this one. The one peace I've found though, is to pray. For the victims' families, their co-workers, viewers who saw what happened, and for the shooter's family. It's comforting to know that God feels our pain with us, and that He can provide peace in such heartache...the kind of peace that doesn't make sense (look at the victims in the Charleston church shooting as an example). I've been praying for some sense of peace through the pain.
The past couple of days, I've been praying for some people I know who are on vacation. I'm not sure why I've been praying so much for them, but they've been on my mind. And I believe that if someone is on your mind, perhaps there is a reason. Maybe God is bringing them to mind so that you will pray for them. So I've been praying for them, asking for an awesome vacation.
I've been praying a lot for my parents. They are going through the terrible debate over whether to sell their home of 30+ years. They can't take care of it anymore and they can't afford it...and yet, there are too many memories to just up and leave. There have been dozens of honest, difficult, heart-wrenching conversations over the past few months. There have been lots of tears. There has been lots of debate - and no decision. So I pray.
Someone (Joyce Meyer I believe) once pointed out that too often, we treat prayer as a last resort. When all else fails, pray. It should be the other way around. Step ONE - pray. Step two - try everything else. Pretty good priorities, I think.
The past couple of days, I've found myself doing a lot of praying. Some prayers are for things that directly affect me, others are for things that have nothing to do with me but are on my mind nonetheless.
This Virginia shooting of two reporters...that was really sad. Perhaps being in the media makes this story hit home even more, but I'm not so sure; I think we are all affected - and shocked - by this one. The one peace I've found though, is to pray. For the victims' families, their co-workers, viewers who saw what happened, and for the shooter's family. It's comforting to know that God feels our pain with us, and that He can provide peace in such heartache...the kind of peace that doesn't make sense (look at the victims in the Charleston church shooting as an example). I've been praying for some sense of peace through the pain.
The past couple of days, I've been praying for some people I know who are on vacation. I'm not sure why I've been praying so much for them, but they've been on my mind. And I believe that if someone is on your mind, perhaps there is a reason. Maybe God is bringing them to mind so that you will pray for them. So I've been praying for them, asking for an awesome vacation.
I've been praying a lot for my parents. They are going through the terrible debate over whether to sell their home of 30+ years. They can't take care of it anymore and they can't afford it...and yet, there are too many memories to just up and leave. There have been dozens of honest, difficult, heart-wrenching conversations over the past few months. There have been lots of tears. There has been lots of debate - and no decision. So I pray.
Someone (Joyce Meyer I believe) once pointed out that too often, we treat prayer as a last resort. When all else fails, pray. It should be the other way around. Step ONE - pray. Step two - try everything else. Pretty good priorities, I think.
