*This post contains affiliate links.
I was recently faced with a difficult situation. Have you ever had a friend or loved one be in a situation where they are facing a hard decision, difficult journey or health crisis OR maybe all three at the same time? As my friend listed all the daunting details of her approaching season of hardship, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed myself. My mind raced with “How will she do this?” “How will this turn out?” and “How can little ole me help her with ALL this?” I had a lot of thoughts on ways to help, but they were equally intimidating. I quickly found myself uncomfortably and “inconveniently” burdened. Woe is me! (pathetic, I know!)
So, I just became paralyzed. Can you relate?
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2
Has it ever seemed easier to just do nothing when you don’t know what to do or how to help? I know I was feeling that way. Maybe she won’t notice my absence during this period of time. Perhaps I can blame it on my busy schedule?
So, I began to pray a simple prayer for wisdom in this situation. Almost immediately the Holy Spirit prompted me to do one simple thing – ask her what she needs from me. While I was stressing myself out trying to come up with solutions for all the challenges of her predicament, I realized that God had not called me to fix her everything. Turns out my friend only wanted two things from me – prayer, and to help sponsor her Compassion child.
Her answer shamed me.
While I am pitying myself over the hardship she is facing, she is more concerned about someone else.
Her answered also freed me. I am not saying I was set free by being given a simple task, like prayer and financial support, but freed because I now know what to do and can proceed with acting on it. This will forever be my method in offering help to others; thank you Holy Spirit! I don’t have to be THEIR solution; thank you, LORD! But, I do need to be a willing co-laborer with Christ. And that, I can do!
This is just one of the things I experienced from this particular week of prayer journaling. Feel free to take a further peek inside my prayer closet…I’ve got my #RankandFileLists of favorite hymns, too!
