the eight words that Jesus spoke

Prayer. Seems that for many of us, it's a forgotten entity until we need God, then we storm heaven with our requests. It is then also that our requests are not so much requests as they are demands. We tell God what we need and how we should attain it.

Sound familiar?

Prayer is a line of communication between you and God. It is a daily check-in....we should always start and end our day with a prayer of thanksgiving and gratitude. Always. Everything else is just add ons. You don't go through a whole day without talking to your friends, do you? Everywhere I go, I see people attuned to the smartphones in their hands. I assume there must be some serious conversation taking place some time! Well, what about God...do you plan time with Him also?

The eight most powerful words that Jesus spoke were, "Father, into Your Hands I commend My Spirit." This was at the time of His crucifixion. Because He was the Son of God, He could have just took His Father aside and said, "between you and me, Pops, this ain't lookin' so sweet. In fact, tell you what, I'll just go round up a few of them fallen angels and we'll see what happens next!" But He didn't...instead, He gave in to God's will for Him. We know that it was hard, probably the hardest thing He'd ever have to do and He did it willingly because it was what was necessary at the time.

The same goes for us. There are many instances in which life delivers us a hearty blow. We are blindsided, consumed with the "what happens next" aspect of the details of our tragedy. Thus the prayers we send heavenwards, with conditions attached. "Please God, if You do this, I promise I'll____" (fill in the blank.) Or "please, God, what needs to be done here is______ and_______ and don't forget____" and if it isn't...how many of you have turned away from God?

Be honest.

I have seen a lot. A. Lot. My life has not been an easy row to hoe. But I have found through experience that when I go to God, first in thanksgiving, that thanks is full of faith and hope, that yes, I am walking through some pretty tough times, but I know that God is with me. I then add those eight words that Jesus uttered. I give myself over to Him. I only ask that I be heard. The outcome is up to Him. Past outcomes have included just rolling up my sleeves and dealing with life head on. Yes, I have had to sacrifice, I have had to give up or give in, I have had to readjust my expectations. And in the end, that was perfectly OK, because what God had in store for me was so much better than what I had to give up. Closed door/open window thing. You are probably very familiar with that also.

This week has had some worries as my husband found spots that may be cancerous. His doctor did a biopsy, now we wait. Again, that old "hurry up and wait" routine. But we wait in confidence. In hope. And in thanksgiving. Thankful that it was caught early enough. Hope that there will be no evidence of it spreading. Faithful to God that if it is indeed, more serious, He will show us the way.
And that is what we need to focus on: "God, show me the way. Show me Your way."

May you have a blessed and peace-filled day.
Amen.