Powerful Thoughts

I have a lot to say, and I don't usually ramble so please bear with me here.

A few days ago, I found out a former co-worker of mine's youngest son, Dalton, might have cystic fibrosis. Please pray for the Williams family on many leaves, first because they already struggle financially (Dawn and her older son, Austin, but have chronic asthma problems) and they thought originally that this was what Dalton was suffering from. However, other symptoms have caused doctors to question whether or not it might be cystic fibrosis. Play first of all that any medical needs will be met and not cause them more financial hardship. Also pray for peace for their family, whatever the outcome of these tests that are being run.

Then say a special prayer for my grandmother, who is not saved and does not know Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. That said, she has been visiting our church the last three Sundays without my encouragement. I don't know where God is leading her and I don't know why our church, but I don't question it. He knows what he is doing, He knows the plans he has laid out for her life. My greatest joy would be for her to be saved, so I hope where ever He is leading her it is to accepting Him.

Today in Sunday School, we talked about the kind of mental image we have of God when we pray to him. I always put the image in my head of the child-like one....long brown hair, beard, white robe. The whole she-bang. Anyway, it got me to thinking because some people in our class said they don't really picture a God. I don't know that I picture him when I pray, literally it's more like snapshots of the people I'm praying for.

Anyway, we talked about different things but it kept bringing Angie Smith and her family to my mind. And I thought about Jon's post about the prodigal son that I mentioned a post or two ago. It just stuns me to think that some people blame God for all the bad things that happen in the world. And I thought about Angie, who has lost a child very recently and then her sister-in-law as well. I thought about Steven Curtis Chapman, who lost one of his little girls a week ago. And I'm just stunned in silence that they continue to believe that God loves them and cares for them. But today's lesson made me think about something Angie said on her own blog, about how nothing suprises God. He knows that the plans are. He knows before we do. And it's okay to get angry and scream at him, and even Angie said he's okay with you saying "you know what? I have nothing for you right now." He doesn't let the bad things happen - his only hope and wish is that those bad things will draw us closer to him.

I'm rambling, I know, but I was on an emotional rollercoaster at church today and just wanted to share my rambling thoughts.