"Help Us Bless!"

My daughter works an early shift most days, which gives me an opportunity to spend the mornings with my grandsons. They are so sweet and full of the innocent wisdom children seem to be born with. As part of our morning routine, we eat breakfast and say a prayer for our food and the day. My three-year-old grandson has been listening to these prayers since he was born. His older brother, who is eight, usually leads the prayers. Recently, the three-year-old has decided he would like to lead prayers, and does a great job praying for the food. But the way he ends his prayer has captured my attention. Where the eight-year-old asks Jesus at the end to; "Bless our family," the three-year-old has transformed this phrase into; "Help our family bless!" I love this and it has become a discussion at our morning time together with the Lord.

It amazes me how children are born with an incredible understanding of things beyond their years. Yes, it is a wise thing to ask for the blessing of the Lord, but it is also a beautiful thing to ask Jesus for our family to be a blessing. I looked up the word "bless" and found this definition; "to request of God the bestowal of divine favor or to bestow good of any kind upon."

As I was teaching my grandsons about how to bless, a story came to mind. I have a friend I pray with once a week in a prayer group. We pray for all kinds of things the Lord brings to mind. This friend has made a habit of praying for the people who visit one of the Taco Bells in town and for the employees there. My friend has taken this as a responsibility and as a commission from the Lord. She goes there and prays whenever the Lord asks her to. In my opinion, this is how cities are transformed!

Well, my friend brought a prayer request before us about a week ago. She noticed, while in the Taco Bell, that the manager looked sad. So she sat her down and asked her how she could pray for her. The manager told her that her "ex" had taken her one-year-old daughter a year ago. She had not seen or heard about her daughter for one year! She wanted my friend to pray for her daughter to be returned. So, my friend prayed with her and then brought the request to the prayer group--we prayed together and continued praying individually.

This situation absolutely broke my heart, so I prayed often as I thought of the despair this situation would cause me. Sometimes, when in a public place, I have lost track of my child for a moment and begun to panic. I can't imagine the pain and terror of an entire year without my child!!

Two days after our prayer meeting, I woke up early and decided to read the paper. On the second page, I read a small article about a man being captured in Phoenix who had taken his child illegally from her mother. Then it said, to my shock, that the child had been returned to her mother in Flagstaff. The girl was two years old. At this point, I jumped out of my chair. I was sure it was the little girl and mother I had been praying for! This Wednesday, my friend confirmed it was true. In two days, God had answered these prayers.

This is an example of how we bless. We look around and see those who are hurting. And, we notice. We offer to pray for their needs with faith, knowing that Jesus is; "Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us..." Ephesians 3:20. I can't think of a better way anyone could have blessed this mother.

Sometimes we are able to bless by providing something for someone in need. If it is not possible to do this, then, asking Jesus to meet the need, however great or small, is the greatest blessing we can give!! And in the process, they receive the blessing of blessings. Seeing Jesus come alive in the world around them!!

In 2 Corinthians 1:11 it says; "...you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many." So let me pray for us today this sweet, little, powerful prayer from the heart of my grandson; "Lord, help us to bless!"

Hard To Say Good-Bye!

I heard this week one of my closest childhood friends passed away. Her name was Mardelle and she was one of the bridesmaids in my wedding. This news was devastating to my heart. I loved this friend deeply and she is woven into the fabric of my childhood. If I painted a picture of my childhood she would dwell there by my side as my partner in finding adventure. She was my sounding board, my comforter, and one of my favorite teammates. I cherish my memories with her!! When we were together, life seemed endless and we seemed invincible. Now her life is over. I wish she could have stayed here with me a little longer. It is hard to say good-bye!!

One thing that has bothered me about her death is the lack of time I have had with her in the past twenty-five years. Our lives just drifted apart as we moved in different directions. We talked on the phone in the beginning. Then we emailed and recently we were reconnected through facebook. But, I counted on her being out there, living her life. I counted on hearing from her. When we communicated, it was like no time had gone by. Our souls connected like they had so many years ago.

Life is filled with different seasons. We move through them as if they will never end and then one day we are in a different season. The days gone by are over. We can't bring them back again. We can peruse them in our memories but time does not allow us to dwell there again.

In my life today, I am much more aware that opportunities for relationships are limited by time. I make sure I am making the most of my time with the people I love. When God brings a close friend into my life, I take full advantage of their available time knowing this time might not be available forever. I leave gaps in my schedule to be available for my family and close friends so I do not miss opportunities. Ephesians 5:15 says; "Be careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity..."

I wish back when I was a teenager, I would have been more wise in how I used my time. This is one thing in my life I regret! But I am grateful for my friend. I am grateful for the time the Lord gave us together!! I truly enjoyed her! She was an expression of God's love to my life during that season so many years ago. I thank God for the way He created her and for His divine wisdom in bringing our lives together. He knows her heart and all of the intricate parts of her story. I trust her into His hands.

Still in knowing all of this, it is hard to say good-bye!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4; "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,..."