Sweet Dreams and No Bloody Noses

As a Christian and as a parent it is my duty to teach my boys how to pray to God. In that simple act I am teaching them that our God is approachable, and that He cares, and that He desires to hear from us.

Every night, I tuck my boys in and then we pray.  I start off with asking, “What are we thankful for?” then we pray for our family.  The night isn’t over until I wrap up our prayers with, “Sweet dreams and no bloody noses.”

It became a routine after Carsen was having bad dreams so, we would read about a certain curious monkey. One particular night the story was about George visiting a Candy Factory.  Ever since that night,  we prayed for sweet dreams, like George in the candy shop.  Tucker would often get bloody noses near bed time so the second tag line was added for good measure.

Often we hear how people think God is some genie in a bottle waiting to grant our wishes. I thought I was doing a good job teaching my boys to be thankful for what God has given us. We prayed for the healing of friends and family, safe travels for those who were, and thankful for the house, right down to the dog.

I believe God still speaks to his people.  When He does speak to me it’s been few words that pack a punch, like opening a Pandora’s box of truth that spills out and opens doors of revelation.  Sometimes it’s a thought that I know did not originate in my head, and that’s what recently happened to me.

I was in the kitchen doing something and this thought breezed past me that I almost didn’t catch it.  It was like walking past someone you vaguely think you know, but aren’t quite sure; once they are halfway down the street it hits you.

“You are not teaching them to ask of Me.”

I stopped in my tracks.  Nothing I was doing or thinking would have led me to this notion.

I am teaching my boys to be thankful to God but there is so much more to prayer than that.  I wasn’t teaching my boys to ask God; to come to Him with prayers of petitions.  He is the Giver of every good gift and I was missing showing my boys the generosity of our Father.

Luke 9:11 – “…I tell you, ASK, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

and

John 15:6-7  “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ASK whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

God reminded me of a deep-seated root in my own prayer life.  I have no problem with asking God to help others, but rarely would I seek His help for me.   What if help didn’t come?  Then I would be disappointed in God and I didn’t want that to ruin our relationship.  I shouldn’t be disappointed with God.  I wanted things to be good between us, so, I wouldn’t ask unless I was desperate.

This attitude stems from my parents’ divorce.  I know this. I’ve said this.  I wouldn’t ask my Dad for things because of the what ifs.  I didn’t want to be disappointed or mad at my Dad.

God still isn’t a genie.  He isn’t waiting for us to ask for a million dollars.  In 2 Chronicles God says to Solomon,  “Ask for whatever you want me to give to you.”   Solomon could have asked for riches or any earthly desire, but you know what he asked for?  Wisdom.  Wisdom to rule his people.

Do you know how God responded?  He gave him wisdom AND riches.  He was the richest King ever!  Ask, and ye shall receive.

I will leave with this story. Several years ago, when my boys were into Beyblades (a modern version of the spinning top), Tucker had lost one outside.  We saw where it went but when we looked for it we could not find it for the life of us!  For three days we looked in that same darn bush to no avail.

We prayed one night to find the toy.  The next day, determined to find it, I urged Tucker to look once more in the bush and around it. It was a small bush to top it off.  Triumphantly, Tucker squealed.  “He found it!  God found it!”, as he hoisted the toy in the air as if to show God, himself. That look of pure joy on his face, with eyes squinting in the Spring sunshine towards heaven, was truly a gift to me.

See, God cares about the little things too.  Tucker knew, without a doubt, that God heard him.  God answers prayers.  And I will say, that joy God saw on Tucker’s face was the truest picture of His love for giving His children every good and perfect gift.

ASK Him.

God of Thunder

Joel 3:16

The LORD roars from Zion And utters His voice from Jerusalem, And the heavens and the earth tremble. But the LORD is a refuge for His people And a stronghold to the sons of Israel.

 

Is it strange that I find God in the thunder and the crack of lightning?  I am in the midst of a storm and my first thought is to gather the black clouds around me like a wild blanket.  I want nothing but to hear the deep groaning’s and explosive thunder in my ears.  I find comfort in that.  I find God in that.  Come near to me oh Lord.

I searched for scriptures that referenced thunder and found seventy, perhaps there is more, I don’t know.  A lot of verses liken the sound of thunder to God’s anger and wrath.  It is a display of His terrible might.  People tremble, some even flee.  Heaven and earth tremble.  Thunder, to most, is to be feared and at times it causes me to flee under the nearest blanket.

When I was nursing my youngest son in wee hours of the night (although often my clock said it was 2AM) I would be the only one awake.  Even Carsen was sleeping while he nursed.  It was the loneliest time for me.  The house was utterly silent.  Nothing stirred.  Then one night while I was nursing a distant thunder rolled.  It was a lazy lingering roll.  My ears latched on to it and in my desolation I asked, I prayed for it to come closer to keep me company.

Brother

I stayed away

It’s too much pain

My life is full

Hard to manage my own affairs

To include all your cares

 

There were times

When your life

Was worth more than mine

And the rift it caused

Was soon a great divide

 

So I pulled back

I stayed away

I didn’t ask

I didn’t pray

 

My life was just okay

And I told myself

I liked it that way

 

But I didn’t.

 

Where Am I?

Where am I, Lord?

Where have I been?

I feel as though I have been busy serving You

Not listening for You

Not Worshiping You

How can I see the Word of God alive in those around me

And I cannot see it in me?

Like the two-way glass outside the nursery

The Church can look into my ministry and see me serve

And say I do great things

Yet You see inside my heart, my mind and I wonder what you see.

Strangely I am no longer stressed and ready to give up

But if I were to stop, actually stop and listen to my soul

I hear nothing; feel… nothing

The engine is running

My hands they are still moving

I smile, I encourage, I schedule and I plan

But where am I in all this?

Where is my heart?

Ask

Ask

You asked me for a child                                                                                                            
Two years later I answered
your cries

I did not lie
I did not turn a deaf ear
Nor did I hide

I waited
For just the right time
For just the right mom
For just the right child

When you thought I was far away
I wove together a woman’s life
that was falling apart

I softened her heart and strengthened yours

I brought her tenderly to My side
and refined you through the fire
all at the same time.

How brilliant you are to me
How much stronger and more promising
are your futures because of my perfect
plans for you

She asked for wisdom
So I gave her an answer

You have a child
and now …  I do too

God’s answer to our prayers is never just for us but the audience of witnesses that surround us and all of eternity.

God will sometimes give me pictures.  I was inspired by a picture I saw in my mind of my dear friend Briana and her new adopted son, Hunter.

I thought I was going to have to stage the picture but then she posted a picture that shouted “THIS is it!  This is what I saw!”  With her permission I am sharing it with you.  This is what an answered prayer looks like, years of toil and tears, a prayer coming to fruition.

Don’t give up.  Press on. Persevere.

This is a message not only for you but for me as well. Isn’t it worth it?