Monday, August 10, 2009

A prayer.

Dear Lord, 

Sometimes I wish so badly You were here. That I could talk to You. That I could really know exactly what it is I'm supposed to know. 

Yesterday was rough. I've been disappointed in people, in situations, in behavior and words that I can't comprehend. 

I don't understand hurt. 

Or judgmental behavior. 

Or hateful words. 

Especially in light of the God we all serve. 

The God who loves. 

The God who understands. 

So why do we-- His people, His children-- find it so hard to love? 

To understand? 

To walk around in the shoes of others? 

To feel what others feel?

To see situations how others might see them?

Lord, I just feel like some people don't get it. 

They don't understand that not everyone has our beliefs

Our opinions

Our convictions. 

That some people just need our love. 

It's hard for me, Lord

To see in Your people 

A lack of understanding

Of love. 

So, Lord, what I'm asking is for your help.

To love

The unloveable

Even when the unloveable

Includes Your people. 

Help me to forgive

And help me to look to You

The perfect image of love

To know what it truly means to be Your follower. 

Help me to not be hurt or overcome by the actions of others

People who may not understand what exactly it is they are doing

Who they are hurting. 

Protect my heart. 

Soften it. 

So that I can be more like You

In how I treat everyone. 

Lord, help me to remember 

That I can't control how others behave.

But I can control my own actions.

Help those actions to be Yours. 

Help me to always and forever be in awe of who You are and what You do.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

3 comments:

BPremo said...

Amen!

I promise, we are sisters from another mother!

mom said...

Well, you never cease to amaze me! How did I ever deserve to be blessed with a daughter like you. It's grace. Something given when not deserved. I love you! This prayer was so perfect after my morning that I printed it off and made it my own. You, your brother and your daddy are answers to my prayers! You made God's day today!! mom

Melissa said...

Thank you for this Annie! Don't know what happened for sure, but I've been there too, not knowing what gets into people; God knows for sure, that I've probably been the cause of a lot of hurt over the years, but I've been equally hurt; we just have to be so grateful for His grace to help us over those hurts and to forgive us when it is us who have hurt. I ask a good bit of you, but pray I've not been one to hurt you...you are amazing...