When we are alone with Christ one-on-one in silence, an intimacy reveals unwavering love, compassion, forgiveness and acceptance. Silence is the doorway to peace. No compromise, no questioning, just me….and GOD. Christ reaching out His hand to bring me comfort.
The disciplines of prayer and fasting are a means for me to make a declaration of my faith to my God. I do not fast for great lengths of time and do not have a standard to uphold. The discipline of fasting is a way to say, “Hello God, you have my undivided attention today. I will depend upon you for my sustenance. I want to feel that you are close to me. I want to be in your presence.”. It may mean skipping lunch or restricting myself to only soup and light meals for a day.
While the world spins out of control and I hear frightening things on the news—of loss and murder, of bombs and tragedy, of hatred, wars, hunger and death…when I am alone with my Creator everything is beautiful. He took the scars of the world upon himself, wearing the thorny crown that pierced His skin, wounded for our transgressions and yet the God I know reaches out His hand to me and it is without flaw.
I am certain when I receive a phone call that the grandchild of my dear friend has been diagnosed with Leukemia, the boy is in the loving hands of our God; reassured that my fears of death pale in comparison to life everlasting. I pray silently that Christ would breathe his warm, soft breath over this boy and into his lungs and the blood that runs through his veins, because He is a God of miracles.I pray for the hush of silent peace to rush over his mama’s aching heart and to whirl around his family.
As I commune with God in my fleshly self-centric way, praying for my own needs, God reveals to me the innermost hurts and burdens of those around me. I am left with a hole in my soul by all of the things I have never noticed because I have not drawn close enough to Christ –often enough to see people through His eyes. Thoughts transformed, I begin to understand and feel more compassion and love for others.
“Hold out your hand” Christ urges…. I hold out my clenched fist wrought with human experience. His hand gently opens mine and the heart of stone that I have held to so tightly becomes like clay. Tears fall like rain, each drop bearing the name of someone I may have missed, overlooked, dismissed, hurt or abandoned. Each tear a symbol of my hurts, fears and sadness.
In the midst of silence, as my spirit is open to receive that which God has for me… He sends messages about my passion and purpose. He reassures me that I still have work to do, yet it takes me days to realize this message. God-are you bringing to life something that I have been afraid to dream could possibly happen? The cumulative effect of many disappointments has conditioned me to question His plans for me. I realize that this has kept me from living in His fullness. These are ugly truths and I wonder if others have grappled with them too. Loss has a way of clinging to the innermost parts of our being, lingering there like a Cancer. We rarely recognize that it has never fully left… but changed us inside, our DNA so to speak.
White candles flickering, I understand that I must embrace my ugly Truths as part of the human experience. The cumulative effect of loss has over time, can leave us spiritually paralyzed. As the soul grapples with the depth of our own woundedness, it becomes evident that finding a silent place daily to commune with God is lifeblood to a healthy soul.
A replay of things I have learned through prayer and fasting:
- Intimacy with God requires silence of mind and body
- Connection requires an intimate daily relationship with God
- Be a seeker of Truth, even if it is painful
- The Grace of God will cover us when we are willing to face difficult truths in our lives
- God often speaks to us through others
- As we begin to see others through the eyes of Christ, we gain wisdom and understanding
- He can transform hearts of stone into hearts of clay
- He has plans for each of us
- God is only a whisper away, yet living in His fullness requires commitment
- He will let us know when our work is finished
- He is a God of forgiveness
- He loves us, imperfections and all
- We are the most harsh judge of ourselves and of others, God does not judge us as “good or bad”, we do
- He will bring to life the dreams that you thought were dead
- We were each created for a purpose
- When I hold out my hand, He will fill it with His Love and Grace
Dear Mary, Thank you and God bless you for this beautiful post. My mind, body and spirit always long for the Lord. I reach out to Him in prayer daily. I listen to the word of God every day as well. He is my sustenance in a world that is ever changing. He is my rock that I cling to when I feel lost. No matter what the day brings, God is with me. God bless all my sisters in Christ. ❤?❤
Mary,
What a beautiful message here today. I crave those times when I can be alone with the Lord. I need them to learn from him and to keep me grounded. Thank you for this wonderfully worded reminder 🙂
Blessings,
Debby
You are so very welcome.♡ Thank you for stopping by for a visit.