Desolate Sanctuary

She sat alone in the back of a quiet sanctuary. It was her spot. She would sneak in the back every Sunday just after the morning service began. She’d listen as the songs were sung and the sermon was preached and then slip out during the invitation – a quick “pick me up” for the week.

The problem is it never worked.

For some time now, her heart has been hurting. She’s been walking through life as if in a fog – a fog that would never lift. She’s been searching for answers, for an escape from the shadows that smothered her hopes and dreams. She’s been longing for an end to her desolation but hasn’t been able to find it.

As far as she was concerned, there was only one way out – only one way to end her burdens and suffering. She knew the darkness, the sadness, the dreariness of her life was a result of her own choices. She had thrown away her dreams. She had caused her own misery. Only she could end the pain.

She made her way to the back pew of the church one last time. Tears were streaming down her face as the pastor invited the congregation to pray. She had not prayed in years but she wanted to pray one last time. The weight of her burdens was so heavy she almost couldn’t stand. She struggled to her feet and made her way to the altar. She didn’t know what to say but as her tears drenched the altar, her heart began to plead with the Father:

“Lord, bring your favor to this desolate sanctuary.

Lord, shine your light into this darkened tomb.

Lord, pour your spirit on this tattered and broken temple.

Lord, may your presence fill this life anew.”

She thought this would be her last prayer so she held nothing back. She poured out her soul and laid the broken pieces of her life before the Lord. She cried out in anger, in desperation, in brokenness. She expected nothing but in the midst of her tears, she found everything. The Father that she had walked away from so many years before was waiting for her with arms open wide. He picked up her broken pieces and opened her eyes to the hope that only He can give. He wiped away her tears, picked her up and filled her with the light of His Love.

One last prayer changed her life forever.

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What about you? Are you living in a fog, in the shadow of your regrets? Do you feel like your life is a desolate wasteland? Are you haunted by the choices of your past? Are you pursuing things of this world, things that are leading you away from the Giver of abundant life? Are you ready to give up?

It’s time. Give it up today. Take it to our Heavenly Father and give it all to Him. You may have walked away. You may have made all the wrong choices but you do not have to remain in desolation. He is waiting for you with open arms. He wants to restore you. He wants to take the broken pieces of your life and make them into something beyond your wildest dreams. He wants to heal your soul and love on you today. Don’t wait any longer! Go ahead and Pray!

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A Year of Smiles – Day 37

Reason to SMILE #37: THE REWARDS OF PATIENCE (You’re going to like this one – just wait. Wink. Wink.)

Many nights before the lights are turned out, my husband and I sit in our bed in the quiet.  I read blog posts, check out Pinterest or peruse Facebook while my husband listens to music or shops. (I should never have introduced him to Amazon!)  Last night was no different.  After a little while, my husband piped up, “I’m hungry.”  I acknowledged him with a small “Hmm.”  I knew if I engaged him on the matter, the next words out of his mouth would be a request for me to get out of our nice, comfortable bed to go get him a snack.  That was not going to happen.

My husband didn’t say anything for quite a while longer until finally, he said,”I want something to snack on.  What do we have?”  What a sneaky man.  He asked me a question requiring a specific answer meaning I couldn’t just grunt back at him.  I knew where this was headed but I would not let him win this game of “who outwaits whom”.  I proceeded to list the possible snacks waiting for him in the kitchen and wouldn’t you know it, my premonition was correct.  In the sweetest tone my husband could muster, he asked, “Won’t you go get me something?”

“Nope,” I replied while trying to hide a grin.

My husband, knowing he wouldn’t be able to convince me otherwise, got out of bed and muttered all the way to the bedroom door.  Just as he reached to open it, I said, “Since you’re going to the kitchen anyway, can you bring me back a snack?”  I SMILED sweetly as he looked back at me.  He shook his head and snickered a little as he walked out of the room.

A few minutes later, he returned with a snack for us both.  Sitting down beside me and doing his best to look as if his feelings were hurt, he said, “I can’t believe you would do me like that – wait til I get up and then ask me to get you a snack.”  (He really did know it was all in jest but was trying to make me feel bad anyway. It’s all part of the fun of being married! 😉 )  Without any remorse, I raised my arms in celebration and said, “I won! ….Thank you for the snack, though!”

Patience – there are times we have plenty of it.  Our reserves, however, are usually saved for the trivial matters like waiting on a movie premier or outwaiting your husband so you don’t have to get out of bed.  When it comes to the big stuff like saving to purchase big-ticket items or, even more, waiting on God to answer a prayer, our patience usually wears a bit thin.

We like to take matters into our own hands when it comes to the big stuff.  Sure, we pray about our problems.  We lay our impossible situations before the One with whom all things are possible but we can’t seem to wait on His timing.  We like to step in and help God with the answers.  The thing is He doesn’t need our help.  He’s got it covered.  All we have to do is trust Him and wait.

Patience may not be your greatest virtue and waiting on God can be difficult.  I know.  I’ve tried to hurry God along with my “help” many times but I’ve learned that my Heavenly Father always knows best.  And when I wait on God, the rewards of my patience bring more SMILES than I could ever imagine.

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

³¹ but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Lamentations 3:25 (ESV)

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

Psalm 62:1 (ESV)

1 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Desolate Sanctuary

She sat alone in the back of a quiet sanctuary. It was her spot. She would sneak in the back every Sunday just after the morning service began. She’d listen as the songs were sung and the sermon was preached and then she would slip out during the invitation – a quick “pick me up” for the week. The problem is it never worked.

For some time now, her heart has been hurting. She has been walking through life as if in a fog that would never lift. She has been searching for answers, for an escape from the shadows that smothered her hopes and dreams. She has been longing for an end to her desolation but has not been able to find it.

As far as she was concerned, there was only one way out – only one way to end her burdens and suffering. She knew the darkness, the sadness, the dreariness of her life was a result of her own choices. She had thrown away her dreams. She had caused her own misery. Only she could end the pain.

She made her way to the back pew of the church one last time. Tears were streaming down her face as the pastor invited the congregation to pray. She had not prayed in years but she wanted to pray one last time. The weight of her burdens was so heavy she almost couldn’t stand. She struggled to her feet and made her way to the altar. She didn’t know what to say but as her tears drenched the altar, her heart began to plead with the Father.

“Lord, bring your favor to this desolate sanctuary.

Lord, shine your light into this darkened tomb.

Lord, pour your spirit on this tattered and broken temple.

Lord, may your presence fill this life anew.”

She thought this would be her last prayer so she held nothing back. She poured out her soul and laid the broken pieces of her life before the Lord. She cried out in anger, in desperation, in brokenness. She expected nothing but in the midst of her tears, she found everything. The Father that she had walked away from so many years before was waiting for her with arms open wide. He picked up her broken pieces and opened her eyes to the hope that only He can give. He wiped away her tears, picked her up and filled her with the light of His Love.

One last prayer changed her life forever.

Are you living in darkness as if you are walking in a fog? Do you feel like your life is a desolate wasteland? Are you haunted by the choices of your past? Are you pursuing things of this world, things that are leading you away from the Giver of abundant life? Are you ready to give up?

It’s time. Give it up today. Take it to our Heavenly Father and give it all to Him. You may have walked away. You may have made all the wrong choices but you do not have to remain in this desolation. He is waiting for you with open arms. He wants to restore you. He wants to take the broken pieces of your life and make them into something beyond your wildest dreams. He wants to heal your soul and love on you today. Don’t wait any longer! Pray!