What A Friend.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

This morning I awoke to a loud banging on my door. Awaking from sleep, this can be quite alarming. It was 8 AM, and clad only in shorts and a see-through white tank top, I quickly ran to answer the door. It was my neighbor, needing me to move my car. Peering outside I saw that the world was white - white as snow... lots and lots of snow. I grabbed my keys, a nearby jacket, and snow boots and went outside. I think I must have looked quite, interesting to say the least. Hair disheveled. Shorts and snow boots in 6+ inches of snow. Still wearing my retainers, which I of course forgot about until I started talking to him. Nice. I crawled back into bed and slept for another two hours... and when my alarm went off, I thought of the snow in contrast to the warmth of my bed, and seriously considered skipping church. But, the Lord was telling me to stop being lazy and get out of bed. (in some way or another). So, I ventured out into the winter wonderland and made it to church. And, boy am I glad I did.

The verse above is one of, if not my ultimate, favorite. Those are the verses I have clung to for years... in the midst of little problems, little worries, or large-scale life changing complications and changes. Those words have been my comfort, my guide. And this morning, my pastor gave a whole sermon on those two verses. I could have screamed. What luck! It's wonderful to delight in God's word, but to really take it apart and examine what lies under the surface is where true understanding is reached - where your heart is really challenged. Needless to say, I felt convicted this morning.

My pastor posed this question, and so I'm going to lay it out here as well: What is your instinctive response to fear, anxiety, and worry?? In other words, where do you turn in the midst of these feelings? In my own personal experience, it is easier to turn to other people and other things. Comfort foods. A call to a friend. A glass of wine. Sleep. A rantful blog. But, the thing we seem to forget about most often is Jesus. The power of prayer. Yikes, right? Yeah... that's how I feel. Too often I find myself engaging in simplistic prayers that barely brush the surface, when really prayer should be like breathing - you should want to welcome Jesus into EVERYTHING, to be real, open, and brutally honest about our feelings and emotions. When we keep things from Him, we are basically saying that we are happy with a superficial relationship with Him. Worry about things in place of God, is putting those things as Idols. Uh oh...

I don't want to preach to you. That's not my job, or my calling. But God was working in my heart this morning, and I felt inclined to share. To see God is amazing. To know God is amazing. To realize that He is working in your life, is inspiring... encouraging. I am guilty of not running to God in the midst of my fears, and anxieties. I will pour my heart out to my friends, or to my journal/blog... but I am hesitant to pour it out to God. God is the first place I should be running, to lay everything down at His feet and ask for His help. And furthermore, I should be thanking Him for who He is. That I have a friend so amazing, so loving, that He would take all of my weight onto His shoulders. He possesses the power to fill us with peace, with joy, in spite of everything the world throws on us. But, so often, we ignore that.

We are in need of a deep prayer life. An ongoing, intimate, relationship with God. Just as we would form a relationship with a friend, we need to be honest with God in order for that relationship to grow. I want that. A friend like that... a friend who will never fail me, never leave me, never forsake me... a friend who will always love me unconditionally, no matter what. What a gift. What a joy! We can never lose God. Ever. He is always there. And to delight in that should be our constant desire. It is possible to live a life free from worry, anxiety, and fear... it is possible through God. All things are possible through God, if only we are willing to run to Him - continually, over and over again. You have been given a gift - don't take Him for granted.