Missed

Oh Lord,

How can I miss something I didn't have?

How can I fill the empty space that has not been created?

How can I grieve the loss that I have not suffered?

What is it that has this hold on me, that pulls at me from the deepest part of my being? What direction do I go in when I find myself in a place I am not in because I never arrived here on a road I have not traveled? Please God, make clear to me what all this means and show me what to do with it.

Amen

Are we having fun yet?

We see people having fun all around us these days by engaging in activities that Christians refuse to enjoy in exchange for a promise of future glory. But are the people who are participating in these activities actually having fun? Do they sleep around and drink and do drugs because it is enjoyable? Or are they engaging in these activities because such activities help them to dull a inner pain, fill an inner emptiness, or forget a past hurt? You might well ask why they don't seek out God, for He can accomplish all of this for them. But if they did seek out God, where would they go?

The first place they might seek out God is in a church. But how long would they stay there if the hurt was caused by a church or one of it's representatives, or if all that they found was condemnation from the pulpit? They might seek God in someone known to be a good Christian. But how many Christians are willing to sit up with someone and hold them as they struggle through withdrawal from an addiction, or stay with someone and help them to resist the temptation to go out and find sex on the streets, or even invite this person into their homes and provide an environment of unconditional love for them as they turn their life around? Would you? Would I?

So the next time you see someone having "fun", don't condemn them (even if it's only in your mind). Instead, pray for them. Pray that God will touch them and show them a better way. Pray that God will touch those around them that they might help that person, or that they themselves, might be open to the option of a better life, one of true happiness. In other words, don't just pray that they will find God, but pray that God will find them open to His leadings, His grace, His forgiveness, and His love which He willingly offers to us all.

Prayer

Lord,

Open Your arms and accept into Your bosom those servants of Your's who have been faithful to You through their service.

Send Your Spirit of peace and consolation to those who have lost child, sibling, spouse, pastor, friend. Comfort them, calm them, and be in them as they suffer through this loss.

Looking forward to the day when death is no more, love conquers all, and our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ, rules in every heart, I pray to you, God.

Amen