Does God Really Work?

It can often look like all giggles, Disney rides and scooter ballet down here in Florida. The truth is we are a normal family.

We fight, we cry and we grow.

We get frustrated with each other and we work through it.

I always get the best access to my girls’  hearts at night before bed. It’s dark, they don’t have to look at me and they are stalling because it’s bedtime. Questions like “how’s your heart?” or “what made you happy or sad today?” get them going.

It shocked me to hear this from Ella, “Mom can I talk to you? I cannot control my behavior.”

I was thinking in my mind, “Uh, this I know.” We had a rough few days around our house. So, we talked a bit about my struggle with self-control and how we could work on it together. Then, I prayed for us both.

 

Right after my prayer, she said,

“Well, that’s not going to work.”

It broke my heart to hear that, but I said, “Well yes it is Ella. It doesn’t mean God is going to remove that struggle, but we can do it with him. If we have to pray every day, 10 times. We will. You aren’t going to struggle with control of your behavior and your tongue forever. I’m not either. It’s really hard. I know. I get frustrated too – but there are other ways to handle it.” (I’m sure I said it exactly like that – or something like that. 🙂

Guess what – she had a great day the next day and I sure did remind her that God works.

I think we all need a reminder that God works.

He’s not in the QUICK fix-it business. Sometimes, prodigal chidden are gone for years. Or, we struggle with something for years. But he is a healer. He is a God that can handle our problems and provide comfort and strength. He can send encouragement and perspective when it seems too big.

One time I met with Lysa TerKeusrt and she said, “I used to meet thousands of women that didn’t believe there was a God, now the challenge is different. They believe there is a God,  they just don’t believe He actually works.”

That has challenged me big time in how I communicate every week. From the very bottom of my soul, I believe He works.

 

Do you believe He is real?

Do you believe He works?

Do you believe He works for other people and not you?

Do you believe (like Ella) that your struggle is too big or too hard for Him?

Do you feel hopeless?

 

I hope not. I believe in Him because I have experienced Him. Reach out to Him, daily. He’ll show up in ways you might not have scripted. He knows better than we do. His timing is always better.

 

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So sorry to swiftly change topics. I’m so delighted to have met Karen, the founder of Prayer Bowls recently. She was in Tampa when I spoke to Community Bible Study. She is giving away ABC Scripture Cards on her Facebook site today – makes a great Easter gift for your kids. Go on over and enter to win. And be sure to check out her new app – the Prayer Bowl app! If you are like me – it’s impossible to keep up with all the requests. Now, there’s an app for that. And it’s FREE!