Weighty Things, Mighty Lord

Anything I say to You today must begin with thanks. My boy finally slept through the night. No two hour crying sessions or anything. As a matter of fact, he only cried for 45 minutes when we put him to bed, which is somewhat bearable, because even though we feel bad for him, we were going to be awake anyways. So, since my last couple of encounters with You have been begging You to help with this, I am truly thankful that it has happened. It is answered prayer.

And with that answered prayer, I can move beyond myself. My tiredness often lends to selfishness. When I've been denied rest, I find it hard to bear the lives (or sometimes even company) of others. But You have given me rest, Lord. At least, I got to sleep through a night!

So, the lives of our community always seem a bit heavy. Here's what I mean: There's always somebody struggling with something complicated, big, sad, or stressful. Rarely is our community operating at a point where all are enjoying life at the same time.

What really pains me, Lord, is to see people who have normally been so filled with joy hit a life situation that just stops them in their tracks. The loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, the never ending search for Your will in their lives, or at least their perception of what Your will looks like. Currently, I should be praying for, on a regular basis, people dealing with these problems... (number of people in parenthesis)

- depression (2)
- need for work (6)
- loneliness (2)
- significant life changes (2)
- struggles with parenting or the tiredness it brings (8)
- significant addictive battles (3)

And my list is probably small. I have so many questions for You when I type a list like this. Is this the way life has been for everybody? What do I tell these people? How do I comfort them on an individual level? What are my prayers doing (because if I'm being brutally honest, instead of seeing people come out of these situations, I've become more aware of people falling into them)?

But then again, if I'm being brutally honest, do I remember to pray for these problems on a regular basis?

What I'm doing by bringing this up in our time today Lord is simply saying this: these things are important to me. These people are important to me. And rather than moan about the weight of the world and the depression and stress that it brings, I'd like to be part of the relief and restoration. Even if that part is only as an observer.

Is there anything too hard for You, Lord God. Act in these situations. Act in the mighty power that saved the entire nation of Israel, and a whole world from the darkness. Act in that power, on our small behalf. Personally, give me the power of attention to pray and stay at You. That's a fun request, eh?