2020…..a year like no other. A year that will go down in history as one filled with a pandemic of great proportions, unusual events, and an election with results unparalleled in all American history. No matter how each of us sees this last year and our election, we have all been touched in a way that will impact our life in 2021.
We know that God has a plan. He always does. However, he is a God of the mystery and the unexpected and his plan is often not what we think. Sometimes his plan is moving right along and other times, he seems to move so slowly. Often, we are in a hurry as we pray intensely for people, for our needs, and what we should be doing. We may even wonder if our prayers are being heard. God never ignores any of our prayers, and he is always faithful even though the answers are not always what we pray for. When those answers bring us sorrow or fears, we must believe he is still with us, bringing us all we need to get through these difficult times. He may send angels to sit beside us for as long as we need them. As he answers our prayers, he wants us to trust him even when it appears that nothing is happening. Sometimes he gives us answers outside the box.
Many years ago, as I was raising money for a group of college kids, I felt God prompting me to buy a lottery ticket. I, of course, figured I would then win some money to help my cause. I bought one ticket for $1.00 and waited. The day of the drawing came, and I won nothing, and in fact, I only had one number right! As I am doing some serious thinking and dialoguing with Jesus, I called my daughter, Melissa, and asked her what she thought. She said maybe God needed me to buy that ticket so the next person in line who needed it worse than me, would win. Maybe God had me stop to get a ticket to protect me at that moment from some impending danger, or just maybe he wanted to teach me something which would impact my prayer life from then on. Turns out, he did just that. God taught me that we as humans have “tunnel vision,” and we see things in only one way. Our God sees things in all ways, far more than we can imagine for he sees and knows the hearts of all people. Sometimes when we pray, God answers outside the tunnel for he has a plan we do not see.
Over this last year, I have no doubt there have been an abundance of prayers as we prayed for our health, our families, our world and even the election. Our world may have brought us more fears, more sorrow, anxiety and worries, and heavy burdens going into the new year.
God’s faithful ones now must step up to what he has trained us to do. He has worked on our faith, given us tons of examples, and lots of training and practice. Our path in helping his hurting and lost souls has not changed. We have now come face to face with our path and what we need to do. We must be ready, and God needs us now more than ever. He is counting on us to bring his kingdom of hope and comfort to his people. We must teach them that God alone is their source of hope against the impossible, a yoke for their burdens, and their rock always.
When Jesus walked the earth, he showed great compassion and love to his people. Matthew 9:36 tells us, “At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” He says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Since Jesus no longer walks on the earth, he must rely on all of us to be his hands, his feet and to speak his words. Paths take many forms, but it is always with God’s compassion and love that we move along our paths. As a Christian, we serve God by serving others. When God places another in need on our paths, take the time to listen and to care for them. Find out their greatest need and with prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to provide this need through you. It may only be a prayer for them, or it may be something more. Trust that God will provide, and then listen for answers that may be outside your tunnel vision.
Never allow yourself to feel inadequate to help another. God uses ordinary people who sin and make mistakes, and he fills them with his graces to help his people who need him. We all have issues, and we must be ready to help others with their own issues. God has a plan. He needs our prayers, and he needs us. Make the choice now to say “yes” to God, for now is the time.
Copyright © 2024 Marsha Luke – Rights for non-commercial reproduction granted: May be copied in its entirety, but neither retyped nor edited.