Coming alive...

Thank you Lord. For bringing me more and more to a place of being alive in Christ. No, every day is not easy, and no, I still don't have it all together, but Lord, I can clearly see Your mighty hand at work in my life. Today, again, I have seen clear evidence of Your work in my heart. In my busy every day life, I sometimes think about people around me, wonder what's going on in their life, wondering how they are, wondering what's new, or just wondering where they've been lately...but more times than others, I just let it go on past as a fleeting thought, slipping back to being so entangled in the details of my own life. Lately this has been changing. Lately, when thinking about someone, and no, I have not been perfect at it, but I have tried to at least make an attempt to contact the person on my mind, whether it be by phone, email or whatever. The result? Well, good in some ways, but for a large part of it, there has been great sadness that has resulted of it. I asked didn't I, and glad I did to be honest, but to listen to the other person as they give you the update on their life can and has been difficult to some degree. By no means do I have any regret, because now I know how I can be praying more intentionally for others in and around my life and this is a blessing.
Lord, thank you for working in the hearts of those that I have contacted, in giving them the incredible courage to share their struggles with me. I now pray that You will help me more than ever to just be able to listen, to receive, and to simply come alongside my brother and/or sister in Christ. Help me to be quick to listen and slow to speak because I know all to well, that sometimes we just need someone to listen and hear us out. We sometimes just need someone to know what we are going through so that we are not alone in our battle or struggle. We need someone to give us that long embracing hug of life that breaths the sweetest of fresh air. We need someone to let us know...we are not alone.
Thank you Lord for perfect timing and for Your infinite will. I pray that You will help me to be light to the ones in darkness, a drink to the ones that thirst from being in a land where there is no water, a tree that shades from the intense heat, and a embracing example of Your gracious love. I life up to You Lord those that are intense on my mind tonight, that You will protect, that You will be there tower of refuge, that You will be the living water and bread that nourishes them through their struggles. I pray for great mercy on their lives and that their faith may be increased by their struggles.
Lord, as Flayhart spoke about in church this morning, that we may be compelled to having a "hopeful dependence", a "confident surrender", and a "joyful commitment". That we would be intentional in our dependence to You, that we not only know that we cannot live this life without You, but that we put that knowledge to action and live our lives in complete and unconditional dependence of You. Lord, give us the strength and mercies to take on each day as they come, to not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow worries about itself. Lord, I lay all this down at Your cross this late evening, and taking a quote from a book I was looking through tonight that the author was borrowing himself, "The ground at the foot of the cross is level", meaning that we can come, no matter what the sin, no matter what the struggle, no matter what we think of ourselves, and there is in fact no varying level of your mercy and love...for this I am greatful. I pray oh Lord, all these things in Your great Son's name, Jesus Christ.
Amen and good night.