I woke up last Sunday morning thinking about the family in crisis. I went to sleep praying for them and pleading with God to bring them out of the seemingly hopeless situation in which they find themselves.
The crisis isn’t new to this particular family. Several of us have been praying for and trying to help them for years. But the intensity of the crisis spiraled out of control about the time the coronavirus hit the U.S.
Resources are limited, opportunities to seek the specific help needed are restricted and new obstacles seem to emerge at every corner.
The weight has become nearly unbearable for those closest to the situation, and the energy of those continually tossing life lines to the ones at ground zero is near depletion.
Desperation has set in, and it seems no one can help and no one knows what to do.
As I’ve prayed and sought the Lord’s guidance the past few weeks, He has reminded me to reach out to other believers to assist in the prayer effort — to allow others the blessing of being part of the process.
He helped me accept the fact that I must step back rather than try to force others to do what I think is the right thing in the situation. Definite steps need to be taken, but in this particular situation, those steps must be taken by those working at ground zero.
The Lord also is allowing me to see His hand at work and reminding me that by seeking the mind of Christ and looking for Him in everyday moments, we will find Him.
When I woke up last Sunday, the idea of suggesting to the family to watch the online service from my church — NorthPark Baptist Church, Trussville — popped in my mind. The service is airing online in various formats like many church services right now.
I felt impressed that I should send them a link to the service and ask them to watch, but then I convinced myself that I had sent them plenty of texts the day before with Scripture, links to worship songs and messages of encouragement. That was enough for now, I convinced myself, fearful I was coming on too strong.
Still, I couldn’t get away from the feeling that I should send them a link to that morning’s service before it started, even as Jason and I settled in to watch the service, but I didn’t do it.
About two minutes into the sermon focusing on 2 Corinthians 10:3–5, Jason looked over at me (not knowing of my earlier impression to send them the link) and said, “I sure wish [they] could hear this message. I think it is exactly what they need to hear right now.”
Wow, had God really spoken to both of us separately but about the exact same thing? How could our pastor know exactly what this family he does not know needed to hear at this exact moment? Did I send the link to the family as soon as I grasped what was happening? You know I did.
But I also thanked God for reminding me so concretely to trust the leadings of the Holy Spirit and to always look expectantly to see how He is working in all our situations.
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