For The Distressed But Praying Soul...

Psalm 56:8 (New Living Translation)
"You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in Your bottle.
You have recorded each one in Your book."

Whether you're in the middle of a disaster, greatly distressed or disturbed, disappointed or dealing with the burdens of others, know that God ALWAYS hears your prayers. I pray this excerpt from Charles Spurgeon's "Strengthen My Spirit" Devotional explains it better to you than I ever could. And may it give your heart the same comfort it gave mine today:

"Prayers are instantly noticed in Heaven. Here is comfort for the distressed but praying soul. Often times, a poor broken-hearted one bends his knee but can only utter his wailing in the language of sighs and tears; yet that groan has made all the harps of Heaven thrill with music, that tear has been caught by God and treasured in Heaven. 

'You put my tears into Your bottle' implies that they are caught as they flow. The suppliant whose fears provide his words will be well understood by the Most High. He may only look up with misty eye, but 'prayer is the falling of a tear.' Tears are the diamonds of Heaven; sighs are a part of the music of Jehovah's court and are numbered with 'the sublimest strains that reach the majesty on high.' 

Think not that your prayer, however weak or trembling will be unregarded. Our God not only hears prayer, but also loves to hear it. He regards not high looks and lofty words. He cares not for the pomp and pageantry of kings, He listens not to the swell of martial music, He regards not the triumph and pride of man; but wherever there is a heart big with sorrow or a lip quivering with agony or a deep groan or a penitential sigh, the heart of Jehovah is open. He marks it down in the registry of His memory; He puts our prayers, like rose leaves, between the pages of His book of remembrance, and when the volume is opened at last, there shall be a precious fragrance springing up from it."

"But we are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting for it patiently. Also, the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us, even begs God for us with deep feelings that words cannot explain. God can see what is in people's hearts. And he knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit speaks to God for his people in the way God wants.
Romans 8:25-27 (New Century Version)

***This post is dedicated to ones I love undergoing great burdens and hardships. Laury, Jenny & Aaron, the Bensko family and Bent Tree Bible Fellowship staff, Christa & Matt, Emily & Katie, the people of Fargo and North Dakota residents, Chris and Stephanie. I'm praying for each of you and love you dearly.

***Should I add your name to this list? Please take a moment to share your burden, and I will pray for each one. I'm certain my friends in the Christian blogging community will pray as well.


If you find yourself in the position of being a burden sharer right now, I read a post today that blessed my soul. The Heart of a Pastor's Wife is the place you want to be today if you need to know more about loving and comforting those who are hurting.

Maggie's Letter/The Power of Community

I attended the Christian Book Expo in Dallas last weekend, and one of the speakers was Lee Strobel. He is one of the most engaging, passionate speakers I've ever heard. By the time I finished his breakout, I was ready to go share the gospel with the telephone pole, or anyone who would listen. I have two stories in particular that Mr. Strobel shared which yanked my heart out of my chest. I'm going to share one in this post, and reserve the other for when the Lord leads.

It's about the power of small groups open to reaching seekers with tough questions. In essence, they listen and love 'em into the Kingdom, with the Lord's leading of course. Lee Strobel includes this story in his upcoming book (of which I have an advance copy, (gasp)), The Unexpected Adventure. Maggie's story has been shared in various places on the internet, however, and maybe in another of Mr. Strobel's books as well.

Years ago, a young woman named Maggie began attending the Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago. She was a hurting soul who'd long stopped trusting that the God of the Universe existed, and especially that He loved her. As a child, she'd been deceived by inauthentic Christians. Abused by them, deeply scarred as a result.

But you know God's heart for those grasped in grip of grief. It wasn't long after Maggie joined a small group at the church just to spite Christians that she began to understand the love of God through the hands and feet of Jesus Christ--His church body. She wrote a letter to Pastor Strobel after attending these small groups for awhile, which I believe God intended for all disciples of Jesus to hear:

“Do you know, do you understand?
That you represent Jesus to me?

Do you know, do you understand
That when you treat me with gentleness,
It raises questions in my mind that
maybe HE is gentle too?
Maybe He isn't someone who laughs when I hurt.

Do you know, do you understand
That when you listen to my questions
and you don't laugh, I think,
'What if Jesus is interested in me too'?

Do you know, do you understand
that when I hear you talk about arguments
and conflicts and scars from your past, I think,
'Maybe I am just a regular person,
instead of a bad, no good little girl
who deserves abuse'?

If you care, I think 'maybe He cares—?'
And then there’s this flame of hope
that burns inside of me.
And for awhile, I am afraid to breathe,
because it might go out.

Do you know, do you understand,
that your words are His words?
Your face is His face to someone like me?

Please, be who you say you are,
please, God, don’t let this be another trick.
Please let this be real.
Please!

Do you know, do you understand,
that you represent Jesus to me?"

Not long after sending Lee Strobel this poem, Maggie give her life to Christ. Praise God that the people in her small group understood that they represented Jesus to Maggie.

How does her letter make you feel? 

My first response when I heard Mr. Strobel tell this story was one of extreme regret. I'm sure the person beside me thought I was NUTS. I could hardly breathe, and my face was flooded teardrops of shame. I thought of all the ways that I have failed to represent Jesus to others.

Now that I've had time to pray about it, repent of legitimate convictions and let the Lord speak Truth to me, I still feel the gut-wrenching emotion from Maggie's letter, but my guilt is gone. I am stirred to respond instead.

And the place I'm starting is on my knees.

Lord, help me to know, help me to understand, how to represent You to the Maggie's in my life.
May I treat them with gentleness.
May I be more interested in them than I am about myself.
May I take their questions and doubts seriously.
May I take off the plastic, "I'm perfect" smile, and be authentic to them.
May I show them where I've found, and still find for that matter,
true healing from my scars, bumps and bruises.
May I give them a flame of Hope that won't go out--the One True Hope.
May my Words always reflect You. My face always shine with You.
Help me to be Salt which reaches the bottom of that deep wound,
And Light which shines out pain hidden in some closet of the soul.
Please, God, help me to be who I say I am.
Don't let me be another obstacle.
Please be real in me.
Let Your Holy Spirit, alive in me, revealed through me,
be Jesus to the Maggies in my world.

***Book to come out is called The Unexpected Adventure by Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg, Zondervan