The Answer

Mind if I share two things in one day? This has been on my heart, and I wanted to share it.

A few days ago, I was having a conversation with a friend. She had brought up a man we both know - she knows him much better than I do, and she is not such a big fan of him (to put it nicely). I listened, but knew not to say anything negative because God has been correcting me on my words A LOT lately. And in this situation, I knew that I was NOT to join in the ranting. And more than that - if I could, I needed to diffuse the conversation. So when she finished, I mentioned that it sounded like he was just genuinely unhappy. She questioned me - 'What would he have to be unhappy about? He has a nice family, a good-paying steady job, a nice house, a new truck. If I had all of that, I wouldn't be unhappy, and I sure wouldn't treat people like he does.' Maybe I missed an opportunity to share with her, but I just didn't feel it was the right time for it, so I just simply said, 'I'm not sure. But happy people don't behave that way.' And left it at that.

Well, that man, and many others I know, have been swimming through my mind since then. A friend once asked me about God. She said she thought she would be happier if she knew Him, and maybe it would fix other parts of her life as well. Well, she's right, she probably would be happier. God does that to people.

When I think about my friend, this man, and others I know who are struggling with life, trying to do it on their own, my heart breaks for them. It's so difficult for me to watch the people I love as they struggle for answers, and try the next new thing the world has to offer, all in pursuit of happiness, stability, and peace. But what they need is not of this world, and all of their struggles get them nowhere. I wish I could make them see it, but it is not my place, it's God's. Sometimes I wish I could just flip a switch that would turn on their belief, and their willingness to commit their lives to Jesus. I wish they could only glimpse what they're missing out on - all that God would love to give them if they would only ask. And I think how their lives would change with just one simple prayer. It's that easy - just to say I believe you; just to say I'm sorry; to say I need you and I give you my life. I know their lives would be dramatically changed for the good. I want that for them so badly. I don't know how else to explain it, except to say that my heart breaks for them.

So I pray for them. And I pray for me - that God would give me the grace to live out my life in front of them, to love them like Jesus, and to be steady. And I wait on God, trusting that in His perfect time, He will make Himself known to them. I hope and I pray that in that moment, they choose Him, because I know He is the answer they're all looking for.