Just Pray About It in My life as the good people of Facebook see me.....

Today my son had an issue/meltdown. It was pretty bad, and I’ve never seen that from him. My kids all are really good people, so I know this is not the true “him.” Everyone has their flaws and issues. And everyone has that one thing, (or things) that they should be in therapy for. I had the most important, intense conversation I have ever had with any my kids, with him today. First I pointed out why I was disappointed and mad. Then I asked him to explain what happened. Then I felt the words come out of my mouth that made me cringe, you need to pray about that dude.
Immediately I felt like a fake and a fraud. I’m not a highly religious person. There were years I was in church every service, lots when I was a kid. And then for years when my girls were young. I know my Bible. Not much, but some. But I also walk a thin line with myself, in talking about God and prayer. I’m getting better about that, but I still feel like a fake sometimes.
Growing up, and through certain times, I would ask for help with things, and important people to me, would say “oh you need to pray about that.” Or “I’ll pray for you.” In my head, I thought gee thanks, I appreciate all your help. I had a certain person that said that all the time. I knew this person inside and out. Please don’t tell me about prayer, with what you about to do next in your own life.
But that was before.
That was before, I went through my own true deep need for prayer.
I told my son, do you even know what I mean by that? When I say pray about it? Well of course he didn’t, I’ve only recently been telling my kids to even try this. I know that somewhere in my Bible it says, Pray without ceasing. That is a pretty basic powerful thing. It doesn’t say cry three times and spin around and I will help you. It doesn’t say call 30 friends, and post it on Facebook, and I will fix it. It doesn’t say crawl in the bed and hide from the world, and I will fix it. It doesn’t say oh sorry! Darn, you just can’t be helped. It doesn’t say try again later.
It says PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.
Pray- talk, chit-chat, beg, scream, yell, holler, sing. I looked prayer up and one definition was petition.
Ceasing- stopping, ending, finishing, discontinuing.
Talk without Stopping
Beg without ending
I can talk to God anytime. In the car, doing laundry, going to sleep, in the shower. If I want something, need something, am worried about something, am sad, am happy. I can pray about it.
He may not answer the way I want, but he will answer me. 5 months ago, I was depressed, could not get out of bed. I was on the verge of divorce. I needed a job. I was so close to a good life, but I just could not get there. I prayed non stop. Eventually I got up. I begged and begged for a job I interviewed for. God turned that prayer down, but I ended up getting a better fit, made just for me! I may not be employed next month, but I will pray and it will better than I ever thought it would be. I have this faith now. How? By praying for it. My prayers are simple, and they are in the same way I talk. Hey, please take care of D today. Hey, I really need a good day today. God, PLEASE help me get my house clean (that’s our favorite one to joke about.) God, please take this out of my life, and make me grow to hate it.
It worked for me, and I have no doubt it can work for anyone, that is sincere in asking. I don’t believe I have to get on my knees and say thou shalt come hither and help me, if I’m worthy. Although, if that is your language, then rock on!! But I can talk in my Southern slang, and say my words, and my God will hear me. I have no doubt. I am living proof.
So this is basically what I told my son. You want to not do this? Only God can fix that for you. If you hate something about yourself, you can’t change it. No one knows how to change a behavior. But God can, cause he made us and all, so He knows pretty good, our makeup and inner works. No sense in me jumping on my sons case. It will just make it worse, and then there is the added pressure of making mom mad. I told him, you want to control it? Pray about it. When you do it, pray about it. When you think about it, pray about it. When you are in it, beg for help. Eventually, it works. It does. And when you get to the other side, sometimes you can see why it happened, and it makes you a stronger person in the end.
Now I am grateful when people say they will pray for me. I highly believe someone somewhere prays for me all the time. I like to think that it’s my Nana in Heaven, but I’m not sure. Whoever it is, I am so grateful for them. And I pray for them too.
At the end of the talk with my son, I know he heard me, I know I made my point, and he understood very clearly. I was glad I didn’t work today. I was glad he had an issue. And I am glad I had the opportunity to give him some advice I truly believe. And I really really hope he prayed about it.