An Uneven Exchange~

Tuesday greetings~

Some of you found it a little unnerving that God is always watching you. Today I invite you to relax!

He's not keeping score of all the stuff we do wrong--all those mean thoughts and less-than brotherly actions--for the sake of keeping score. On the contrary. God gently nudges our hearts and exposes all the junk we have inside in order to cleanse us. He wants us to live light and free and happy, and trust me--if you're holding something in that shouldn't be there, it will weigh you down. It becomes impossible to enjoy life.

One of the biggest things we hold is grudges, but today I want to share with you about a precious young woman who let go of her right to be angry and decided to partner up with God to save her marriage. It was a journey filled with curves, detours, delays, distractions, and yes, even dangers. But she made it through and every day she continues to build a solid future.

From the very beginning she felt God's precious eyes on her and knew deep in her wounded soul that for her sake, the sake of her kids and family and community and nation, she must operate with a loving and forgiving heart. If ever there were someone with a right to be angry, hurt, and unforgiving, it would be this gal, but she chose forgiveness, and I want us all to celebrate and draw inspiration from her attitude.

Being able to forgive is sometimes impossible without supernatural help, but don't you know that He is a willing God? Willing to go above and beyond in helping you when you ask? And that's what she did. Day in and day out--sometimes in the face of unthinkable adversity--she kept her primary focus on prayer. She kept God as her priority by begging, screaming, pleading, asking, knocking, and seeking Him and His strength to be able to love and forgive in a manner that was more than she could do on her own.

And here are two truths she discovered: You can not stay angry at someone you pray for, and when you pray you have peace and joy--all the negative emotions leave.

In order to fully appreciate the magnitude of that statement, I would have to go into details, and I can't. But maybe you can identify in some way with that kind of burden? Maybe you've been hurt and can't see straight? And maybe you have been no where near that kind of conflict, amen!, but can treasure these truths in your heart anyway? (Please say yes).

Praying for someone releases the bad and invites the good into your life. I know! It doesn't seem like a fair exchange, but then that's how God is.

Psalm 30:11 "You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy."

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for taking away our clothes of mourning. We would much rather be clothed with joy. We would much rather dance than mourn. Burn those clothes of sorrow that we might never wear them again. In Jesus' name, AMEN~