star light, star bright
It may sound cliché or a little childish, but for years, I've "wished on a star" pretty much every night :)
With the first star I see . . . I close my eyes . . . and I think of this nursery rhyme . . . then I think very intentionally about what I want to wish for that night. Sometimes friends kinda giggle and/or look at me in confusion when I tell them I do this . . . their faces seeming to wonder why I would do something so superstitious, I guess.
But in my mind, when I make this "wish," I'm not assigning power to the stars themselves to grant my wish, rather, my thoughts go to the One who created those oh-so-beautiful and seemingly magical stars. My "wishes" are essentially quick mini-prayers, and the first star of the night I see serves as a simple reminder to me to hope and dream and let my requests be known.
why does it matter?
Praying, letting our requests be known, or sharing our heart wishes with God, opens a conversation, and like any other healthy conversation we have with loved ones, it builds our relationship with Him (and as an aside, this counts even in the times we're upset or disappointed. It's good to talk with Him about that too.)
If you think about it, wouldn't you say your best/most meaningful relationships are the ones you're your most true self in? The ones you are most present in? Well, the same is true with God. His Word exists for us to know Him and His character, and His Spirit is with us to teach and guide us (John 16:13)--these things are real and honest--and that's what He's most interested in hearing back from us; our honest and pure thoughts, cries, dreams, wonderings, and wishes.
There's a temptation I want to pause real quick to recognize . . . I think at times, when we make ourselves vulnerable through prayer, through sharing things deepest and closest to our hearts, there can be a temptation in expecting fast answers and then growing impatient, angry, or maybe even bitter towards God when we don't feel like He's answered in the ways or time we want Him to answer.
But the thing I think we forget sometimes, (which is normal) is that God's supernatural ways are so beyond our limited, natural abilities to reason and understand (Isaiah 55:9). His perspective is completely different--it's eternal--and through His Spirit, He sees every bit of every situation, and ultimately, even when it doesn't feel or look like it, I believe He's sovereign and loves us and does what's best. And I think there are times when that's easier to believe than others--which is where our faith comes in.
And hey, I realize these thoughts could possibly sound blind or naive, or maybe even insensitive--which is not at all my heart in it. I am very much cued in to the worldwide devastation and deep personal pain all around us through violence, neglect, abuse, sicknesses, poverty, catastrophes, loss of life, and more. It's heart-breaking, confusing, disgusting, and sometimes, it's overwhelming and faith-testing. I can't pretend to understand it all, and I don't think any of us ever really will.
And while my personal losses and pains may not be as great as others by comparison, I've experienced them. But I've also experienced Hope (Psalm 34:18), and I choose to hold onto Hope. And I choose to believe that just as evil exists in our world, good exists MORE (John 16:33).
our father . . .
Prayer has kinda taken on a different life/meaning for me these last few years. Most of my life, I'd pray, you know, just my normal "want this/protect this/please, please," kind of prayers. But I've been so interested in learning more about how to grow in my prayer life. The Lord was good to meet that desire and put wonderful teachers and resources in my path this past year, and I know even now, I'm just barely scratching the surface--but that scratch feels good! :) One of my favorite prayer teachings/"wow" moments, came from this two-part series from Church of the Highlands, simply called, Pray First.
Part 1 is wonderfully foundational. Pastor Chris (Hodges) basically takes the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13), and just as the disciples asked Jesus to "teach us how to pray," he pulls seven steps from those verses, and breaks them down so easily to teach us all how to more effectively and enjoyably pray in general from this passage:
He shares that it's not necessarily about reciting the verses, though that's good too--but beyond that, it's a model for prayer. If your interest is peaked, (I hope it is!) I'd SO suggest either viewing or listening to this message online. For me, it's easiest to go back through podcasts while I'm either driving or walking or getting ready. I've found it to be such a life-giving and peaceful way to pass the time! It not only feeds my soul to do this, but I'm convinced that as I practice what I learn, others around me are affected in a good way too. And that's just cool.
do you wish on stars too?
So today, what are you praying, hoping, or wishing for? Is your hope intact or have you maybe given up hope? I think we all go through up and down seasons, so if you find yourself in a down, I hope this helps to pick you back up. And if there's anything I can pray with you about, please feel free to send me an email.
Be encouraged, friends. God is never far away. "He perceives our thoughts from afar . . . He discerns our comings and goings . . . before a word is on our tongues, He knows it completely . . . He hems us in, in protection . . . such knowledge is too wonderful--too lofty for me to attain." (Psalm 139)