The Greatest Need...

Every day I pray for people in pain. Those with their mortality staring them down. Living with constant sickness. Living with great loss. Families broken and torn. Each of them dwelling in their darkest places. And I bring them to him - who is light, and love, and goodness. Strength and comfort and healing - not just physical, but mental and spiritual too!! And I know all this because I've lived through my darkest places too!!! And he's been the one to lift me and get me through.

So I bring the ones I love to him too, as they struggle in this life. Because I know they'll find what they need in him. And it's not always the miracle they're praying for!! Often what they need most is a deeper embedding into the source of all that is good. And they might not see their need until they are desperate for help that can't come from elsewhere.

The greatest thing we need from God is relationship. Deep relationship. With him and with each other. And sometimes that costs - in great pain. And the reason I know that relationship is worth that much to him - is that he was willing to put himself through great pain to rebuild relationship with us!! He had no other reason to go through it!!!

Deep relationship is costly. And I'm grateful for the hard things I've been through - not because of them directly! They were horrible! But because they pushed me deeper into his arms. So when I pray every day for those I love who are struggling, I trust his answers. And I know he's working on their behalf even when it doesn't look that way! Because he knows their need, above all else, is close connection with him!!! That doesn't mean he can't or won't supply their other needs! Sometimes he does that too!! But the relationship need will always be his priority. As it was when he came to die for us. He is always working for our good, even when it might seem like he is not.

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