Something that you may not know about me currently is that my family is dealing with a challenging season as we navigate my grandmother recently being diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer. As we've been navigating this path forward, I have just been praying that God would fix it. Lord, just fix it. I don't think it's bad to pray that at all, but I was reminded through a conversation with a former co-worker that I have used to have. They were sharing about a speaker they had heard at a Pastors Conference up in New York City. This was a conference was where they had pastors from all over the world representing different cultures and different locations to share their experience. However, one of them stood out to them as he was from somewhere in the Middle East. They couldn't even give this pastor's name because he would be killed, especially being the pastor of an underground church. This is what he said:
"You Americans, you pray that God will take your load. We pray that God would strengthen our back."
After hearing that, I feel like I have not been praying the right way, I am only praying that God would fix it. But now, I want to pray that God would teach me through this, that he would strengthen me through this and that he would strengthen the recipient of the diagnosis that this person would learn that God uses all things to glorify him if we will be patient and wait on Him and allow him to strengthen us. Sometimes God swoops in and fixes things. I think more often than not, God walks with us, strengthens us, and shows us that he that he is trustworthy through the process.
I will tell you this, it's been a challenging season, but God has walked with us and he is strengthening us and continues to prove himself faithful over and over again.
My friend Christian Williams once said something very pertinent to this situation:
"I am learning over and over again that you can pray for escape and endurance at the same time."
"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." - Luke 22:42