This reminds me of a conversation I had with someone who struggled every time she prayed. She would stumble over her words, and stutter before ending prematurely. I told her that when a parent has a child who starts to speak they aren’t upset that that kid doesn’t have good grammar or enunciation, but that they’re excited that their child is learning to speak. Or if you have a foreign friend who is learning your language. You aren’t mad at their broken English, but happy they’re trying. Likewise, God isn’t mad at our broken imperfect prayers, He’s likely thrilled that we’re even trying.
God loves us so much more than we could ever imagine. He looks at us, and dies for us when we’re at our worst.
We don’t deserve Him, but I’m so thankful for Him.
Thank you for that special anecdote, Nick, and, as a stutterer myself--been struggling with stuttering ever since childhood--I can relate a little to your friend's trouble. The wisdom you provided her will go a long way, I'm sure of it, and I'm grateful God placed you in her path to be able to deliver it. My favorite line from any old hymn relates to this, and it comes from the hymn, "There is a Fountain Filled with Blood." The last verse reads: "When this poor, lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave, then in a nobler, sweeter song I'll sing Thy power to save!"
Thanks Seth for Sharing. I love the idea to have a mighty God interested in all of us. Every individual is just unique to Him and He cares unconditionally to every mankind.
Thank you for sharing that, Paul! I think often of David's thought, "What is man that You are mindful of him? And the son of man that You take thought of him?" But an even more powerful thought to ponder is the more personal one: "What am I that you are mindful of me?"
I once knew a brother in the Lord whose daily work was cleaning/maintaining a 6-story state office building. He did his work at night, not many of the office workers ever saw him. Not much in the world's eyes, but when I would see him at church, worshipping, loving his wife & children, praying fervently - he was a spiritually mighty man, and he prayed for me much in the youth of my new birth.
Beautiful anecdote, Travis, and thank you for sharing that! It reminds me of an interim Bible teacher I had in college who was also the school janitor. He had such a joy about him, and such a genuine love for his wife and children, even though he worked a tough day job and made so little money doing it. He was in his late fifties, I think. Although I don't recall learning anything particularly life-changing from his lectures, I learned an incalculable amount from his example.
This reminds me of a conversation I had with someone who struggled every time she prayed. She would stumble over her words, and stutter before ending prematurely. I told her that when a parent has a child who starts to speak they aren’t upset that that kid doesn’t have good grammar or enunciation, but that they’re excited that their child is learning to speak. Or if you have a foreign friend who is learning your language. You aren’t mad at their broken English, but happy they’re trying. Likewise, God isn’t mad at our broken imperfect prayers, He’s likely thrilled that we’re even trying.
God loves us so much more than we could ever imagine. He looks at us, and dies for us when we’re at our worst.
We don’t deserve Him, but I’m so thankful for Him.
Thank you for that special anecdote, Nick, and, as a stutterer myself--been struggling with stuttering ever since childhood--I can relate a little to your friend's trouble. The wisdom you provided her will go a long way, I'm sure of it, and I'm grateful God placed you in her path to be able to deliver it. My favorite line from any old hymn relates to this, and it comes from the hymn, "There is a Fountain Filled with Blood." The last verse reads: "When this poor, lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave, then in a nobler, sweeter song I'll sing Thy power to save!"
Thanks Seth for Sharing. I love the idea to have a mighty God interested in all of us. Every individual is just unique to Him and He cares unconditionally to every mankind.
Thank you for sharing that, Paul! I think often of David's thought, "What is man that You are mindful of him? And the son of man that You take thought of him?" But an even more powerful thought to ponder is the more personal one: "What am I that you are mindful of me?"
I once knew a brother in the Lord whose daily work was cleaning/maintaining a 6-story state office building. He did his work at night, not many of the office workers ever saw him. Not much in the world's eyes, but when I would see him at church, worshipping, loving his wife & children, praying fervently - he was a spiritually mighty man, and he prayed for me much in the youth of my new birth.
Beautiful anecdote, Travis, and thank you for sharing that! It reminds me of an interim Bible teacher I had in college who was also the school janitor. He had such a joy about him, and such a genuine love for his wife and children, even though he worked a tough day job and made so little money doing it. He was in his late fifties, I think. Although I don't recall learning anything particularly life-changing from his lectures, I learned an incalculable amount from his example.