“What’s the matter babe?”
“Oh, I just have a lot on my mind,” I told my husband Kenya, who always knows when I’m feeling a little tense.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he prodded.
“No, I’m alright,” I assured him. “It’s just… a lot,” I sighed heavily.
He hugged me and told me it would be okay as I rested my head securely on Kenya’s chest, grateful for his affection and concern. But I still didn’t open up… at least not right away. Instead, I prayed and said, “God please help me. It’s a lot… it’s a lot.”
Those are the only words I could articulate to express what I was truly feeling. But even after praying, I couldn’t seem to get any relief from feeling overwhelmed.
I simply had too much swirling around in my brain.
After some time passed, I began opening up to Kenya about what was weighing so heavily on me. When I did, I felt instantly lighter and better. In fact, I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t just let it all out when he asked me the first time—he’s such a great listener!
Turns out that verbalizing what I had been internalizing was an excellent solution. After about 10 minutes, I felt like a new woman. “Wow! I feel so much better,” I told Kenya with a broad smile. “I guess I just needed to talk.” Although nothing had changed in the circumstances at that moment, talking proved therapeutic for me.
Kenya looked at me with that gentle smile in his eyes I love so much and said in his calm, knowing way, “Sometimes, venting is cathartic in and of itself.”
He was right.
As the night progressed, we ended up talking and laughing so much, and so hard, we were crying. It felt like someone had opened a pressure release valve and let out everything that had been building up internally.
Before I went to bed last evening, I realized God had answered my prayer… but not the way I thought He would.
I must admit, when I first sought the Lord, I was hoping for an instantaneous, supernatural burden release. Even though I’m confident God is able to do that—He’s done it before—He saw fit to use another method. You see, He knew I simply needed to vent the things that were on my mind, say what I was feeling, and get it all out in the open.
“Thank you Lord for giving me relief,” I said with a grateful heart before slipping into a peaceful sleep.
As I reflect on it today, I see God taught me a lesson I want to share with you.
We may be looking for God to answer our prayers through grand displays of His power. But there are times when He just wants to use something natural and simple to produce the results for which we’re crying out.
I know there may not seem to be anything miraculous about a venting session; a good cleansing cry; a hearty laugh; a long walk around the park to clear your head; or some relaxing time spent alone that leaves you feeling refreshed and renewed.
But again, God will work through simple, everyday things to produce supernatural results in our lives.
So the next time you have a conversation with someone close, engage in an activity, or even read or listen to something that leaves you feeling a million times better, remember... God will take the mundane and make it miraculous.
I'm sure no one was thinking the multitudes would be fed with two fish and five loaves (Matthew 14:17-21). But as the saying goes, "Little becomes much, when you place it in the Master's hand."
He doesn’t do things our way all the time, but He always accomplishes His will. To remind you of this truth, I’m stirring Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV into your cup of inspiration. It says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declared the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
When you drink down the contents of your cup, you’ll begin opening your eyes to all the ways God answers prayers and works in our lives. You’ll take comfort in knowing that He may not come when or how You want Him to, but He's always on time, and on point!
Now let’s pray.
God, I thank You for how You use every circumstance and situation that arises in my life to teach me. I appreciate this lesson and reminder today, oh God, that even the simplest things become supernatural and powerful in Your hands. Please help me to trust You always and never overlook the ordinary things You use to produce extraordinary results in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
