Thursday, November 4, 2010

When God Gives Us Nothing

Emerson has been away with David for almost ten days. I love to do all kinds of things during the day, and all the time my little chatty sidekick is with me. Day in and day out while the boys are in school there Emerson and I shall be together. Sitting at the table over long lunches, chatting away from one errand to the next, and deciding in the moment to try a passing park, stop for coffee date/donut and then the toys. Emerson is the only child of five that uses the entire house as his own personal playroom, and even then he will find places to make play fun. I had big plans of NOTHING while he would be gone on the East coast.



NOTHING turned into more than I would like to say. I have joked for years that when all the kids are in school, I am going to take them to school in my jammies, come home, go back to bed, and then wake up with just enough time to get dressed and pick them up from school. These days to come, with Emerson away, will be my days of rest. My NOTHING for ten days was met with Divine appointments, party planning, soccer coaching, delivery of veggies to various families, ministry opportunities, and playing with Eric and Ethan after school, lots of book reading, sticker charts made and keeping house, which did not take much since my little mess-maker was on the East coast. I did not get that day in bed of just resting.



So today, finally a day before his return would be my day of NOTHING. Stay in my jammies, read, cozy in bed, warm coffee...and then God presses in. Wait God. I just got off the phone with Laura and told her my plan. My plan to lay in bed and do NOTHING. God presses in.



A little 1 1/2 pound preemie needs prayer. God presses in. It's my day of NOTHING and besides I have nothing left in me. My head hurts oh wait it did hurt. It does not hurt anymore. I begin to pray over this baby. My prayers can be heard from the comforts of my bed and then God presses in. Elizabeth assemble a prayer team and go to the hospital. I pray over who I want to call and realize it's the middle of the day, who has time to go and pray at a hospital for a baby they do not even know. A baby that even I do not know. All three people could come, one who had a lunch date that oddly was postponed for later in the day. I have never done anything like this. The baby is in NICU and they are not going to let some crazy Jesus lady with saucers for glasses into the area.



Within an hour three people have joined me. God is so amazing and we are on the 3rd floor of the hospital. We take a table on the outside balcony and open the Bible where the words just pour into each of us. A dear friend has called out to have friends pray over her nephew who is one of twins born way to early with an infection. The time in prayer was so amazing. God wants our NOTHING. He knew I had the time to give, and really I don't think I would have lasted more than 30 minutes just laying in a bed on such a beautiful day.



What are you doing with your NOTHING? More importantly how are you responding when God presses in? That soft spoken voice to your spirit that says you must work on MY behalf today. God needed that baby to be prayed over in close proximity and today we are all praying for a miracle.



I ended up getting an hour nap this afternoon while playing a game with Eric. I fell asleep and he just covered me, placed his favorite stuff animals around me and tiptoed out of his room. My day of rest comes in these kinds of moments and more importantly a good night sleep. God gave me NOTHING to do this morning and I chose to be lazy, HE chose to use me, I grumbled a little, but really grumbling at God is silly. The blessing of praying with three other people who love God so passionately was a blessing to me. Thanks Mara, Emily E. and Elliot. God has heard our petitions for this little boy and has used each one of us today in ways we may never know.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you so much Elizabeth. I pray that today is still a quiet day for my little nephews. If it is, I know it is because our gracious Father heard all of you. What a wonderful blessing. Much love to you.

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