I have enjoyed reading the latest edition of Eternity - a national newsletter for Australian Christians. I found a number of the articles to be encouraging. There is a section on how to pray and much to my excitement, I saw my sister-in-law Julie's face with my nephew JJ. Julie shares her prayer life with readers. It is inspiring to read, as we have watched her and her husband deal with their life from close quarters. Sometimes, life looks like it sucks and there have been times when we have looked at the circumstances in Phil and Julie's life and wept with them and prayed fervently for them. They don't live in Sydney, so it is not easy to help from a distance.
Julie's story, as have the other stories reminded me of the power and importance of prayer - by praying, we are showing God that we trust him. Julie's deep trust in God has inspired me over many years and perhaps more so in recent times. She asked me the other night if I could make her a card with a picture of a hill with Psalm 121 as its text. This is the result. It is her favourite Psalm and it has fed her immensely in recent weeks.
I had to learn Psalm 121 by heart when I was in primary school, so I have carried the words of this beautiful Psalm with me for many years. My Mum chose it as the reading at my Dad's funeral back in 1982, and since then, I have not looked at it much or reflected on its words - it has had other painful memories for me. However, I have spent the last day doing just that.
How awesome to be reminded that our God watches us constantly - he doesn't take a pit stop or a holiday or even a five minute power nap. Day and night, he remains at our right hand. There is a deep comfort in being reminded we are not alone when we face circumstances that test us to the core. Our God is the maker of the heavens and the earth - surely he can enable us to face what comes. We just need to do what Julie does - lift our eyes to the hills - as help is at hand.
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