I was at an event recently where the speaker said, “So much of the time our prayers are about asking God to change His mind, instead of asking Him to change ours.” My brain wandered off for a good 10 minutes to consider how different life would be if my top priority was to align my heart with God’s. I decided to hunker down and work on that for a week.
As I headed home I called one of my kids, who had been home with a high fever. She was weepy and weary and desperately wanted me to be with her. I had a mama-ache to do something to help, but the bus I needed didn’t arrive… and didn’t arrive… and didn’t arrive. My impatient heart veered toward a “Please Lord, would you just…” and just in time I caught myself, and instead bowed my head in acceptance and used the extra 30 minutes of waiting to pray for others.
The next day I went to a wedding. The person driving me to the venue glanced at her cell phone frequently as we sped along the highway, and although there was not much traffic it made me nervous. I was on the verge of a plea for divine intervention until I remembered: I placed myself entirely in God’s hands. I was surprised how much more soothing that was than pleading for safety.
As the days passed, I was surprised at how frequently I cried out to God asking Him to change my circumstances, usually because I was in minor distress. There’s nothing wrong with prayers like that, of course. Except it is much simpler, and probably spiritually healthier, to accept temporary uncomfortable situations and offer them up with “Thy will be done.”
Try it. You might be surprised by the peace you find.
