My wife and I lay awake in the early morning darkness today, and she mentioned her concern for a family member. I felt that same concern rumbling in me. We’ve talked, we’ve prayed, we’ve offered what wisdom we have. At this point it feels like we’ve tried just about every option we know, and none of it seems to be making much difference.
And as we see what appear to be the inevitable negative consequences of this loved one’s present course, the distress level rises. Fear has a way of shrinking the imagination. It makes the future feel like it only has two or three doors, and none of them look good. It’s wild how quickly love can turn into pressure – this sense that we have to figure something out, and soon.
Both of us know something we didn’t even have to say: God has taken our own wrong turns, our painful consequences, our self‑inflicted wounds, and somehow brought blessing out of them. We’ve lived that. We’ve seen Him do it.
Yet and still – we don’t want this family member to suffer. We don’t want their story to require the same kind of rescue ours did. We prefer deterrence over deliverance. It’s part of loving someone.
So today, we’re holding this: God’s intervention rarely shows up on our timetable. And His solutions rarely resemble what we would have chosen. But we also know His creativity is better than the narrow menu we can see from here, and His resources go beyond our means and ability.
So, we’re asking for grace to continue to do our small part in the larger work God is doing, and to remember that He’s heard our prayers, He knows our concern and is far more involved than we realize.
Lord, let us trust Your creativity more than we fear the future. Let us rest in the truth that You are never out of ideas or the means to apply them.
“Behold I am the Lord… is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27).
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