Sometimes the most honest thing I can pray is, “God, this is where I’m at. Not where I planned to be, not where I hoped to be, just…here.”
I sometimes catch myself trying to find “neutral ground” to meet the Lord, leaving my unsorted issues behind and climbing to the higher ground of praise, thanksgiving, and intercession for others.
But the Lord faithfully reminds me that His favorite place to hang out with me isn’t in the spotless sanctuaries of my imagination. It’s in the places where I sigh, laugh, worry, wrestle, and wonder. The places of my heart. That’s where He pulls up a chair.
The thing I forget is this: To live a life fueled by faith in Christ, the Lord expects me to need His help. Constantly! He said it plainly: “I am the Vine; you are the branches… Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). He is not exasperated by my neediness; He made me that way. I am a branch.
When I remember that and let Him into the real stuff, good things happen. Life doesn’t always change outwardly, but something within me shifts. Suddenly, I’m not alone. And grace becomes a Person, not a doctrine or concept. A Person whose genuine love and care for me, right where I am, brings the “higher ground” down to my level.
And then, from that place, praise rises, thanksgiving flows, and even intercession finds new life. Not from duty, obligation, or habit, but from a heart that has been held, reassured, and loved.
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