today I got a phone call that I’ll never forget.  i was sitting in Starbucks talking to a parent of a middle school student. when i saw the caller i.d. i had to excuse myself.

this person doesn’t call too much, only when it’s important. as i heard the voice on the other line. hope welled up. and all at once i didn’t care if people saw my cry face.
i couldn’t hold it back. i thanked God for answering a prayer i’ve been praying for much of my life. last night in our life group i had nonchalantly whispered it again almost out of habit but prompted by a recent visit with the person needing the prayer…

“God help, please help”

i know no other prayer. nothing has ever seemed to work.

this morning God did help in a way i would have never expected. a trigger. a moment. something that no one but God could deliver. and i’m reminded that we can never ever ever give up. we can’t even think about it because it’s true that God does impossible things and God really can speak words into silence, enlighten the blind, and give insight from nothingness.

it’s a new day.

january 22
the day God gently delivered my dad.
there was no drama.
no intervention.
no rock bottom crisis needed.
a movement of God’s grace.
a work of the Holy Spirit.
a sweet contrition so evident in his voice.

on june 16, 2012
i instagrammed a photo of my dad’s hand.
it was holding mine.
and for so long i’ve mistakenly felt
that even though he’s much bigger and stronger
than me that I held him up in some way.
but it’s so very clear to me now Who
is holding both of us.
encompassing our lives
with forgiveness, healing, and grace.

we are held.
safe in the arms of the Father.
my father has a Father who knows him so well.
and i stand in awe of the knowledge of God.

i’ll share more on this in days to come.
but I had to write this today.
i had to say it out loud.
we can’t stop praying.
the more we pray
the more we see
and as we watch and wait
we see the very hand of God.

God isn’t bound by time.
God’s imagination and creativity are far greater than our own.
answers are coming.
we wait.
we pray.
we rejoice.
we are set free.