Tattoo Revelation

Sometimes I am amazed at how God speaks to me.

This past week we visited Holiday World.  Cali, Cameron and I were in line to ride the Pilgrim's Plunge and I see this guy with this huge tattoo that says, I can do all things through Christ.  I didn't really think anything of it.  Cool that he wants to display his faith in that way...not for me but cool that he wants to.  And then I was scanning his body for other tattoos and saw a bar code and whether that brought this verse to mind or it just came to me, I don't know, but God just planted this in my mind:

"Take this cup from me, not my will but yours be done."

I knew that was what Jesus said to God as he was hanging on the cross.  I just kept repeating it to myself and I knew exactly what God was trying to say to me...

Last week we watched the last video in our summer series.  It was on Prayer by Andy Stanley and it was on unanswered prayers.  It was perfect timing since we had just been to the doctor with Cali and her back had gotten worse, not better EVEN THOUGH WE HAD PRAYED!

Andy Stanley taught on The Lord's Prayer.  Specifically, this week was focused on the your will be done part.  It's not just something we say.  It is supposed to be something we mean.  But sometimes that is hard if it means pain and suffering...

And sometimes God may want to change us through the situation for which we are praying.  Uggh.

So I've been praying, "God, please heal Cali's back, please heal Cameron's heart, please heal my dad and so on"...but now I'm praying, "God, please reveal to me what you want me to learn through this so that I can surrender it to you."

Already, it has been revealed. 

Pride-pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself.

When our kids are born, we look for 10 fingers and 10 toes and then make sure there are no other imperfections.  We want our kids to be perfect!

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not like a pageant mom or a psycho soccer mom and I know that every gift that my kids have is from God but sometimes I swell up a little bit with pride.  I love to watch them play sports and honestly I am proud of them.  They are good kids.  But...

am I too focused on the what ifs?  What if Cali's back continues to get worse?  Will sports be over?  What if Cam's heart murmur keep him from high school sports?

That's when I hear God say, Be still and know that I am God.

There is nothing I can do and there is no reason to worry or dwell on something that is out of my control but in the meantime, I can try to change in the way that God wants me to. 

With Cali, I want to surrender her to God and say, "not my will but yours" but I'm not there yet.  I am still in a battle.  I still want my will done.  But I'm close.  If I have my hand wrapped around her, God has pryed three fingers away.

I just have to keep praying...Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”