Care Package

I hate when anyone is suffering. Hate it. I know there are always people hurting, but it seems like every where I turn lately, someone else is really in pain, physical or emotional. As I was praying, I felt like God wanted me to give these to anyone who’s going through a difficult season:

A “Why Box”

When I was going through chemo, I had a lot of time to wonder “why me.” I came to a place of understanding that right now, there are just some questions to which I can’t fully understand the answers. God doesn’t give cancer, doesn’t send hurricanes, doesn’t kill children. But that there are things God could prevent in his power that he allows in his wisdom, goes beyond my finite reasoning, and into a place of deep faith and trust.

I kept seeing this small wooden box in my mind. It was simple, but beautiful. In my heart, he said it was for all the things that don’t make sense right now. Each question that was in danger of becoming a bitter offense, I put in the box one after another.

It’s not locked; it’s not a “pretend it never happened” strongbox. But the love and grace I feel when I think of the box helps me keep it closed. I know when I see Jesus, I may not care about any of those questions anymore. But knowing he’s invited me to sit down with him to talk them over is genuinely comforting. For now, I keep them in there so they don’t warp how I see my life and relationships. It may seem silly to some, but if it makes sense to you, God will give you your own “why box” right now.

A Healing Prayer

Say this out loud, and personalize it for your individual life. Even better, write your own prayer in agreement with what God speaks to your heart, and declare that over your life.

“Father, I am who you say I am. I’m not defined by my circumstances. In Jesus, my spirit is set free, whole, and restored. I speak that over all the parts of my life—that my mind and body would come into alignment with the grace with which you’ve redeemed my heart. I pray for complete healing in every single cell, that I would be totally pain–free, disease–free, damage–free, and depression–free. Father, fill my life with so much of your healing, grace, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, faith, hope, and love, there’s simply no room for anything negative, and they constantly overflow to everyone around me. Amen.”

UV Glasses

These glasses filter out thoughts and lies that Undermine Value. Circumstances can get so difficult it’s hard to see anything or anyone as God does, including yourself. These aren’t rose–colored glasses that tint reality, they’re a reminder to recognize when you’ve lost your vision of the amazing, powerful person you are in God, and bring yourself to a place of peace in him again before thinking, saying, or doing one more thing. Ask God every day for the vision to see who he wants to be for you right now, and how he sees you and everything in your life.

A Smile

“A joyful, cheerful heart brings healing to both body and soul. But the one whose heart is crushed struggles with sickness and depression” (Proverbs 17:22).

Why did the chicken cross the road? To prove it could be done.

Why didn’t the chicken come back? There was nothing left to prove.

Why did the duck cross the road? The chicken owed him money.

Why did the pig cross the road? Because the cow called him a chicken.

Why did the cow cross the road? The farm was getting lonely.

Dumb? Yes. But hopefully it either made you smile, or want to look for a better joke.

A Kiss

“But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).

I’ve had times with God in which I could physically feel something. Often when praying for people my hand gets really hot. Other times in God’s presence, I’ve felt what seems like mild electricity. And a couple times, I’ve felt arms around me and a kiss on the head. I know that may seem really strange, even hard to believe, but when you’re going through chemo, and have just lost your hair, it’s pretty amazing and life–giving. And if God is who he says he is, then it really isn’t strange at all. I pray for every one of you to experience complete restoration and healing in his hug and kiss today.