I hate Tax Season. My husband is a tax account. So from February till April 15 I call myself a widow. The first year we were married it wasn't so bad, we didn't have kids yet. Now that we have 3 girls, I call my self a single parent. He gets home just in time to help tuck them into bed. They go CRAZY when he gets home. My parenting starts to slack. I don't feel like cleaning. We end up using a lot of paper plates. Wait, why am I complaining!? This is titled Tax Season Gift!? Ok here is the gift...
For years I've been saying I need to be better about praying. I could go days (and days) without even thinking about it. I don't rely on God the way I should, even when I'm participating in a bible study or doing good with my quiet times. I've always just had a hard time. So (when I thought about it) I'd pray that I would start praying like I need to. I prayed that I would NEED God to be apart of my every moments. I did not know what I was praying for. Are you all shaking your head at me right now right? It's just as bad as praying for patience or humility. You are going to get it alright!!!
This Tax Season has been especially hard. A couple of Saturdays ago I was literally on the floor of my closet crying. Then I started crying out to God. And I haven't stopped. He has reminded me daily, some days hourly to call out to him. He has been my strength through numerous trials. Every morning I have my alarm set 10 minutes before I have to get up. I've been doing this for months. Well lately I've been using that 10 minutes to pray before I even get out of bed. Even if the girls have all climbed in bed with me.
I always thought that you had to be on your knees, alone, in the quiet of your closet in order to pray and to hear his answer. But as I read 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Pray without ceasing,
I realized it didn't say Cease and Pray. I don't have to stop doing dishes or folding laundry to ask for help, strength or self control.
So now that I know why I am going through this season of strife, I can surely endure it. I am actually appreciative of this hardship. I don't know if God will always let me know the reason I am going through something difficult. BUT I know I can trust him. And now that I am a Pro Pray-er in the making I can handle anything!
Thanks for this post Ruth! I have always struggled with this one. I have a very hard time setting aside time to sit down and Pray. What I dont have trouble with is "talking" to God whenever he crosses my mind! I feel like a bad Christian a lot and have had others make me feel like one too because I dont sit for hours and "Pray". I think praying is connecting with God and how ever that come to be in your day good for you!
ReplyDelete