Clear Vision
Prayers to Restore the Soul

I've worked hard, harder than most I know, Jane reminded herself. Didn't I take on two jobs when we were first married?

Jane sat next to her two visiting aunts as they rode on an hour-long  boat tour down the river just south of her home. On either side, the  scenery was breathtaking. Gorgeous river front properties and dream  houses lined the steeply sloped land. Just beyond the immediate  landscape, Jane noted she could see the tops of the mountains, her  mountains. Taken aback, Jane was in awe at the picturesque setting surrounding her on all sides. Jane, always a lover of beautiful architecturally designed homes, was captivated by what she was studying.

Her aunts were obviously relishing the ride as well. Between the two of  them, they casually bantered back and forth estimating the cost of the spectacular visages before them. After awhile Jane began to grow irritated with their playful conversation as it took a more personal  turn. They talked about how grand it would be to live in such palaces  and have the resources to enjoy all the perks that went along with  residing in these select dwellings. Jane, having struggled financially  her entire adult life, found her joy in the day gone. Always one to look  for the reason behind events, Jane realized she was no longer admiring  the lush scenes around her, she was envying those who lived lives she  could scarce imagine.

I've worked hard, harder than most I know, Jane reminded herself. Didn't I take on two jobs when we were first married? Then I continued to work after the children went back to school. I was always at the ready when someone needed assistance and I volunteered more times than I care to recall. Jane's mood took a detour right along with her train of thought. Hearing her aunts suddenly laugh made Jane jump.

Shaking off her dark humor, Jane stopped considering what she couldn't have and started recounting all she did possess. A husband who loves me. Two terrific kids. Assorted dogs, cats, and an awful excuse for a hamster. A home that we own. And the best view in town...majestic mountains rights outside my kitchen window...what more could I ask for?

"For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected,  if it is received with gratitude" 1 Timothy 4: 4.

Dear Lord,

Am I battling this tumor of the spirit even again? I believed I had conquered this foe long ago. Yet today I was faced with the remnants of  its ill will once more. I can still feel the twisting within my heart as my emotions took me places I never wanted to venture.

I have to admit I was full of envy and resentment. I wanted what I'll never possess. Lord, please forgive me. I sometimes catch myself before I fall into this trap of jealousy. But not on this day. I fell fast and hard. I allowed my thoughts to plummet and with them my countenance. I felt no joy... any sense of simple pleasure I had anticipated evaporated because of my own sin. Even now, though I've turned my head around, I'm still smarting from my inner struggle.

Lord, how I pray you would take this burden from me. I know better than to minimize all the good you've blessed me with. Even as I recounted every one, I recognized the futility of ever grasping for more. You are my more! You are more than enough to satisfy me in a hundred lifetimes. And all around me, I see your handiwork that speaks with proclamations of love toward me. Thank you for redirecting my mind back toward you. Let me continue to weed out that which is displeasing to you, Lord. At last, cleanse this tainted heart of mine with your spirit. Renew me with your constant presence and give me vision to see... truly see the goodness in my life.

Amen

“The spigot of blessing will always, at some point, run dry. It is simply false teaching to say otherwise. God does bless those who obey him, but not always with such blessing as many erroneously teach. His ultimate desire is that we know him. It is a scanty 'knowing' that comes by blessing alone.”

Michael Phillips in "Make Me Like Jesus"

 

Michele Howe and her family live near the shores of Lake Erie. She is an author, book reviewer and manuscript critique editor, and she has also been featured on numerous radio shows. She has published over 900 articles/reviews and is the author of eight books for women including: Going It Alone: Meeting the Challenges of Being a Single Mom, Successful Single Moms: Thirteen Stories of Triumph, Prayers for Homeschool Moms, Prayers for New and Expecting Moms, Prayers of Comfort and Strength and Prayers to Nourish a Woman's Heart. Please write to Michele C/O Syndicated Writers of America at P.O. Box 3429, Suwanee, Georgia, 30024, or via email at michele.howe@buystory.com.

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