I can't, but You can

     I cried myself to sleep the other night.  Well, almost.  I lay on my pillow as tears streamed down my face and my thoughts raced with all the ways I had messed up, wasn't good enough, and told me all the worst things I could think about myself.  I felt utterly defeated.  The interesting thing was the catalyst for this wasn't that big of a deal, my day had been good, and a few hours earlier I had felt fine.  But that didn't seem to matter at the moment because just that quick my mind had made me out to be the worst.  

    I say "almost" because as I lay there wrestling with my thoughts, I eventually got to the place where I had had enough.  All these things weren't true, and deep down I knew it.  Yet, after a full day, I felt too weary to tell myself anything different.  Thankfully, I had somewhere else to turn.  

    This might sound cliche, overly simple, or like a platitude, but I will say it anyway: Prayer is powerful.  How do I know?  Because just like that night in my bed, when I pray, something changes.  When I called on the Lord for help as I lay there, shields went up around my mind.  The untrue things I was thinking of myself halted.  And a wave of peace settled in allowing me to fall sound asleep and wake rested in the morning.  This didn't happen because of me.  This happened because there is a God who loves me and promises when I call on him he will always listen and answer.  

    Psalm 34:6 says, "In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles."  As a parent, this makes sense.  If my daughter cried out to me for help, you bet I would run to her side and intervene on her behalf.  Even more so God, as a perfect Father, will do the same without fail every time.  

    This is not new information for me or a fresh revelation.  But it is way too easy to get distracted, rely on ourselves or something else, and drift from God.  Each year, month, day, and even moment, I get to choose where I fix my eyes.  Just the other day, I had put my eyes on my shortcomings and momentary weaknesses.  My gaze could only see the flaws.  But a far from eloquent, desperate prayer lifted my eyes up, if only for a second.  Praying "God help" was my feeble attempt to say "I can't, but You can".  

    I simply put this out there to share, for anyone who might need to hear it.  Maybe you have had a difficult week, maybe you have drifted from God, or maybe you don't even really know Him.  It is not too simple, too little, or too late to pray.  No formula is needed and eloquent words are not required.  Just a genuine heartfelt calling out to God...I know He is faithful and will answer.