God’s Not Mad

A few days ago a young friend of mine and were I having a conversation about finding a spouse. I told her I’d pray for her, but she could ask God for direction too. She made a comment that has been playing over in my mind for a long minute. I could sense it came from a raw place – maybe one of disappointment.

Her words: ” I haven’t spoken to God since my mother died.”

My response : ” That’s okay. He’s not mad at you and He hasn’t moved. He’s right where you left Him. He still has an open door policy – waiting patiently for you to return to talk with Him.”

I captured this shot at a prayer station at a women’s retreat I attended recently. Our passive anger and and quiet disappointment at God can be a real burden to carry. It has a way of silently eating at us, very often manifesting a variety unwelcomed physical symptoms. The beautiful thing is ‘God is not mad at you nor me’. Scripture reminds us that ‘He knows we are flesh’, and prone to failure. Our limitations prevent us from seeing the bigger picture, hence we often harbor resentment towards God in times of failed expectations or miscarriage of plans. Funny, many of us won’t ever verbalize it. It stays buried until He meets us head on and confronts us.

We have a tendency of casting blame on God when we don’t understand the curves life throws at us. There is a certain pain that comes with unmet and even unrealistic expectations. It’s not uncommon for us to ‘believe’ for things that God did not promise us. Our own desires have a way of clouding our ears, eyes, and heart. Truthfully, I have heard things in my own mind that God never said. The end result – disappointment and a cascade of related emotions.

One of our daughters stood at this prayer station – she too was welcomed to have a conversation. It doesn’t matter who and where we are or where we’ve been – our heavenly Father patiently waits for a conversation. He lovingly invites us to ‘come now and let us reason together’. We may never get all the answers to life’s puzzling and painful questions. I have come to discover that this walk of faith call us to relinquish control at times. Trust that God sees the bigger picture, even when the pieces of the puzzle don’t seem to fit. One never knows what that conversation may look or sound like. You may call it prayer or a talk with your Father. I do know however, that He desires truth in the ‘inward parts’. There’s nothing we can spew out that He doesn’t already know. So let’s come clean – open and authentic. You may discover what I’ve been saying all along. God is not mad at you.

“O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit or stand. When far away You know my every thought. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am. You know what I am going to say before I even say it.” [Psalm 139:1-4 TLB]

***Thanks for reading – Release your heart.