Tag: prayer

The Priceless Gift of Prayer

- dannalundstrom

 

Some time ago I adopted the practice with my children of praying for someone who was mean to them or someone else. Alternatively, I pray with and for them and myself, when we are not so nice, too. I cannot tell you how valuable this practice has become not only for them but for me, too.

It is difficult to feel bad about someone when you try to understand that we do not know what storms they are being asked to weather. After all, it is often the people who hurt others the most who need love the most.

Morning and afternoon carpools are typically when these prayers are most prevalent. The days rundown usually encompasses a lot of junk, especially the older they get. Then there came yesterday! Yesterday challenged my practice to its core because I did not want to pray for this person after what I heard. I wanted to be very angry at him, and I was for a short time. However, because we had been practicing our prayer routine so long, prayer felt like an automatic default. It was also a comforting, safe and welcoming place to fall in that moment of hurt.

Macey got in the car after school yesterday. She was choking back tears as she told me that a boy took her water bottle from her. He then told her, “I am going to hit you over the head and crack your skull so your brain will be messed up like your brothers.”

My heart sank! Contrary emotions flooded my mind. I felt sadness, anger and ultimately an empathy for Macey and a boy with a deadly tongue. At that moment, if we had not been prepared to revert to prayer, I don’t know where we would have sunk to. I am sure of this; it would not have been to a good place.

Prayer is the best defense we have in this world! I don’t know where I would be without it. I don’t know how I could parent my children without it. I am so thankful we were well-prepared yesterday with the gift of prayer. Thank you, Jesus!

Ephesians 6:10-18~ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Daily Prayer

- dannalundstrom



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In a world where entitlement is pervasive, and happiness is an objective, Father secure my eyes upon You.  For it is through imploding plans and serial struggles that we are afforded unique opportunities to magnify your character.  In all the areas, I wrestle; Jesus prepare me to be a good steward of your name.  I constantly fall short of standards for approval born of this world, leaving me vulnerable to comparison that is void of joy, but full of condemnation.  You look upon me with affectionate eyes laced with grace, not seeking superior performance, but a surrendered heart.  Allow me to rest, not in my critical view nor the criterion of this world,  but in the secure shelter of your abundant mercy and amazing grace.  Amen.

My Daily Prayer

- dannalundstrom

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My Daily Prayer:
Father as we start another busy week already feeling a little worn, keep us conscious that busyness is often like a narcotic. It can distract, delay and deter us from truth, circumstances, people, and more importantly-You. It is hard to hear You and be obedient to Your paths amidst the chaos of schedules, commitments and activities. May we trim excess where we can so that there is always room to hear and be held by You. Our culture is after our hearts, eyes, minds, bodies, souls and our time. May we remember saying no and honoring our boundaries is smart not selfish. Bless us with the grace to pursue peace above pleasing
people, quiet not chaos and sound souls above social ones. We take no talents, possessions, medals, grades or accomplishments with us Home Father. Shelter us from taking pride in false treasures that will turn to dust. Amen.

Shedding Souls

- dannalundstrom

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Our bodies seem to have been created for sloughing?  Sloughing is defined as the act of casting off dead tissue or cells.  According to The American Academy of Dermatology, the average person looses anywhere from 50 to 100 strands of hair a day.  We loose an estimated one million skin cells per hour.  This is not only natural, but necessary for optimal health.  If this is the way our bodies were made to function on the outside, why should our insides be any different?

When I fail to remember the value, and importance of shedding the built up atrophy of my soul, I head down a frail path.  Life, responsibilities and circumstances build up and form layers of dead weight that are important to yield in order to give our minds and bodies rest.

Why do we carry burdens and worries so long?  I often bottle worries deep inside me and bear them longer than needed.  Then when I cannot shoulder the weight anymore, I have to make a critical choice; I either shed them or become subordinate to them.

Have you ever noticed how good you feel after you release a burden to a trusted friend?  It can sometimes feel like an extreme weight loss.  We just feel lighter. A load has been lifted, and we can breathe with less effort.

Not too long ago, my son was wearing the weight of a heavy burden that had been enslaving him too long.  He finally reached a point where he could not keep it at bay anymore.  He needed to “shed” the weight of his heart to someone.  He said it all from behind the voice of one trying to hold it all in, but tainted with the sound of tears. I knew that sound.  He could not hide it.  Not from me.  Not from me who knows him so well.  So he released it all bravely, and then he was rescued by a deep, desperate sleep.

Isn’t that an organic picture of life?  We try to hold it all in, and conceal that which opposes us.  We try hard, and then a little harder to not be found.  Then there comes a point when we are pinned under the pressure of the fire we are walking through, and we release it in a spewing of toxic ash that has been brewing under the surface.

It is in those times, when we let ourselves be fully known that we can be fully loved.  It is those moments of true identity and authenticity that afford us the pacifying balm that our true self-longs for every day.  It’s in the most desperate moments that we are most receptive to receiving the mending, and comfort of Jesus, who already knows us just as we are anyway.  Masking of inadequacies only delays God’s refurbishment.

We live in a world that is in the business of replacing all that is broken, but Jesus is in the business of restoration.  We shoulder burdens and limitations that we were never meant to bear.  Why do we delay our recovery so long?  There comes moments in this life when it takes more courage to fall apart in the presence of someone who loves us than it does to keep it all together.

At the heart of us all we just really want to be seen, heard and understood.  This is a beckoning to trust in our Savior who in His timing restores, and makes all things strong and steadfast.  Part of the renewal process is releasing all the rot that begins to infest our souls.

Restoration rarely happens how we envision it, and never as timely as we would like, but all good things have to happen on a timetable that is outside of ourselves.  Overseen and orchestrated by The One who knitted us together, every little detail, with his soft, sovereign hands.

I am thankful for those moments when courage wins.  I am thankful for glimpses of people’s true identity.  I pray as we all mature in our secure standing of Christ’s righteousness that we will become more comfortable shedding the layers of entanglement and trade them in for the acceptance and love that transparency affords.

It is in our purest identity that we are open to the most beautiful of possibility.  May we all embrace, learn from and release all things that embattle us.  We were given them for a reason, a resource and as a bridge for restoration.

 

Oh How He Loves Us

- dannalundstrom

I picked up my Bible this morning feeling weary.  World events, daily challenges, people I love that are hurting; it all takes a toll.  I asked God before opening his word, to let my eyes fall on what I needed to see this morning.  Also, that He would equip me with the grace to not just see, but to understand and subsequently live.

With one providentially designed flip of my Bible, my eyes landed on 2 Corinthians 4:10~ Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

Wow, I love that! It is in no other place than our suffering that the glory, power, faithfulness and love of Jesus can be illuminated so profoundly and with such clarity.  This may sound counterintuitive to you, but I find honor in the fact that we have the opportunity through or tribulations to reflect the image of Jesus to others.

His reflection does not mean pasting on a fake smile every day, and saying God is in control.  It does not mean we say to our friends, “I’m doing fine;” when that is not the case.  Sometimes it means remembering life is hard, and I am human, but I have hope in a Savior who shares in my struggles. He collects every tear and gently stores them in a bottle.   He sees scars inside us that only are visible to Him, and soothes them with a balm that He singularly possesses.

Living as I say I believe means remembering that although God may appear quiet at times, I trust His understanding, not mine. God answers every prayer the moment we voice them with one of three answers; yes, no or wait.  Remembering that and being open to His wisdom, and not bound to my expectations is an ingredient to peace.

Life may lead us down many dirt roads, but with Jesus we never travel those dusty roads alone.  It is on those very paths He reveals Himself to us, and our faith and trust in Him become stronger and real.
Oh, how He loves us!  His love is too deep for us to know easy all the time.  That would only give us a strong foothold in self-sufficiency.

He loves us enough that He wants us to seek and know him in an intimate relationship.  I would never arrive there if everything were always easy.  I don’t enjoy trials.  When my mind is redirected to their primary purpose, though; how can I not be grateful?

This life is not eternal.  It is just our prelude to Heaven.  It is our warm up, our training camp, our one and only run through before we enter Heaven’s gates.  If we are lucky; at some point in this life we authentically mature to a degree where our soul’s deepest desire is nothing this life can afford us.  Our deepest longing becomes to know a Savior with such a thirst that our hearts song is;  come Lord Jesus come so that I may see your face.  My journey is teaching me that we arrive at this destination through the experential character of a loving Father whose faithfulness and glory shine brightest through our darkest days.

A Gentle Whisper

- dannalundstrom
If you watch closely, His fingerprints are everywhere.
If you watch closely, His fingerprints are everywhere.

“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.~1 Kings 19:11-12.

I love this. It is a great reminder to me in all the answers I am seeking through prayer, to not get so consumed looking for God’s mighty handprints that I miss his pervasive fingerprints. He sometimes shows up in majestic ways, but in my striving to see, it can be easy to miss Him in the small, humble spaces all around.

Happy Saturday friends.

Day 11: A Long Day of Praising and Grieving

- dannalundstrom

 

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Friends,

Day 11:

We just got home from a day of doctor appointments that started at 8:30 AM. I am not going to tell you I’m not tired. I’m not going to tell you I’m not a little weary or sad. I am all those things. I don’t have it all together, but I know I don’t have to. I have a Savior who has completed me in all the spaces I am weak, and they are many…I am weak but He is strong… I don’t need to know anything beyond the next right thing to do in this moment because after today, everything feels a little overwhelming to stare at too long. Looking anywhere beyond the present only offers me an unsettled mind and unbelieving heart.

When things are hard, when our expectations are threatened or overturned, it is easy to turn our life over to the wrong trinity-fear, anxiety and worry. I have been under that authority before, but I will not go there again. Being intentional about facing challenges, but not focusing on them will be essential for all of us during Carter’s recovery.

I am, however, mourning a few things today, but I am standing under God’s grace, and mourning is ok for a time. Psalm 30:5~ weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. It is hard as a mom to sit and watch your child’s face when he is hearing some of the things he heard today. It is hard to watch him absorb the reality of likely loosing activities he loves, and that bring him joy. I know there are many parents who are, or have experienced this feeling, and much worse. My heart goes out to you!

Because of Carter’s head injury, he does not understand a lot of this process, and his insight into his deficits is limited. At my age, I can reason and realize that life is pinned on so much more than starting school as a “normal” kid with a normal schedule. I can understand that when God redirects my plans or takes away something that brings me great joy, he has a better path in mind. Carter cannot at this point, and as I watched his face today, my heart broke. There is so much to be grateful for, but there is also a lot that he will have to adapt to.

Physically he is doing great, but there are implications from the head trauma he sustained internally that are going to present challenges ahead, and possibly limit activities that bring him great pleasure. I need to mourn this for a short time, and help him to as well, but then I hope to help him redirect his hope and focus to not what is lost, but what is to be gained.

I have heard it said that we should not only ask what would Jesus do, but equally as important, WHAT IS JESUS DOING? This question affords me such hopeful anticipation because I know He is good and He is steadfast. Lamentations 3:22-23 ~Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

In God’s economy, doors do not close accidentally. I do not believe any of this came from God, but it did come through him. That gives me great hope that he has plans our insufficient minds cannot perceive for Carter. There is such relief and hope in that perspective. ~For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.!Isaiah 43:19

There are so many positives that came out of today. Carter continues to improve. His headaches are better. His balance is good, and his vision has improved significantly. He can walk, talk, smile, laugh, see and hear normally-praise The Lord. We met with Dr Joe Ackerson today who provided balm for this messy mom’s soul. He did some cognitive testing with Carter today, but will need to do much more in two weeks. Today he is writing a plan for school that he will have to us by the days end. This will detail what his school days will look like for now. They will be limited and Carter will have a lot of modifications and restrictions. Dr. Ackerson was wonderful with Carter, and he was wonderful with us as parents. He assured us confidently that he is here to walk this road with us and be Carter’s advocate.

Carter will be assigned a case worker from Children’s who will also help us work with the school to ensure he is getting everything he needs. Trevor and I stopped at the high school between appointments today, and we have a meeting tomorrow with a team who will be working with us on all school related logistics. We were very grateful that a meeting was arranged by the school so quickly. Since school starts Monday, having a plan initiated is a great relief for us and Carter.

When things look dark, there is always light to be found. I am going to be having Carter around a lot more for now. In looking at the positive of that, I am so thankful! I enjoy his company. He is funny and we laugh a lot. I feel so blessed that he will be keeping me company for awhile.

Today we also saw the neurosurgeon, and he has set Carter up in the traumatic brain injury clinic at Children’s Hospital. Dr Davis will manage his care there, and he and Dr. Ackerson will collaborate together. He too, will be joining with us as we navigate this current state of “normal.” The presence of these two advocates feels like such an immense weight lifted off my heart. Carter will continue PT twice a week for his shoulder as well. He is not using that arm very well, and still has a good bit of pain. It will eventually recover fully, but it is going to take some time.

There is no way to determine the recovery of the loss of cognitive function, but we stand firmly confident that Carter will be restored to his pre-accident status. Regardless, our hope does not hinge on the degree of his recovery, but on the sovereignty of The Author of his life. God is in the midst of writing this story, and has been since the moment Carter sat on that bike. We stand fully confident in His plans, and less in His provisions, because we have experienced and know His character. Thank you all from the deepest places of my heart for the continued outpouring of prayer, love and support.

D’Anna