Just God

I wrote this one a couple of weeks ago and I've been mulling this over for awhile prior to that. Reading back over what I've written below, I still haven't really done justice to how I really feel about this topic....but, it is a start and it feels good to have it off my chest.

For Oliver's first Christmas (in 2011) I put together photo books for my parents and in-laws.  Since he was born in January, it was almost a full year of photos.  My mom asked me earlier this week if I would do it for his 2nd year....which had me looking back through pictures taken just months ago that feel like they were years ago.  Remembering the feeling of taking a picture of my 2 year old lying on the floor, unable to sit or hold his head up yet still grinning from ear to ear (after he was taking trazadone and before the real treatments started).  Crying out to God to heal my baby.  I think I was more emotional tonight than I allowed myself to be during the whole experience...Mama had to keep it together. 

It made me so thankful for friends and family- truly, brothers and sisters in Christ who have taught us to pray from a position of strength.  That we should truly cry out to Jesus for what we want and need...not "Just God, please...." anything.  To know beyond a shadow of doubt, full of faith, that He is standing by waiting to act on our behalf.  

Thankful we didn't pray- in our ignorance - for them to find something that was causing his symptoms- be it infection or neuroblastoma- so that we would at least know how to attack it.  No.  We prayed for complete healing from the top of his head to the bottom of his toes.  Yes, we still treated Oliver with pharmaceuticals and traditional medicine, but we believe his full recovery can only be a credit to God's hand at work in Ollie's tiny body.  (Not to mention the protection Ollie has received from any negative side effects of the high-power drugs he is taking)

So, take a moment and think about how many times you unwittingly (try) to limit God with your words.  Once it was pointed out to me, I realized how frequently I heard people set limits with words like "Please God, just_____", "God, if only you would_____", "Please, God, at least _____", etc.  Thank God he is able to work without our cooperation, but think how much more powerful we would be if we didn't limit God's action in our lives.  How much more freely He could bless us. 

I know I have a LOT of room to grow in my words.  It is an area that I am just beginning to understand and explore.  But for what it is worth, I see every day examples of how what we say creates how we feel and impacts our circumstances.  I love hearing Ollie say "I trong, I ealed, I a tictor" (I'm strong, I'm healed, I'm a victor) your brain only knows what it is fed :)  
*Ollie learned from Mimi this weekend:  "Mimi bootiful, Mimi nart, Mimi teetiy" (Mimi is beautiful, Mimi is smart, Mimi is pretty).  Maybe I need to start throwing in a few affirmations for mama:)* Just sayin'

So very very blessed.  And stepping off my soap box.