Effective service

Came across an old card from my mom dated 2008 stuffed in amongst the randomness that is my nightstand, and this was one of the poems on it. I've been meaning to share this for over a year now, and especially now, in this season of life, it seems ever and ever more pertinent.

I remember being homesick in college. Now I am 'home-stuck'. I cannot easily help others. I cannot easily phone-a-friend. I cannot easily give of my time, my talents. When I do, it seems everything unravels. This rather depresses me at times. Ah the side effects of motherhood!

And my problem is that when I hear of others burdens and struggles I too often first take it upon myself that I need to help them. I need to say the perfect words to encourage or change them. I need to find time to fix 'it'. How silly! This only adds to my stress level.

When I think of Jesus the night before he died, it's recorded in John that he prayed not only for himself, BUT THEN he prays for his friends, and future believers. Just think, here's a man who knows he's going to suffer more than any human being has ever suffered (starting THAT VERY night!), and he takes time to pray for OTHERS. For you. For me. How self-less is true LOVE.

This is very humbling to me.

So be encouraged, as I am, by this poem. Take to heart that God can do anything, and that our prayers matter to him. In the middle of the night rocking your nightmare-awakened toddler, sitting on the loo, washing dishes, stuck in traffic ( you know, all the times you're supposed to be doing those Kegel exercises) we can be doing a SERVICE to our husband, our kids, our families, our friends and neighbors by praying for them.  Whatever the situation may be, it can always be bettered through prayer. And the side effects are peace and joy! How 'bout that! Now if I can just get that into my brain!

Perhaps we do not think enough what an effective service prayer is, especially intercessory prayer (fancy word for praying for others). We do not believe as we should how it might 
help those we so fain would serve, 
penetrating the hearts we cannot open,
shielding those we cannot guard,
teaching where we cannot speak,
comforting where our words have no power to soothe;
following the steps of our beloved through the toils and perplexities of the day,
lifting off their burdens with an unseen hand at night.
No ministry is so like that of an angel as this- silent, invisible, known but to God.
~ Elizabeth Rundle Charles

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
`Joseph M. Scriven