Why the URL Focus and Response?

Focus and Response

In a grief support group I attended last fall I learned that instead of asking the question WHY?
and thinking God I need you to answer, is not necesarily the things I want to know, but get caught in the questioning of death and life situations that are tough and painful.

It is in the questions we have for God that we steer our focus away from our situation and to Him, seeking Him, trusting Him in his timing that we will receive an answer. Then my next thought was okay, When will he answer me.

So my focus to be on you God, okay what am I to do in the meantime waiting for an answer from you? The response to God in the waiting ....worshipping, praising, and ministering while waiting for the answer.

I saw this while we were in Nicaragua. Those we visited on two afternoons asked God for someone to come visit and for him to supply their daily need of food. What was their response in the wait for their prayers to be answered? Prayer, worship and praise!

We visited many families that did indeed pray that God would send someone to visit them, talk about God and what he is doing in their lives and bring some food.

As I was writing this I was reminded of a verse in John 16:24, "Until now you have not asked for anything in My Name. Ask and you will recieve and your joy will be complete."

The Joy is the answer to prayer.

I was also thinking this week Lord, what is it you wanted me to learn from these people. These dear children of our Father are starving and without homes.

My husband next week finds out his fate with his employment at General Motors. We are waiting for an answer. What has our focus been...waiting on God to do His will, not ours. It is out of our hands. Either way we are going to experience life in a different way, one more severe than the other. So while we wait, do we spend every waking moment worrying? No. Do we spend every waking moment looking for work or making our to do lists for "Just in Case", no because doing either one leaves us spinning our wheels. So our response while we focus on God and His will for Gary's employment is prayer, and praise. Praise because God has been good to us for our whole married lives. I can't not praise God for his goodness, he has been good in every circumstance.

So back to the people we ministered to. I know that they also put their focus on God and that they Respond to Him in Trust. So I will follow suit. I will leave it in His hands, he has the answer, and as my friend Scott says, God has only a plan A!