From Lori

Hi there!
Read what this week's mama, Lori, has to say....

The Dangerous Prayer
In so many ways, growing up in church has been a blessing.  I have always been surrounded with Christian friends and people who encourage me in God's Word.  Choosing to hang out with people who believed the same as I do kept me out of a lot of trouble...although not all...and these same people were a strong support during difficult times of my life.  And who could forget Hide and Seek in the dark sanctuary and playing in the baptismal...just don't tell my Mema...I think we were supposed to be straightening the backs of the pews or something!  Don't judge...those were long summer days and we couldn't play in her office!  Most importantly, I grew up knowing about and accepting Christ's love for me and the assurance that I would one day spend eternity in heaven with Him.  Yes, growing up in church has definitely been a blessing.
There can be a down-side, however.  After thousands of sermons and songs, dozens of Bible studies and read thru the Bible plans, multiple retreats and countless prayers, it can all become routine.  Not on purpose, of course.  Somewhere in the busyness of good things, sometimes we lose sight of the best thing...Jesus and His love for us.  Or maybe through hurts and disappointments, our heart hardens.  At that point, what can you read that you haven't already read?  or what can you pray that you haven't already prayed?  How about the "dangerous" prayer?  I don't even know why I prayed it, actually.  But it was something to the effect of, "Lord, break my heart for what breaks Yours."  And boy did He!  In a HUGE way...as in an I-can't-get-it-out-of-my-mind kind of way!  I became increasingly aware of about 147,000,000 things that were breaking His heart.  Not things, actually, but children, scattered around our globe, from Vacaville, CA to Qingyuan, China and beyond.  Children that have no one to kiss their boo boos or tuck them in; no one to help them develop their gifts and talents; no one to hug them when they are sad or celebrate with them when they are excited or counsel them when they are struggling with their peers.  And most importantly, no one to teach them about the One who knit them together in their mother's womb and knew them before they were born.  The One who has a purpose and a plan for their very significant lives!
And my. heart. broke...into 147,000,000 pieces!
I knew God was calling me to action, and I could not reason it away or pretend I didn't know what to do about it.  He reminded me in everything from my dreams to TV shows to conversations with friends to BIble verses I would read.  Although 147,000,000 is an overwhelming number, and I cannot make a difference for them all, God has shown me that I can make a difference!  With God's help, we will make that number ONE LESS very soon!

I know in this very broken world there are MANY things that break God's heart.  So I will continue to pray this "dangerous" prayer.  Care to join me?