29 November 2009

Worthless Prayer

I heard Stafford North say one time, "Sometimes prayer is just meditating on a thought with God." Maybe that's what I was doing for a couple minutes tonight.

I haven't blogged much lately.

Exhausted.

I've always got blog posts buzzing around in my head. Things happen I think are worth sharing and I put the experience into words in my mind as I'm going about the day.

But every night our son, Noah, is crying. (Ironically, his name means settled.)It's hard to think straight and clear in an environment where someone is screaming their head off and our coping abilities are at their 24-hour low. Even if Nicole is the one holding Noah and trying to calm him, I seem to just check Facebook statuses or something aimlessly.

Tonight, Noah seemed inconsolable. I say, "Give him to me." I put him in the sling my Mom made. I head out the door a few minutes before 9 PM. He relaxes and goes to sleep, quiet the entire way to Woolworth's--where I buy eggs, milk, and yogurt--and back (except for his screaming at the checkout).

On the walk back I'm thinking about something I've observed in myself lately. The other day I'd caught my mind saying, "You're worthless!" to myself after dropping the butter dish lid on the counter. I thought, Something's wrong. I realize I've said similar messages to myself many times over my life.

What to do? I said, How can this false message be countered for the sake of redeeming my mind and my self?

Tonight, while I'm walking back up the hill in the peaceful night with Noah in the sling and a bag of basic groceries, I repeatedly say aloud and with conviction:

Lord, even though I sometimes call myself--"Worthless!"
I still love and accept myself
Because YOU do already.


It was a prayer that just really made sense tonight as I looked up at stars in the sky and heard distant pets and insects and carried my son and felt blessed. I don't know that I've ever really doubted God's love for me (even me), but it seems like I need some extra help to see us as we really are, lovable and acceptable. After all, Jesus said, "Love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself." I don't want to call anyone "Worthless!" even if it's just in my head and to me!

And by the time I got home, Noah was so relaxed and quiet that I had a chance to type this post in peace.

1 comment:

  1. I read Psalm 117 a few months ago, and it blew my mind. It's short and to the point. What struck me was "great is his love toward us". I often think that God likes me just fine...after all, he created me. However, I forget rather easily that he loves me so much! He wouldn't love us unless there was something to love, and although we often miss what it is he sees it all the time. That's pretty amazing, and it reminds me that I should not be harder on myself than God is!

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