The Holy Spirits Sucker Punch...

I feel like I've been sucker punched. 

A sucker punch leaves us defenseless.

Hit under the rib cage, we lose our breath.

Maybe I'm reading too many twitter news feeds.

Maybe...

not.

Maybe, it's life and sometimes its hard, sad and anything but peaceful...

the words I cry out to God each morning. 

"Your peace Lord, that's all I need, oh and that other thing, and those things I mentioned yesterday and don't forget God."

Do we pray.

Or do we fret?

Here is my list, at the moment.

I found my knees this morning... cause we are in serious discussions.

A young, very young woman, diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. What?! Why?

A young man, very young, having his.. hopefully last cancer treatment this week. Why?!

Hopefully they will both finish college and build lives,

abundant lives.

A woman, young, very young, struggling with an eating disorder.

Please God, make the voices go away in her head. The ones that fill her with lies and hold her hostage.

A girl, very, very young, struggling with an undiagnosed illness, sometimes unable to go to school, get out of bed. The mama is bearing much of this. 

Peace Lord, answers, healing.

A boy, beautiful, nineteen, took his life.

Oh God.... why?!

He had so much to look forward to.

God... his parents. Protect his parents.

Young marrieds, some in the homeland, others oversees, building Christ centered lives, families.

Lord, protect them, for they are effective. May they trust wholly in you, each day.

My own sweet ones. 

Protect their souls, minds, bodies, provide... relationships where Christ is the center. 

No worries after that. 

You can conquer the world if you put Him in the center. 

The list goes on...

encourage those in my sphere to look deep and hard. Priorities, goals, desires... how we spend our days.

Hold our mates accountable and find others to grow with. 

No more Lone Ranger Religon.

It's too easy to pat ourselves on the back, when we need a swift kick in the butt.

The husband and I talk of life. 

He says, "Does it make a difference if we live to see 8, 18, or 80?

Our goal is Christ."

 He sees pain and suffering every day.

He hates it...

He follows it with Jesus words in John 10:10, 

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

Yes, the struggle of this.

 We know Truth,

yet we live in a fallen world.

We will suffer the sins of Adam.

Yet,

God wants us to have abundant life.

I believe that with all my heart... and yet I lost love early, twice.

 Didn't feel abundant...

but looking back, I see God's abundance in my life... His grace and mercy.

I learned to stop chasing...

anything other than Christ.

 We need a change agent in this whole mess called life....

to see clearly.

It's been around for years, but we seldom tap in.

 It's the key to life abundant, no matter the circumstances.

The Holy Spirit.

Boom.  

That guy, He will take you to your knees. 

 sucker punch you, taking your breath away, replacing it with wisdom, discernment.

You will bring nothing to the party,

so leave your degrees, your pride and accomplishments at home.

Let the Holy Spirit fill and overflow your soul.

He will teach us to pray.

He will groan for you when you can't find the words.

 He will lead us to Jesus, show us the Father, transform us, exposing lies in our life.

Pray... if you do nothing else today, pray.

Pray the Holy Spirit into your life.

That is where you will find Truth.

No. Where. Else.

Find your knees.

"Be Still and know that I am GOD."

Psalm 46:10