[:en]THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

We are a church, a fellowship of real people, with real problems. We don’t pretend to be healthy when we are sick, to be broke when we are amply supplied, or the other way around, to be amply supplied when we are broke. We don’t pretend that life is always good; when it is bad, we say it is bad. And, we don’t pretend to say life is bad, when it is good. We are real people grounded in reality.

Because we live in reality we do have needs, real needs. From time to time we bring these needs into the presence of God. We ask Him not only to hear our prayers but to also answer them. We don’t fear a “no” answer because we trust in God’s good and perfect will. What we are afraid of is God’s giving us the opposite answer. When He does—yes, at time He really does—give us the opposite of what we asked for, we are puzzled. We feel misunderstood and unloved.
Perhaps this poem, titled, “I asked . . . “ reflects that. But more than a reflection, I hope this poem can also be an anchor to our faith.

I asked God for strength that I might achieve/I was made weak that I might learn to humbly obey/I asked for health that I might do greater things/ I was given infirmity that I might do better things/I asked for riches that I might be happy/ I was given poverty that I might be wise/I asked for power that I might have the praise of men/ I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God/I asked for all things that I might enjoy life/ I was given life that I might enjoy all things/I got nothing I asked for—but everything that I had hoped for/Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered/I am, among all, most richly blessed.

God has given us not all that we asked for but everything we hoped for. And, we all hope to be closer to Jesus and to be more like Him.

Pastor Paul[:id]THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

We are a church, a fellowship of real people, with real problems. We don’t pretend to be healthy when we are sick, to be broke when we are amply supplied, or the other way around, to be amply supplied when we are broke. We don’t pretend that life is always good; when it is bad, we say it is bad. And, we don’t pretend to say life is bad, when it is good. We are real people grounded in reality.

Because we live in reality we do have needs, real needs. From time to time we bring these needs into the presence of God. We ask Him not only to hear our prayers but to also answer them. We don’t fear a “no” answer because we trust in God’s good and perfect will. What we are afraid of is God’s giving us the opposite answer. When He does—yes, at time He really does—give us the opposite of what we asked for, we are puzzled. We feel misunderstood and unloved.
Perhaps this poem, titled, “I asked . . . “ reflects that. But more than a reflection, I hope this poem can also be an anchor to our faith.

I asked God for strength that I might achieve/I was made weak that I might learn to humbly obey/I asked for health that I might do greater things/ I was given infirmity that I might do better things/I asked for riches that I might be happy/ I was given poverty that I might be wise/I asked for power that I might have the praise of men/ I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God/I asked for all things that I might enjoy life/ I was given life that I might enjoy all things/I got nothing I asked for—but everything that I had hoped for/Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered/I am, among all, most richly blessed.

God has given us not all that we asked for but everything we hoped for. And, we all hope to be closer to Jesus and to be more like Him.

Pastor Paul[:]