Something happened inside of me that made me question the way I was living my Christian life. For decades I had heard the stories about Christ's love...his sacrifice on the cross...but none of it felt real to me anymore. If there truly was a God...He was playing favorites...blessing some and forgetting others. All around me I was seeing the evidence to support my attack on God...I felt I was wasting my time praying to a God that no longer cared to listen.
I heard a man speak of Romania about the hurting and forgotten people of that country...it sounded so far away...so hopeless...so impossible...so much the same of how I felt inside. I took the opportunity, yet again, to call God out on the carpet...I went to Romania after weeks of praying what I thought were impossible prayers for God. Expecting God to clear things up for me...selfishly expecting God's blessing...but instead, God chose to burden my heart with experiences I could not have seen coming. In a way, I felt I would never forgive him for this burden...so I chose to turn my back on God for what I felt was justified. Why would God choose to break my heart...instead of healing it?
Through powerful, loving prayers of people dear to me...God lifted me out of my own darkness...I'm here today to tesify about the power of prayer...I truly believe that when people lift others up in the name of Jesus...He not only listens...He answers.
There is a great danger in living life for self...never once did I stop and think about God's desire for my life...I only cursed Him for not following through with my great ideas. Looking back, I can see that everything God took away from me...the burden He placed on my heart...everything He took me through...He did to bring me right back to where He wanted me to be...closer to Him.
When I thought I had gotten as far away from Christ as I possibly could...and was at my darkest, loneliest place...out of nothing more than desperation...I turned around to see if maybe He might still be there somewhere...and to my shock...He had never left me.
There is a blessing waiting for you inside the burden you carry...lay your burden down at the foot of the cross...and leave it with Jesus.
"The Message" Romans 8:39...absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
Don't make the same mistake I've made...when people ask, "How are things going...are you alright?" Don't be afraid to say, "No...I'm not alright."
Wendel Wright
