It's 7:30am, I came here to run, but instead I’m walking on the beach again picking up glass. It's Saturday, so I don’t feel rushed at all. What a perfect time to pray. “…if you remain in me and my words remain in you ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you, this is to my Father glory…” The words, “to my Father’s glory” speak to me now. What does it really mean to live for His glory? What does it look like to ask my Father for things in prayer that bring about His glory?
A song comes to mind… “In my life, Lord, be glorified…” I sing it prayerfully as I walk the beach. What is my motivation? My own glory, or God’s? What motivates me to preach a sermon? to lead worship? to write this blog? Father, may all I do bring You glory. In my life, Lord, be glorified.
“Ask whatever you wish”. Lord, what would you have me ask, that would bring you glory? I begin to pray for a friend who is having trouble in his marriage. This is a strange request, but I ask God to give me a round perfect piece of red glass as a sign of hope to my friend for his marriage. I immediately look down and see a perfectly round clear piece, and the verse comes to mind, “now you see through a veil, but some day you will see clearly.” God speaks clearly through a clear round piece of glass and a verse that I believe God brought to my mind. The round clear glass, although very rare was not exactly what I had asked for. But then, two steps later I spy a red jagged piece. As I pick up the red piece I sense God’s message of hope that they will have love again in their marriage, but it may not be perfect or smooth. Trust me to answer this prayer.
Then I pray for a friend whose parents are having marriage problems. As I pray for her and her family, I let the Lord know that I would like to encourage her with a piece of glass too. This whole time I had not seen any blue, so I ask, “Lord, would you give me a piece of blue glass that I can give to her to let her know that You care and hear our prayers… and before I get the final thought out, there is a beautiful blue piece.
All three of these are rare. Blues are hard to come by. I've found less than a dozen round ones, and only a few red pieces ever. So there is no doubt in my mind that God gave them to me to share with the friends I am praying for. God really speaks in many ways, even giving gifts of beach glass.
Brian and I have counted up my total find for the morning and it sits here now on the kitchen counter. 517 pieces! Are you believing that!?! 517 is way more than I’ve ever seen before, more than double the amount I've ever found. But I am thinking about just 3 of them; a clear round one, and jagged red one, and a beautiful blue.
Posted on
Sat, May 23, 2009
by Chris Spitters