HOPE FOR FRACTURED FAMILIES

 Do you have a fractured family? Is your family tree messed up? You are in good company then and Jesus is our hope. Sometimes it may not seem that way but we have to get our eyes off our circumstances, look up to the Lord, find a Word from Him and claim it. Then pray, pray, pray! Prayer is a true working tool to peace and acceptance. A lot of our turmoil in life is not accepting the things we can't change; We sometimes have to accept that things are the way they are for a reason. I'm sure Joseph, during his days in prison and slavery felt forgotten by God as well as his family but he went ahead being the best he could be in those circumstances. The Lord caused him to rise above them and to rise in favor. Don't look at things the way they are but look at them through eyes of hope.

Jesus is the answer to all our problems and our strong help and that will always be the case. His ear is open to our prayers for help and hope. He is such a creative God that He brings forth beauty and grace and gifts within us that we never thought were there. He can bring the dormant seed to life. We praise His name and ask that He cover our families today. We thank You, Lord Jesus ahead of time for Your great blessing and favor towards our loved ones.

A song and a prayer about the Family Tree: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlqH5-T9WtI

Would you want the Cross that is Tailor-made for you?

This morning at my prayer time, I was thinking about and praying for fractured families. I thought of others that I know in the writing communities that have painful issues with their children like Carol Kent and Eva Marie Everson. Carol learned a new kind of normal when her only son was sentenced to life in prison; Eva is presented with many challenges when emotional issues changed a daughter of her heart, overnight. I thought how we sometimes think that our own cross is too hard to bear and then the Lord reminds us of a sister, walking towards Him and with Him by faith. The happy ending hasn’t happened yet. The way at times is dark yet they press on and pay it forward, trying to bring help and hope to others in their journey.

I remember the story by Sarah Ban Breathnack that told of the crosses that others bore. The angel showed the person around and showed the behind the scenes stories that no one knew about and the woman decided to keep her own, personal tailor-made cross. It was the only one she was capable of carrying with the help of the Lord.

Lord, Jesus help us walk towards You today with joy that we can share in a small part of Your suffering and show us how to deny ourselves that we can follow Your path. It is unseen to many what we go through here and dark sometimes, but You are my bright light of Hope. You are dazzling in fact and the brightness that keeps me going.

Eva and Carole Kent’s books are available on Amazon.com and for more about Eva go: http://www.evamarieeversonssouthernvoice.blogspot.com/2012/02/fridays-southern-style-faith.html