I sat in my grandfather’s lap
and easily convinced him to get hearing aids when no one else could. Not my mom (his middle daughter), or my grandmother. They may have tilled the ground, and prepared the soil of his heart and mind. But, it was his brown haired, brown eyed persuasive granddaughter, who had won his heart, that pushed him over into the “yes” zone.
I can’t remember what I said to him, or honestly if, in this instance, I was actually sitting on his lap, or even how old I was, but I remember how he made me feel when he listened and acted on my advice. That feeling is magical and gives me ALL the feels, especially in a world where we often feel unseen, unheard and unchosen.
I imagine myself crawling up in my Heavenly Father’s lap as He listens to me in much the same way.
No, God doesn’t need my help, like my earthly Grandfather may have to be convinced of certain things that were good for Him to do. Although, I’m positive that most of us have tried this technique with God. I have.
He’s all knowing, he’s omnipotent, He’s God.
But, he loves to listen to our hearts desires and to be in an intimate relationship with us. “He longs for us to get close to Him and He will draw close to us” (James 4:8).
He listens to us.
We are valuable to Him.
He speaks to us.
Following His voice will lead us into beautiful places no matter how barren they may look upon our arrival. He has a way of doing the best kind of complete makeovers I’ve ever seen. Remember, God already knows the deepest parts of you and I, that we are still discovering, as we grow in our relationship with him.
And yet, he enjoys hearing our thoughts and yes, even the requests we’re trying to convince Him of.
He’s given us a beautiful mind to use and experiences and relationships in life that are priceless. He made you and I like no one else.
We are chosen by Him and this knowledge calms my anxious heart.
God created us to dream, to ask Him for our longings and He wants you to know today that “He delights in you” (Zephaniah 3:17). God is “wrapped around your finger” so to speak and he is proud of His child. He died for you and rose again that you might live an abundant life, not just an “okay” life.
His love is real. He proved it, and He is still proving it to us every day.
Unconditional love acts more than it speaks.
God will hold you in a safe place my friend, no matter how uncertain the world around you becomes. If He is leading you towards something that feels impossible, that is where His power will be reflected and seen. Don’t let it scare you away, or determine that you can’t, before you even try.
He knows your limitations.
He will fill in the gap of where your abilities come to an end and His begin.
Climb up in His lap.
Whisper in His ear.
Let Him know what you want to convince Him of. He’s impartial to you as His child, His daughter, or His son. He sees beneath the surface of your ask, and he won’t give you what will hurt you. You can trust both His “yes” and His “no,” and His “wait.”
And I am pretty sure that sometimes we persuade God to give us something, in a certain way, just because we asked Him and He loves us that much. He has great compassion for His children.
Being in an intimate relationship positions us to ask and receive for what we otherwise would not be privy to.
Several months back I felt that a certain pressure in my life was not alleviating. Was God using it to take me out of what I knew and move me into the unknown? I surrendered one night while I was laying in bed talking to God. “God, I’ll do what I think you want me to do if you’ll just help me to know it’s the right thing, by putting it right in front of me literally.”
And He did just that close to a month later.
Honestly, I was shocked and it took me a little while to realize that he answered my prayer in such an intimate, loving way. As only a God could, who knows His daughter well. He knew I surrendered to His will, giving up my own. He knew I was scared too.
And believe you me, I had my own ideas as to how things should play out differently, so surrendering wasn’t the easiest. 
Surrender positions us to receive God’s best.
God knew my heart needed some extra assurance to step into the unknown, that I didn’t choose on my own, so I could trust Him once again.
He gave his daughter a love note, the comfort I needed, that spoke volumes to this 45 year old girl’s heart. He put the opportunity right in front of me and made it clear.
I still had to work through my uncertain emotions, refuse to obey the voice of fear, take advice and help from a friend (because I almost backed out of it), be vulnerable, do the hard work of preparation, and be willing to take a risk. Yet, I did it. I could trust God more than my human evaluation of the situation because I knew, that I knew, God answered my prayer in such a special way.
He desires to do that for you too.
Let Him hold you close today. His presence changes the atmosphere of our hearts and that changes everything.
Surrender yourself in new ways to God. Whisper your fears and your hearts desires to Him. He’s listening. And trust Him.
Trust that He knows best. Listen for His voice. Follow his guidance into the unknown. As the world grows in chaos and unrest, let’s keep surrendering to all God is saying to His people. You can shut down some of the voices and guard your heart for sure, but let me encourage you to keep listening to your Heavenly Father’s voice.
Ask God what your next step is, as you follow after His foot steps.
He will come through for you even if it’s different than you envisioned.
He longs to show His love for us in the here and now, on top of all He’s already accomplished on our behalf. He loves you. He’s got you! COVID-19, nor the battle against racism, will take you out. Keep your eyes on Abba Father.
I’m cheering you on as a fellow friend who continues to surrender all over again.
With much love and grace,
Joelle
P.S. If you are looking for another post that may lighten your heart, Empathy and Prayer Go A Long Way, is awaiting your read. I hope it serves you well.
