Your Biggest Fan!

 

NASCAR is a popular sport amongst my younger siblings. Everyone has a favorite driver and I love to hear the enthusiastic cheering each week as they celebrate the race winner! (When everyone in the family, including the dog, has a favorite racer, there's always a good chance one of our guys will win!) 

As I've shared in previous posts, I've been dealing with some health issues. For many months now normal daily activities have proven too strenuous for me, but I've found great joy and usefulness in the time I have to pray. I treasure being able to lift up the needs of my family and friends to the Lord. 

Yet last night, I found some of these people and their needs had gone beyond a prayer burden to being just a burden, burden. I love deeply, and my heart just breaks when I see people I care about hurting and having a hard time. I want to fix things, find the answers, and make the hard choices for them. But as I wept to the Lord last night I knew I couldn't do what my heart longed to. I had to lay these people in His hands and trust Him to do the work. 

In the night I had a dream that my mom told one of my brother's its was time his NASCAR driver won a race. I saw the troubled look on my brother's face at making such a thing happen and then I woke up. I thought it was a silly dream, as I considered the notion that my brother could somehow secure a win for his racer simply by being a good fan! 

Then I thought of my prayers.

Prayer is powerful! But the power comes from the Lord, not me. It's hard to watch when your racer gets in a wreck and is spinning out on the track. But that mishap is not my fault, it's not because I'm a bad fan, or that I didn't pray good enough. 

The frustrating reality of life is, we don't get to drive for anyone else. I can cheer, and cheer, and cheer, but I don't get to steer. 

Even if I have a closer connection to someone, some say in their life, like being on the a racer's pit crew. I can jump over the wall and put on that right back tire perfectly! But that doesn't mean the driver won't go out and wreck the car or lose the race. I can do my part to the very best of my ability, but I still don't get to drive. 

As disappointing as this could be, there's a freedom to be found in knowing I'm not responsible for the outcome of my prayers. When I pray, I'm just coming into agreement with the Lord's will, and plan for someone. I say the prayer, but it's His power that does the work. (not my worry!)

It still breaks my heart when I see the ones I love spinning out on the track of life, but when I entrust them to the Lord, I can give them what they need the most, an unconditional cheering section! 

When you have a favorite racer, you don't stop cheering for them just because they have a bad race. 

And in racing, just like in prayer, you never know what's going to happen next. Someone might be spinning out in one race, but coming in first at the next! 

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

James 5:16

Check out this video to see what an unconditional cheering crowd looks like!