“A letter to God”
Dear God,
Thank you for your provision, protection, and unconditional love. I know that because I have you, I have everything that I need.
As I stay in communion with you, I know that I can come to you with all things.
All is well.
A month or so ago, I was on a weekly call with one of my spiritual mothers having a good ole’ time like we usually do, and I was expressing to her some of my current challenges and frustrations. I told her about a move I was about to make, and to be honest she was NOT supportive of it, but she let me know that after listening to my why. She expressed her reasons and advised me otherwise, so that I wasn’t moving out of emotion or setting myself up for setback. She gave long term perspective and reminded me to always remain in a space of gratitude, just because things may look sweeter doesn’t mean that they are. I defended my stance on the current circumstance right, at the time it was a magnified problem for me. In truth, even then I didn’t want to receive what she was saying because it looked to me like I was going into something better, more rewarding; satiable… “I’m here for a good time not a long time” that’s what they say.
After the thick of our conversation, she’d given me an assignment to better come to my senses in a way; she’d advised me to write a letter to God. “A letter to God” I’m thinking well I journal every day, so I already do that right? No! The purpose of this letter was to express to God all of the things that I am grateful for. To list them out one by one while reflecting on things that I had requested of Him in times past. As he’s provided for me in so many ways, and he continues to do so it’s a good place to pause to practice gratitude. The moment to express my adoration for God and remind Him and myself of how He consistently shows up in my life. To thank Him for what I have, and even what is to come, to ask Him for things but not before I get to a place of contentment for all that I have. I agreed as I thought it to be practical, helpful, and I am able to see that the good outweighs the bad on paper. That I can write out a plan and give it to God and trust that He will make it suitable for me if it’s glorifying Him. It can become easy at times to forget that we are currently living in answered prayers, and I can admit that I had forgotten but I was also able to acknowledge “God, I don’t want this anymore” I want something better. The better can’t come if I don’t fully appreciate what He has currently given me to work with, something that I specifically asked for. The audacity, right?!
I had gotten to a place of discontentment and dissatisfaction that caused frustration. The conversation stopped me in my tracks for a few reasons, I don’t like to complain, and I never want to seem ungrateful, but I’m still going to do what I ‘think’ is best for me. Some of us need to learn the hard way or at least do a trial and error so it’s made clear in front of us. I realized how I was attempting to jump ahead of God to get where I wanted to be, to help Him out a little. I wasn’t seeing harvest from my labor, I found myself struggling, frustrated and simply wanting change. What I had to learn is that I must first master where I am and what I have in order to be ready for the more that I am asking for. So, in writing a letter to God, not just once but daily even in my journaling it has helped me to start with gratitude and not view my circumstance, or life from a place of lack, inconsistency or defeat. I am able to always go back and read what He’s done in my life, mark off my answered prayers, and remember when I was asking for things, and I am now living in answered prayers in my present.
Psalm 27:14 KJV “Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait I say on the Lord”