a friend, a Word, and indifference

I got together with a dear friend after church last night, and there were smiles and celebrations so big, and ugly crying and heartbreaks so deep that the dear barista who came to tell us they were closed backed away mortified and let us sit. 

How PRECIOUS is a friend who will point you to Jesus and cry with you, unpack their struggles and let you cry with them, celebrate the praises as if they were your own, who will sit in the pile together of all the broken and have no answers but JESUS and the hope and truth and life that He is.

In our morning church, Pastor Elijah pointed us to 1 Peter 1, and I found it so freeing: Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus. He who called you is holy, and you be holy in all your conduct, knowing that you were ransomed from futile ways not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus. 

I mean. Whatever we are facing today, the answer to "What should I do?" IS be holy in all your conduct. Whatever we are facing today, the correction to feeling alone or defeated is that you were ransomed with the precious blood of Jesus. Whatever we are facing today, the answer to "how do I handle this?" is prepare your minds for action and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus!

When is His Word NOT so freeing? What do we HAVE outside of His Word that calls off all the bets and changes all the realities? I'm so glad His word on things is so different than the worlds. I need to remember that.

The president of One Mission Society, Jeff Edwards, launched our meetings last week with an unexpected angle.  He encouraged us to pray "prayers of indifference", asking the Lord to help us to focus on only what God wants to do in and through us. Being president of a missions society that works around the GLOBE probably makes him an expert on such prayers being needed!  I often ask the Lord to show me more...but rarely have I come to Him asking Him to show me LESS.

Prayers of indifference: I am indifferent to anything but God's will.  Praying for indifference to all but God's will...we want nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. 

So I'm pondering on that idea today, as I tend to be one who senses and feels deeply, ALL. Who considers everyone and often bears the weight of much He would perhaps rather I surrender.

Lord, NOT all. Help me to focus my heart this week only on what you want to do in and through me, and let so much else go. 

What would "prayers of indifference" mean to you?