"He doesn't answer me mom..."

Through tears this is what my daughter told me last night. She is going through some acute emotional distress and has been being punished severely (my opinion) at her other residence. "They told me that God isn't going to be there for me because I am a bad person." I told her that God is there for everyone and everyone at one time or another makes mistakes or get in a place they are marginalized. But God is always listening. "He doesn't answer me. I try and I try and there is nothing."

 In the past 48 hours my daughter has had a nervous breakdown and let spill all the things that are going on when she is elsewhere. Heartbreaking things, scary things, unacceptable things (my opinion) and she is suffering from fear and anxiety. In the last 48 hours she has started talking about it. She is my quiet one. She is talking. So as we sat there in conversation I ask God for guidance with my words addressing his silence. I was literally filled with the words as if they were just being poured into me.

 I said, "Darlin', its possible God's silence wasn't a brush off. Perhaps his silence was giving you courage and space to find your own voice. To speak up to people that can help you. Perhaps, right now as we sit here talking about all these hard things and when you talked to the Dr's about all these hard things, you were being bathed in a blessing so powerful that you didn't recognize it. You found your voice. You are not afraid to say, "this is happening and its not okay.". Some people live their entire lives without that gift. God has answered your prayers by giving you the ability to allow others to help you do things that God cannot do without your voice. Think about sweetheart, God is right here in this room hearing your voice. The voice he has been prompting you to find. He answered you. He blessed you. He loves you." It all came out of my mouth before I even really knew all that I was saying. I believe He guided me to help her see him. The urgency which I was feeling to honor Lent this year keeps paying me back ten fold with blessings everyday and I sit awestruck with the power this exercise holds for me.

I pray that everyone will find a blessing this Lenton season

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