Chapter 23 ~ Praying Without A Story

Miller used the life of Joseph to show us that despite a life of disappointment, one does not have to give in to bitterness and cynicism, but, can discover the gracious heart of God and even extend grace to the ones who have harmed us. Miller recommends: “When the story isn’t going your way, ask yourself, ‘What is God doing?’ Be on the lookout for strange gifts.” He later says that when confronted with suffering, we instinctively focus on what is missing, not on the Master’s hand.

I have a person living this example in front of me. My daughter, Mary Anne, because of job related circumstances, has been living apart from Phillip, her husband of 6 years for the past four months now, and will be for another two months. I had seen her for these past months living out a Christ-like attitude, but had not necessarily heard her verbalize the heart behind it. I had witnessed her being helpful to me, to her dad, and to her brother and sister-in-law. I had seen her doing her usual exemplary job at work. I had seen her with a positive attitude, even when things weren’t necessarily going the way she wanted them to go. Recently though, we went on a walk and she shared the heart behind these actions. She is trusting God with the big picture. And, she testifies to the “strange gifts” that she sees God giving. She sees God doing a work in her and Phillip and their marriage that would not have happened had they not been in this place. She is seeing her one-on-one time with me and her dad and brother as something that, being child number three, she didn’t have a lot of growing up, and will most likely never have again.

Obviously, as her mom, it has been much easier to watch her have this attitude than if she were pining away for something that was not what God had for her right now. She has been an example to me of what it looks like to not focus on what is missing, but instead, focusing on the Master’s hand. I thank God for His grace in allowing me to watch this divine dance.