Pick Up Sticks

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This morning in prayer I feel a bit internally tangled. There is a lot to pray about. Along with the prayer needs of others on my list I have some needs of my own - and the needs on my mind are long running issues in my life’s arena.

As I frequently do when I am meditating/praying about something, I use the tool of analogy and visually I can frequently see an image of something that helps me explain or define what I am burdened about. Today I saw a pile of Pick Up Sticks. In my day as a child, that was a very popular toy (along with Slinky, Pokey & Gumby, and Etch-a-Sketch). The jumbled pile of that game pretty accurately portrays the situation I am burdened about.

When a complicated, long running state of affairs has you concerned and you desire to bring the problem(s) to the LORD, how do you start? When the problem is a jumbled situation, how do you know how to pray? Having a complicated problem can leave us overwhelmed in prayer but I know that God doesn’t want us to remain overwhelmed. 

Since I “saw” a jumble of sticks to interpret what I was feeling, I am going to start with that. What are the rules of the game? They are to pick up each stick without moving another. Ok wonderful - but what does that mean and how does that help with the tangled issue of the problem or the jumble in my mind?

When I was a child and played that game I remember that you search for a stick that you think can be removed first. Then other players take their turn until it comes back around to you and you get another turn. Almost certainly the game will not end perfectly. But what if it’s only you and God taking turns? And you have the first turn?

So I start. I pray.

To be continued…

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: 

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.”                                                                                    Matthew 6:9-13