"Lord, the one you love is sick."
John 11:3
I just recently finished reading "I Will Carry You" by Angie Smith. It chronicles the loss of a daughter just after birth, and the struggles and victories that lie on the road of grief.
What had the most impact on me was Angie's sharing of what she learned from the story of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in John 11.
When Lazarus got sick -- very sick -- his sisters sent a note to Jesus that simply read, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
"Lord" (here KYRIOS in Greek) denotes sovereignty. They knew He was Who He said He was, able to do anything. But they only said, "The one You love is sick." Nothing more. They told Him the problem. And left the rest to Him. Complete trust.
Since reading this, I have found myself praying that phrase repeatedly over the situations in my life that seem insurmountable. "Lord, the one you love is sick." "Lord, the one You love is hurting." "Lord, the one You love is needy." I so often want to provide Him with the solution I think is warranted and include that in my plea. But leaving it at that one phrase actually represents a trust in Him that I need to cultivate. Every day.
I'm working through how to recognize when it is time to communicate as Mary and Martha did, and when it is appropriate to seek, ask, and knock with persistence, specifically asking for certain things, as in Luke 11 (vs 8).
I am encouraged that both appear in His Word. In walking the road of health challenges, I have mostly employed Luke 11. Persistence. I am now learning to say only, "Lord, the one You love is sick." And leave the rest to Him.
