Christian Coffee House - Prayer/Chat thread. No rubbish church coffee allowed.

[Madhairday]

With the latest prayer thread coming to an end, we thought we would create a new thread for prayer and general chat too - we had chat threads running for years alongside prayer threads, and we thought it would be great to combine them. I try and collate some of the prayer requests from the last thread in the next few days. In the meantime, dive in! Lurkers/newbies - you are welcome to post. Feel free to start any chat subject about Christianity, church, worship etc, and do share any prayer needs.
Would love to hear from those who were on previous threads and haven't been around for a while, too. Come and let us know how you are.

Welcome @JumpJockey. First of all, I'm so sorry for what you are going through with your DD. I think your child being so seriously ill must be one of the hardest things to deal with.

I'd like to offer a little of my perspective formed from my own experience, but it's not really an answer - I'm not sure there is one, really.
The first thing I'd say is please don't fall for the idea of it being a test from God. I know people say that with all good intentions, because they don't know what else to say, but God isn't like that and it's not something we find when we look at Jesus. I've come to see that it's simply that we live in a broken world, and as Christians we are not somehow immune from that.

I've had a life limiting illness since I was a small child and my parents then me went through a whole lot of this (and continue to, when I get really sick). I've wondered where God is, why he hasn't healed me, why he's left me in pain. Yet one of the things I've found most comforting in this is the raw authenticity of many Bible passages in the way they pour out their pain, too. They know that God can take it. The Psalms is full of writers crying out to God, and then when they are spent with their tears they make a decision to turn towards God and hope in God. And in my experience it's in that turning to hope that I find some kind of peace - not that things suddenly improve, but that my soul is more at rest.
I know this is not an answer as to why your dear little girl is going through all of this rubbish. But it helps me to look at Jesus as well, who went through the worst of suffering and then death because of his love for us, and so never gave up on us and also understands our pain. That's why I keep looking back to God; because of Jesus and his unimaginable love.

There's a passage of Scripture that talks about creation groaning to be made right, and that's how I feel and how I see our broken world. We are off balance, askew, we know that we are not right and we so long to be. And we have a hope in us because one day God will restore all things and make all things right.

God does answer prayers, sometimes as we hope, sometimes in incredible ways, sometimes in barely imperceptible ways, sometimes in ways we have no clue about yet. For me it's sometimes about simply knowing God is there, with me, holding my hand and weeping with me through the pain. I find a joy in God's presence despite it all and find that when I turn to God I am so often liberated from the pain that keeps me at a dark place in my soul, if not the pain in my body.
And sometimes I am not, and I wonder where God is.
But the truth is God has never left me; I simply sometimes cannot see God's work and fingerprints on my life.

I'm so sorry for what you are going through. There are no words, really, but I often find reading a Psalm aloud can help. I like Psalm 121, or 23, or 63 - but there are so many. It can help

Thank you both. Madhairday your words are very inspirational. May I ask how long you have been living with your condition? DD2 is incredibly resilient and acts as if very little has changed, and we have time to thikof how to answer her questions when they will inevitably come...

“But the truth is God has never left me; I simply sometimes cannot see God's work and fingerprints on my life”. This is what I am clinging to. I suppose I have aslightly naive faith - somehow expecting Him to leap in and make everything ok. But that’s just not what it’s about. We make a great effort to say thank you every day for the good things in life; the girls are 9 and 12 so perhaps not old enough to think too hard about the mor challenging things about life as a Christian, when life isn’t always going your way.

@JumpJockey I'm so sorry to hear about your DD. The hardest thing. We can pray for her on here.

@Madhairday your words are so wise, just like in Advent Treasure, your little book which is just perfect for me at the moment. Thank you.

I'm so glad the book is speaking to you, August. You might like my other books

JumpJockey, I was eighteen months old when I first got really ill and it damaged my lungs, and it went from there really. I have times I feel okay, but others where the pain is a bit unrelenting. I had pain through last night and I was all, come on, Lord, I can't deal with this any more. It's important to be honest! I love the verse that talks about how weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning. I hold on to that.

Hope you're feeling better this morning @Madhairday

@Madhairday that is a really encouraging way look at it. And sometimes the night might be longer than we expect and the morning comes later but it always comes.

Sorry to hear you’ve been dealing with illness for such a long time. The way you write suggests it is simply a part of you and your experience of life, and you are at peace with that. As a family we are quite used to this - my father had polio as a teenager and lost the muscles of his legs (he hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse neither delighteth he in any man’s legs! DH and I met singing in a chapel choir and whenever this psalm came up there were the inevitable giggles) but he just says Well, if I’d been good at footy I’d probably have had a different life and never met your mum. And DH is T1 diabetic, so we’re all used to living with that, and again it’s just part of life. It’s the same sense of peace you mention. We know that God is there in all the little everyday battles helping us through.

We are all aware that this could have been so much worse, and we are very thankful for the medical care she is getting. And who knows what may come of it? There could be the chance for her sister to show her love by donating her cells if it reaches that stage. That in itself is such a blessing - there was a 1 in 4 chance that she would be a match, but they were knit together more closely than we ever knew.

I love psalm 121 - we chose it for the psalm at our wedding mass. Such comforting words.

How is everybody? It’s very quiet here.
I joined a retreat day from Chichester Cathedral which was excellent and gave me a lot of food for thought. Fore the rest I am knitting furiously which keeps my sanity (as much as their is sanity) intact.

Waiting for a covid test Dutch. Other than that OK. Bit bored of waiting for the test to turn up. But at least I should be able to go out by tomorrow evening.
The retreat sounds interesting.

Mad. Am loving your advent reflections. They’ve given me a lot to think about. Will definitely check out some of your other books at some point.

Have decided not to book a place for Xmas day services. Partly because I’m not sure it’s worth the risk. Partly because I feel like a walking risk and wouldn’t want to give it to anyone else if I’d picked it up on the bus or at work. Bit gutted but it feels like the right thing to do.

Oma the retreat day sounds lovely and just what you needed. I know what you mean about how doing something like knitting keeps your sanity going. I've written nearly a whole novel in under two months 😂 I have less of my usual work at the moment and I've been poorly again so writing is soothing within all that. I'm still mid infection now and feeling pretty rubbish.

Rafa I'm so glad you're finding the book a help. I've had so many messages about it and I'm just grateful to God for speaking to others through it all. Thank you for the encouragement. I hope you don't have Covid.

Thank you too, Augustbreeze

How are you, @JumpJockey?

It has been a bit quiet here hasn't it. Do jump in if you're lurking and tell us how you are and how we can pray

I’m fairly certain it’s a normal winter asthma flare up. Have steroids which should clear it up quickly. Just have to wait for the results now. Can’t really complain this is the first set of pred I’ve needed for over a year. All this social distancing does have some benefits.

Hello, we are doing ok here - DD2 has her last day of term today, and we are really looking forwards to having everyone together at last. We've been thinking about Christmas services - DD1's godfather's birthday is Christmas eve, so usually we all go there for a big party, and then half of us head off for choir rehearsal before midnight mass and see the rest of the gang there afterwards. This year we're away in a cottage next week and expecting to do virtual mass in our PJs in the morning. It will never be quite how it 'should' be, so it may as well be very different.

We've had a wonderful bit of news, meanwhile; our Goddaughter was born extremely early and her mother was very ill indeed. They've just told us they are expecting another baby next summer! She will be under very close care throughout, of course, and Goddaughter is utterly delighted at the thought of being a big sister. So we are praying for bump and mum every night. They are parents of immense faith, and the NICU nurses were amazed that when they prayed a rosary every evening with the baby, she was always very calm and restful even if she'd had a difficult day.

Madhairday do I gather you have some books of reflections? Are you able to share the details without outing yourself?

What lovely news JumpJockey, thank you for sharing it.

That's so wonderful, Jump!

I've outed myself on here too many times so I don't really care 🤣 this is the advent one, I have a few more published.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08MN1NX21/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_fB62Fb5AKS2JD?psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Hi there. Good to hear jump.

Pray, please, that I can actually get my DD to open up to me. There's conversations I really need to have with her, for her sake, and atm she's avoiding me like the coronavirus plague. There was a little ray of light at bedtime yesterday, maybe pray for more of those.

Am giving thanks for the opportunity to talk today to a very helpful chap, about one of her issues.

Can you say some prayers for two good friends? They were meant to get married this summer, then it was postponed to 28th December, and now the rules have changed again and they're getting married tomorrow! We'll be watching on the church's YouTube channel!

Of course. Christmas Eve wedding, lovely, even if not originally planned to be then!

The wedding was so beautiful. She is a member of the choir and 5 of them were able to sing socially distanced for her. In the Bleak Midwinter, and Jesus Christ the Apple Tree. Her brother was ordained this summer, and spoke so movingly about how this was his first wedding and what a wonderful privilege for it to be marrying his sister. And the groom was so keen, he jumped in with “I do” as soon as Fr had said “Do you X take Y to be your wife ...”! It was just a truly lovely and blessed service, and they have already made it through a lot to get here. A wedding nobody will forget!

JumpJockey that is so lovely. And great that the choir coukd be represented. Our choir had to send recordings to someone who was a member for many years but who moved away, was due to get married here, but couldn’t, her brother was going to be there and now cannot because only bride and groom and officiants are allowed, so that is quite a sadness for her. They are pleased to have the recordings.
We did some carols via Zoom, but it is just not the same.
I’m so glad we are still allowed to meet in church together over Christmas, half the choir will be there today and the other half on Sunday. Both services will be live-streamed.

Morning all and Merry Christmas Day.

Our church service, live (for the first time) on Zoom, was lovely, and hilarious. It included a surprise doorstep present delivery for the new curate, who turns 30 today. He did very well to keep going with leading it, it's also his first as "Daddy Bear", as his new jumper (possibly PJs?!) proclaimed, and babe did a beautiful loud trump at one point for us all

God is with us, God is for us.

Merry Christmas everyone (Lisette here)

Merry Christmas everyone.

I hope you all had a merry Christmas and have celebrated in whatever way suits in these covid times.

Church was a real blessing today. Sadly very sparsely attended. No singing is sad, but made up for a bit by a soloist singing carols.

Took the dc (6 And 10), the "true meaning of Christmas" etc... I knew it meant I'd struggle to pray myself. But its fine because I can go on Sunday without my 6yo creating chaos!

I'd put together a colouring activity pack drawn from the materials dropped off by my friend who runs zoom messy church. Then 6yo takes out 3 little rubber toys instead. One immediately bounces off somewhere and he spent the rest of mass trying to find it, crawling round and whispering about it being "rare" whilst I try not to be mortified and telling him we will find it later.

Yes, it was a blessing to me too. I spent Christmas Eve with my ‘bubble’ family, eating delicious food, then having Zoom carols. They area family with all the parts, so tht was fantastic. Then we played May-Yong till I got very tired at 10 and was escorted home. Too tired for midnight mass, but awake enough at 10 to watch the streamed service. Then DS cme and picked me up for the day there. Delicious food again, game of Scotland Yard and home by 9. Omas run out of puff earlier these days.

Oma, that sounds lovely and peaceful. I can't say I'm behaving in a very Christian fashion: shouting at the dc and permanently knackered from all the Christmas cooking and cleaning up.

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas.
It was strange not to be able to go to Church, but actually we went to several churches who were sharing their services on YouTube and enjoyed every minute, sharing this wonderful event with so many other people from around Gods world.