Katzpur
Not your average Mormon
When Christ prayed to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, asking that He might be spared the "bitter cup," He concluded by saying, "...nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." He also used the phrase "thy will be done" in the prayer we all know as "The Lord's Prayer."
I've always felt that, as a Christian, this is how I should end my prayers. For a long time I did just that. Then, two or three years ago, my husband, who was probably about 61 or 62 years old at the time, had a physical exam and some medical tests that indicated that his arteries were like the arteries of an 85-year-old man. My first thought, upon hearing this, was "I'm going to be a widow. He's going to be dead within a year!" Obviously, I started praying fervently that this wouldn't be the case. But I found that I simply couldn't say, "nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." I wanted to be able to, but I couldn't. I felt like I couldn't say, "God, if you want to make me a widow at 55 years of age, I guess that's okay." I know that God doesn't need my permission to do whatever it is He's going to do, but the whole experience just made me stop and think...
Am I really being honest when I say, "Thy will be done."? How can I again get to the point where I can say that and mean it? What are your thoughts on this subject?
I've always felt that, as a Christian, this is how I should end my prayers. For a long time I did just that. Then, two or three years ago, my husband, who was probably about 61 or 62 years old at the time, had a physical exam and some medical tests that indicated that his arteries were like the arteries of an 85-year-old man. My first thought, upon hearing this, was "I'm going to be a widow. He's going to be dead within a year!" Obviously, I started praying fervently that this wouldn't be the case. But I found that I simply couldn't say, "nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." I wanted to be able to, but I couldn't. I felt like I couldn't say, "God, if you want to make me a widow at 55 years of age, I guess that's okay." I know that God doesn't need my permission to do whatever it is He's going to do, but the whole experience just made me stop and think...
Am I really being honest when I say, "Thy will be done."? How can I again get to the point where I can say that and mean it? What are your thoughts on this subject?