“Yahtzee!” my grandmother used to yell in exhilaration.  She loved the game.  I could be sure that if we were playing games with Grandmommy and Granddaddy, Yahtzee would be one of them.  The premise of Yahtzee is to put all your die into a cup, shake them up, and roll them out all at once, hoping that when they appear on the table, they are all the numbers you want to win the game.

In my own life, and my work with Habitat for Hope, I have found that we all play a little Yahtzee.  We bury all our problems deep down in our hearts, hoping that no one will notice.  We are careful to not shake things up for fear our issues will spill out onto the table and shine a negative light on our well-controlled lives.

Problem number one:  Despite our illusions and even our best-laid plans, we are not in control.  At some point when pain comes through a harsh reality, like a life threatening illness in the life of your child, a light bulb goes off that you are not in control.

Terror, fear, anxiety, depression, and guilt begin to shake you at your core and all the “other” problems in life that you have been so careful as to hide, come bursting out with force for all to see.  Your marriage, finances, family dynamics, faith, and relationships are not what you have fooled yourself and others into believing are true about them.

Are you in a painful place where it seems all is lost and your problems are not only numerous but insurmountable?  Don’t lose heart!

In every true and good story there is a moment where you believe all is lost, and then suddenly a hero arrives, saving the day.  In the story of our lives this is Christ Jesus.  He says in the Bible that He disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:3-12).  My pastor recently put it this way…when he is pruning, He is loving.  Just as the vineyard worker clips away the dead grapes from a vine to ensure its maximum growth, Jesus also brings us through the painful pruning process to bring about TRUE life, joy, and peace.

I I was blown away yesterday by something I heard that made me instantly cry.   Cry for joy, cry for how unbelievable it was, and cry over my own convictions.  Many of you know that Habitat for Hope maintains 2 apartments in downtown Memphis, TN.    These apartments are given free of charge to families of children receiving medical treatment in Memphis.

One of our families was moving out this past week and I went down to say goodbye, pray with them and help send them on their way.  The dad asked me if I had met the neighbors before.  I had seen them, waved, but have never met them.    The dad told me that a mother and daughter that lived in the apartment next door.  The mom is 94 and the daughter is 72.  The dad said that one day he was locked out of his apartment (the doors automatically lock) and he went over to ask to use their phone.   As they started talking the daughter mentioned how her mother will go over the wall between the two apartments, put her hand on the wall, and pray for the for the family and sick child next door.  And pray for over an hour every night.

We have had these apartments for 5 years and she has done this faithfully every day for years!   Picture in your mind…a frail elderly lady taking the time every night to pray for your sick child and family…without you ever event knowing about it.

James 5:15 15 “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.”