Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Elastigirl

Elastigirl is Mr. Incredible's wife. Her superpower is stretching. She stretches to reach things that are otherwise unreachable, or to grab someone she loves to save that person from falling, or to hold on to someone for dear life.

That is what standing in the gap for a prodigal sometimes feels like. It feels like you are stretched too thin, so thin that you cannot possibly stretch any further, bridging the gap between God and your prodigal. You pray everything you can think to pray. You fight for time with them. Seeing that loved one in such bad shape hurts your heart horribly. You miss the person they were when they were with Christ. You miss who you know they will be when they accept Christ again. You miss the person that you know God has created them to be.

You want to mend relationships between your prodigal and others that love them so much but may be tired of the fight and the continued rejection received from the prodigal.

It is very difficult. The isolation created by the broken fellowship as brothers and sisters in Christ puts a strain on even very special family times.

The word picture of Elastigirl stretched to bridge the vast gulf between God and that prodigal you love so much is exactly how it sometimes feels. The pain is so intense that you may not know how much more you can take.

THEN you read a promise in God's Word.
THEN you hear a song that lifts you.
THEN you are reminded of the personal promise God has given you.
THEN you witness a raindrop.
THEN you are reminded of a name or attribute of God that helps your unbelief or relieves your pain.
THEN you are given the strength to fight another day.

The fight is hard, BUT God is greater.
We sometimes feel weak, BUT He promised to be our strength.
The pain is intense, BUT God is our Healer, our Jehovah Rapha.

HE is our help.
HE is our rest.
HE is our joy.

We will continue to stand in the gap for our prodigals, because God is strong enough to save them.
Nothing is impossible with Him.


"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness' " (2 Corinthians 12:9).

"When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, 'Who then can be saved?' But Jesus looked at them and said to them, 'With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible' " (Matthew 19:25-26).