Getting the giggles!

So last night I went to something at church we call "Deeper", which is an extended time of praise, worship, prayer... and whatever else seems to come along :)
I had been looking forward to it, not only because I love spending time with others in worship but also because some of my closest friends would be there and for me there is nothing better than loving God in the midst of friends.
It proved to be a good evening and I even received a word from God through someone else who was there. Now, this word didn't directly relate to issues I am facing right now but it was helpful and reminded me of some stuff God had been saying to me in the recent past.
What I actually found myself thinking later in the evening was that I had simply enjoyed the evenin for what it was - time with friends and with God, with further evidence that God is taking an interest in my life and is working on my behalf (just in case I had forgotten!). I found myself smiling a lot that evening, happy and at rest because, although I have faced a lot of stress recently, God still loves me. Later on those smiles became random fits of giggles, which simply served to confuse one of my friends. I couldn't explain it then but a phrase is now coming to me as I type that I have used time and again:

"But God..."

Every time I worry or stress about something that is or isn't going on in my life, it only takes this phrase to stop me in my tracks. No matter what, God is involved! In our mundane every day activities AND in our worship and prayer meetings. God is moving, God is speaking and he is blessing us more than we give him credit for.

Crying out

I am sitting here listening to worship music and before I know it I'm crying out to God.

Once upon a time this would have meant actually wallowing in self-pity and asking God WHY?! Why didn't I have more? Why did I feel so lonely? Why wasn't God talking to me?

I still have the option of asking God why? There are still things I need or want. Sometimes I do still get lonely. Sometimes I still get rather confused about what God is saying!

But I've learnt there are some better questions to ask God,

like "who?" - who needs me today? Who needs my prayers? Who could I connect with?

or "what?" - what, God, do you want me to do?

The main difference here, of course, is that one appoach is negative while the other is positive; one focuses on self while the other focuses on others. Don't get me wrong I like naval gazing as much as the next girl, probably more so given my interest in psychology and what makes us unique... but I am constantly reminded by people and circumstance that the most important thing in my life is people.

My friends mean the world to me and tonight I am crying out for them.