Several months ago I was on the phone with an old friend. He and I were catching up on our lives, and it was pretty depressing. He had lost some family and was dealing with the fallout of that, and we had lost my wife's brother some time before, plus I was thinking a lot about my dad's failing health. As we were chatting, he said to me, "Sometimes you just go through periods where things seem to pile up." But I wondered if actually if it was actually about our time of life, if being middle-aged just meant that life gets a lot tougher--health problems crop up, more people you know are facing thee challenges of aging.
I see lots of problems I would like Jesus to solve. Some of these are for other people, but a lot of them are problems in my own life. I would like Him to take care of some of the conflict I'm confronting, the health issues in my family, and, frankly, I'd like a little more money. I've also heard a lot of teaching about how we need to pray "in God's will" meaning that we ask God for the things that He wants, not the things that we want. This morning, as I read the text, the two blind men stick out to me. They were blind and wanted to stop being blind, and so Jesus heals them. He asks, "Do you trust that I can do this?" and when they say yes, He says "It must be done for you as you trust it will." and then they can see. Simple.
The role that trust in Jesus plays in answered prayer is a huge topic, and so is the topic of what we're allowed to pray for. I don't know the answers, but I am challenged to have more faith for good things as I read this. I've focused on the dark aspects of Matthew, but this morning I am struck by how often Jesus says God wants to bless us, and that this is not just spiritual, but practical.
I can get a bit focused on the problems in life. Even saying it that way sounds a bit noble--I can get focused on MY problems in life. I think about the dumb things I've said, or the annoyances in my life and this morning on the fact that the "e" key is sticking on my computer. But this morning my wife is humming to herself as she putters around the house and the dog is leaning on my leg looking for some scritches. God is good and I need healing from my blindness.