Praying for the next best thing
Or the next right thing, if you get the reference
I have two girls and they both are big fans of Frozen.
Right now, my youngest is absolutely obsessed with everything Elsa.
But, myself, I’m a fan of Anna.
And one of my favorite songs from either movie is “The Next Right Thing” from Frozen 2.
It’s a soul-crushingly depressing song.
Trust me, it’s not a banger. And I fully understand why people don’t like it or enjoy it.
But I love it.
I cry at that scene almost every time.
And when that song plays I almost always cry.
Because it’s a song about doing what comes after the lowest parts of our lives…
…after the darkest moments…
…after all hope is lost…
All we can do is the next right thing.
The next best thing for us and for others.
And that’s an important lesson in life because, contrary to what many of you might think, prayer isn’t a magic bullet to make all of our hard moments disappear.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard and often you pray, you can still have bad things happen to you.
Cancer can still strike.
Accidents can still happen.
People can still die or get hurt or hurt others.
And Jesus constantly points us to prayer, not because it’s a cure-all wish-granting genie situation, but because it helps us.
It helps the person doing the praying, initiating connection and communication with God.
The point of prayer is to help us center ourselves in God so that we can navigate these darkest moments.
It helps us discern what the next best thing, the next right thing, is to do.
And praying for the next best thing means going before God, knowing how desperately you need God, but expecting that God will provide either way.
My prayer for today
Our Father, thank you for providing even when we know it’s scary to rely on you for everything.Jesus, help guide us towards the next right thing in our lowest moments. Spirit, encourage us when all seems lost. Amen.
Remember
Connection with God is your greatest strength when you are at your weakest. It’s cheesy, but true.