Quiet in the storm....

Lately, I've been praying. A lot. Don't ask me why - it just seems to be a season that God has me in.

I think God is teaching me how to be quiet in the storm. (Or should I say "in the midst of the storm"?) Because, let's face it - with 4 kids - my house is CONSTANTLY noisy and chaotic (kinda like a storm). And even though I may be slapping together YET ANOTHER pb & j sandwich or cutting up 4 apples for my kids to dunk in caramel, it doesn't mean that I can't still pray to my Father. (Even if it's just "Oh God! Help me to get thru today! I'm so tired!" -> God appreciates honesty - right? *grin*)
Isn't that what Paul meant to "pray at all times, without ceasing"?
Richard J Foster wrote a wonderful book called "Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home" that I read a long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away) in my pre-mummy times. What a wonderful truth it held..... Prayer is not something scarily profound - it's not a magic formula - it's not something just for the learned or the PhD guys - it's just simply our hearts communicating honestly and openly with our Father who loves us no matter what.
What a wonderful and amazing truth..... That God desires a deep, intimate relationship with us! Even thought the cost was so high (that is Jesus, Himself) - God still thought we were worth it. Even though we are broken, and needy, and dirty, and poor - He still loves us. He still wants us to be His friend.
"You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"^[a] and he was called God's friend."
James 2 :22-23

WOW. Can I just say that I want to be known as a friend of God???? I would love for the Lord to talk to me, honestly and openly - without holding anything back.

Just a few thoughts.......
C.