Joel M Bradshaw

 24And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”–Genesis 32

Jacob was at a transition moment in his life. His present and future were meeting his past. Jacob prayed to God out of humility trust and fear. The old Jacob had gone and a new one had come. And overnight he and God had a unique moment that confirmed God’s faithfulness to Jacob and plan for his life. God even gave Jacob a new name.

Wrestling in faith is called a lament. Taking your cares, anxieties and issues with God directly to God. Jacob and God had some kind of wrestling dream that left a physical limp. We do this kind of wrestling in our prayer life. But that struggling should always have an undercurrent of worship and trust.

I was once in a transition moment that had a unique result. I was in between church jobs and was working as a mentor caring for the developmentally disabled. My wife Jen was a chaplain intern and progressing nicely. Things had appeared to have changed in our career paths. We were living on the South Side of Chicago, I was working overnights, and further church ministry seemed on hold.

Then I got a phone call that a church had gotten my resume. The seminary placement office sent it without me knowing. That phone call led to two other calls and interviews. The church up north liked us and wanted us to come. But the position we were already in was also an answer to prayer. We wrestled in prayer over the decision. It seemed like God was calling us to this new church, but matters were progressing where we were. To move would take Jen further from her work and I was just about to qualify for insurance benefits and a promotion at mine. There were pros and cons about either choice. And so we prayed and discussed.

I hated leaving for work when Jen went to sleep. We were newlyweds on a different sleep schedule. The place where we lived wasn’t safe, and I remember occasionally hearing gunshots in the neighborhood. I went to work each night trusting God that my wife would be safe. It was all I could do. And then one night it happened.

Our car got its windows smashed in. It was the car we kept in the locked apartment garage, so a fellow tenant had it in for us. When we made a police report, I recall the officer saying that where we lived was not safe. He pointed out two very unsafe groups that lived in the buildings surrounding our apartment building. He then frankly said these words, “If you could live anywhere else, you should. Why are you living here?”

To my story, it seemed like when God popped Jacob’s hip out of joint. I’ve never forgotten that broken car window or that police officer. We struggle with God in prayer and sometimes his will for us becomes crystal clear. He not only opened the door to that church ministry, but booted us through it! I spent almost 10 years as that church’s pastor and at the end led them to merge with another church. I serve on staff at that church today and now share my thoughts every morning with you.

Keep struggling with God in prayer with the perspective of faith. You may not have a limp or a window repair bill, but God is at work.–JMB