The Issue is Never the Issue

The issue is never the issue. This profound statement was reinforced to me on Black Friday at 3:30 AM while in line at K-Mart. I thought the reason why I was standing in line outside a retail store in the dark of the morning was to spare our slim budget from loosing too many bucks this holiday season.

I soon realized it was to hear a woman in her early 20's detail her brush with death as she fought the cancer that had tried vehemently to kill her and her unborn baby.  She was told she had cancer in one sentence, and with the next breathe the doctors informed her that she would most likely die that night. Now a year into remission, she was able to reflect back on what she went through to the friend she was with and to her new comrades who stood in the freezing temperatures for two hours with her.

Gently, the Spirit prompted me to begin praying for her silently. There was so much hurt in her voice, so much broken anger towards God who would let this cancer, that had quickly taken over her body, kill her baby. I didn't share with her the 4 spiritual laws. I didn't recite John 3:16, rather in the spirit, I fell before the throne of grace and wept for this girl. I begged the God of the Universe to comfort her.

The issue is never the issue. The issue gets us to the place where the Lord wants us, but He has a greater purpose for moving us there. The issue of the saving money got me to the Black Friday line at 3:30 AM, but the issue of this gal's brokenness got me before the throne interceding for her spiritual healing.

What issue is God using in your life to get you to the real issue? What physical trial or celebration are you walking through and what is he teaching you or directing you to do with it?