A Work in Progress….

How many times have I been like the Israelites, complaining because the blessings poured out were not to my liking? How many times have I chosen to grumble about what doesn’t measure up to my standards instead of praising my amazing Savior for His providence and provision? Lord Jesus, Help me.

It is easy for me to look at the Israelites’ behavior and be shocked by their lack of gratitude at God’s goodness, but when I’m really being honest, I see that time and time again I have done the same—grumbled and complained in the face of abundant blessings. Lord Jesus, Forgive me.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your loving provision. Thank You for calling me outside of my comfort zone and for abundantly providing for me. Help me not to grumble and complain, even when I am afraid or uncomfortable. Help me to clearly see You—Your provision, Your grace, Your love—always. Draw me closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

On Monday, my sis sent me a cryptic text: “Go by the post office. There is a small package for you. Pick one or two to keep and bless with the rest.” How incredibly cool! I also have a dear friend who sends out a survey at the beginning of the school year to find out our favorites (scripture, soda, snack, etc) so she can bless us with her thoughtfulness at random times through the year. So many blessings.

And yesterday my other sister, who is scrambling with her family and so many others to get crops from the field before the storm hits, spoke of the blessings of generosity she’s seeing with sharing equipment and manpower as everyone in their community tries to gather and harvest. I also saw posts about hurricane sleepovers for college kids and their friends who are in affected areas with nowhere safe to turn. So many blessings.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the abundance of blessings I see around me. Help all of us to realize the blessings in our circumstances. Help us seek to mindfully share our blessings with others. Draw us all closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

I sincerely believe that love is stronger than hate, that Jesus came to save every single one of us, that no one is beyond God’s ability to love, that I will never look into the eyes of someone God doesn’t love. I believe that even in great tragedy, if you look for it, you will see people acting in profound goodness and kindness. I believe there is hope for this crazy, mixed-up, fallen world and that that hope lies in each and every one of us.

God is calling us to love each other, to reach out to each other, to be His hands and feet to each other. He is calling us to shine His light in the dark and tragic corners of this world. He is calling us to walk boldly toward each other in love and compassion, arms wide, instead of shrinking from each other in fear and hatred. He is calling us to love one another deeply.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that Your love wins. Always. Thank You for the strength and the ability to love past our doubts and fears. Thank You for the reminder that because of Your loving sacrifice, we are more than conquerors. Help us to love each other with the same fierce, compassionate, all-encompassing, grace-filled, forgiving love with which You love us. Draw us closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

I first stumbled across this verse when my oldest was in wilderness therapy. I clung to it because it gave me hope. I knew God was with him, growing and maturing him, helping him make his way. Now that training hikes are upon us as he and the hubs begin to prepare for their Appalachian Trail adventures, I’m clinging to this verse again, but now I understand that He is also with me as I make my way through the wilderness of my fears.

I am a worrier from way back. Perhaps it is the planner in me, always thinking through scenarios, trying to be sure I am fully prepared. At this moment, knowing that my role is to carry on on the home front, I see my fear very clearly as the wild, untamed, unmanageable wilderness that it is. Lord Jesus, make a way.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for this amazing opportunity for my hubs and our oldest. Thank You for the assurance that You will walk with them on every step of this journey—from the preparation and training to the amazing adventure of the trail. Thank You also for the assurance that You are with me and our youngest as we continue to work on laying our fears and anxieties at Your feet and clothing ourselves in Your grace and peace. Help all of us remember that You are with us in every wilderness, that You will never leave us, that You are making a way. Draw us closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

I try to teach my students that words are important, valuable, that what they say matters. I have them write every day and strive to help all of them learn to better articulate their thoughts so they can more effectively communicate with others. I always wonder how successful I am in my goal, whether what I’m having them do makes a difference.

Yesterday I was asked to speak about a student who left this world way too soon. I prayed diligently that I would be able to honor my student and bring healing to his family with my words. And I was able to share journals that my student wrote while in my class—journals about his Savior, about the fragile nature of life, about his love for his family—important words, healing words.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your presence yesterday as I spoke about my student. Thank You for the words he wrote while he was with me and for the beautiful picture they paint of a kind young man. Help us always to be mindful of our words, Lord. Help us to use them to point others to You. Draw us closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

This morning my reading took me to Matthew 15 and the faith of the Canaanite woman. The one thing that is unmistakable to me in this passage is the strength of her belief in Jesus’s power to be compassionate and to heal. Her confident reply to Him and His response and healing immediately brought to mind Hebrews 4:16.

Yet still I am troubled because it almost seems from her story that healing is dependent on faith. If the faith is strong enough, the healing will occur. But I have prayed diligently for healing before, my prayer joining so many others for a miracle, only to have my loved one taken Home. I don’t believe Jesus is cruel—better luck praying harder next time—so I am left with the wisdom of Isaiah 55:8 and my rock-solid faith in my Savior. His actions, which make no sense to me at times, must be beyond my ability to comprehend. I trust and believe in His love, grace, goodness, and sovereignty.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your grace and power. Thank You that in the absence of understanding in this life, I have the utter assurance that You are in control, that Your fierce love does not fail, and that Your way is often beyond my comprehension. Help me to confidently approach You with every concern and to know with steadfast assurance that You are in control, no matter what. Draw me closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

I used to think it was good for me to vent a bit if something got me riled up, but the older I get, the more I realize that for me, that is not an effective strategy. I once thought of venting as releasing steam—releasing pressure before I blew. Now it seems more akin to striking a match to dry kindling—instead of helping me regain perspective, venting seems to get me more wound up and angrier, which isn’t good for anybody.

My physical reaction to my own negativity is startling to me. My breath becomes shallow. My heart rate quickens. My voice volume gets louder. Sometimes my hands shake. Just writing about it is causing the same reactions. Conversely, when my intention is to build others up, my heart rate and breathing both slow. My anxiety decreases. It makes me feel good, light and positive, when my goal is to build others up.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the timely reminder that I am in control of my thoughts and my words and that they have tremendous power to build up or to destroy. Help me to steady my mind and heart on You. Help me to strive to lift others up and encourage them. Draw us all closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

Last night, sleep was hard to come by. Many factors contributed to my poor night’s sleep, but the end result is that this morning, I am exhausted, and my thoughts seem anxiously chaotic. As I began my prayer time, I had no idea where God was leading me this morning and feared my sleep-deprived mind might not be able to hear His still, small voice.

But my Savior is steadfast and faithful. He not only showed up, He brought His peace for my addled thoughts. “Peace. Be still. Hush. Settle down. I’m here, even in the confusion. I’ve got you in the palm of my hand. You are mine. I won’t leave you. Just breathe and trust and know I am God, I am yours, I am here.”

Lord, Thank You for this day, for Your calming presence, for always fighting for me, even when I am exhausted. Quiet the chaotic thoughts within me today, Lord. Be my strength. Draw me closer to You. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

I chuckled as I read this verse this morning because I thought immediately of my boys and the number of times I’ve asked them in their lives if they have washed their hands, especially before a meal. On the heels of the chuckle came a sobering thought—I am a rule follower. In and of itself, that’s not a bad thing; however, rule followers especially have to guard against blind rule following, devoid of any desire other than following the letter of the law.

God doesn’t want my blind, slavish obedience. If He did, He would not have given me free will, the ability to choose Him because I want to, not because I have to. He doesn’t want adherence to the rules above all else. Living that way leaves no room for love, grace, or mercy, and all three are vital to our Savior, much more so than rigid rule following.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder not to get so caught up in rules, customs, and traditions that we turn our hearts from You. You would much rather have our love, our whole hearts, broken open for You, filled with Your love, compassion, and mercy, than have our mindless adherence to the rules. Help me to always have a heart for You and Your people. Draw me closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

This is going to be a busy week. It is the kind of week where I’m exhausted before it begins, thinking of all that must be done. Some folks thrive off the stress of doing, but it wears me out. However, I laughed when the Lord brought me back to Martha this morning. Martha and I go way back. I’ve been trying to be more Mary and less Martha in my life, thought I’d been making progress, but perhaps in all my busyness, I haven’t come as far as I had hoped.

Ultimately, what is lost when I get swept up in my own busyness is my connection with my Savior. I put Him high on a shelf so that He doesn’t get lost in the shuffle, forgetting that my connection with Him is vitally important so that I don’t lose sight of why I’m here. If my existence is just about checking items off my “to do” list instead of about drawing near to and glorifying my Savior, I’m absolutely lost.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder to cling to You and glorify You, regardless of my obligations. Help me not to lose sight of the most important thing in my life—You. Help me not to get so swept up in the world’s busyness that I lose sight of my purpose in You. Draw me closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.