A Work in Progress….

I have said before, in response to inquiries about how I am, that I am blessed, and I truly believe that I am. But what does that mean exactly? Google defines “blessed” as “endowed with divine favor and protection,” and I think there are those who subscribe to an idea that Kate Bowler calls the Prosperity Gospel—the idea that if we are God’s people, goodness abounds and heartache is kept at bay, but being blessed does not mean being shielded from sorrow.

I am not the queen of heartache, I do not hold the market on suffering, but I have seen and endured enough in my life to know that being blessed because of my faith does not give me immunity from grief and pain. However, the blessing of my faith does mean that the grief and sorrow of this world are temporary, it means that this world is not my home, it means that I have hope that transcends this life. Thank you, Jesus, for these blessings.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the blessings of this life. Thank You for the hope that endures even when Your answer is no, not yet, or not in the way that I had hoped. Help me never to forget that I am blessed because I have hope beyond this life. Help me never to forget that I have this hope because I am Your deeply loved child. You don’t promise that this life will be easy, Lord, but You promise that You will always be with me. Thank You for the blessings of Your love. Draw me closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

My head is fairly spinning with the amount of things I am worrying about—getting my classroom ready, getting my lesson plans ready, figuring out the new routine at home and at school, jumpstart for my youngest, homeschool and hiking for my oldest, a total lifestyle change for the hubs—truly, I have to force myself to stop, to breathe, to trust. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. God’s got us all.

My sweet, precious Savior knows my heart and my fears. He brought me to Martha and Mary yet again as He tries to help me refocus on what’s important. Martha’s activity and anxiety seem to mirror my own. I get caught up in her actions and again have to force myself to calm down, focus, and breathe. Meanwhile, Mary is sitting serenely at the Lord’s feet, listening to what He taught (v 39). I want that peace, that serenity, that focus—and my Savior wants that for me.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this reminder of what is truly important. In the midst of the chaos and activity of life, help me to pause and assess my focus. Help me to slow down, to breathe, to sit at Your feet and listen to what You would teach me. Help me to trade my fears and anxiety for Your peace. Draw me closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

Google defines mercy as “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.” On Facebook several weeks ago, I came across this gem: “You will never look into the eyes of someone God does not love….” In my mind, those two are intertwined. Mercy is not only recognizing that the jerk who ticked you off is a loved child of God, but treating that person as God’s beloved, even when you don’t feel like it and the other person doesn’t deserve it. That’s hard.

Mercy means showing compassion even when it isn’t fair or just. It means showing God’s love when you’d rather get even. Mercy is a sacrifice—We sacrifice our desire for judgment in favor or God’s desire for compassion and love. Undeserved mercy is what God shows us daily and what He calls us to show others.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder, in a world that places so much emphasis on judgment, that mercy is what we are called to show. Help us to remember, even when our backs are against the wall and we are being treated most unfairly, that You call us to respond with mercy and love. Help us to remember the many daily instances when You show us undeserved mercy, and help us to show others the same compassion. We are all Your beloved children. Help us to act like it. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

I’ve never considered pride to be a huge weakness for me, but I’ve noticed of late it is becoming a bit of an issue. This little megalomaniac in my brain wants recognition. It is a dangerous and slippery slope, and I’d just as soon nip it in the bud right now than to play the game of “Why don’t people recognize how amazing I am and all the great things I do?” In that game, I lose my greatest treasure.

God knows my heart. He sees this little glimmer of pride trying to take hold. He sent me verse after verse today to remind me of His priorities, His place in my life and my heart. If I lose sight of the fact that He is my center, my anchor, my reward and my recognition for a job well done, I am truly lost, for He is my greatest treasure.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for reminding me that every good thing in my life comes from You, that this world is not my home,  and that its accolades are meaningless in my eternity. Help me to live a life that is pleasing to You, that brings You praise and glory, that allows You to say one day, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Help me to be always mindful of the fact that You are my treasure and the only recognition I truly need is from You. Draw me closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

Lord, You are the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. You knew me before my life began, saw my unformed body as it was being knit together in my mother’s womb. You know my thoughts and feelings, even when I cannot quite put them into words. I am safe in Your care. Help my identity to be rooted securely in You.

Lord, You know me intimately, knew me even before I was born. You know the plans You have for me and the strife I will encounter on this earth. You love me fiercely and completely, simply because I am Yours. I am safe in Your shelter. Help me to rest in You when life is overwhelming. Help me to trust in You when I am afraid or confused. Comfort my soul, Lord.

Lord, Thank You for this day, for the plans You have for me, for the people You have sent into my life. Thank You for Your unconditional love and support, for Your reassurance when I need it, for Your courage and strength when mine are gone. Thank You for the work You have for me to do and for trusting me to get it done. Thank You for being my shelter, my refuge, the source of every good gift. Draw me closer to You, Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

I try to be very faithful with my devotional reflections. I pray for the Lord’s wisdom and words as I write. I pray that I can remove myself so that those who read the reflections will see Him, hear His wisdom, feel His peace. Sometimes I have an idea of a direction the night before. Sometimes He shows me His path as I’m reading and studying the morning of. Sometimes, like the past several days, I finish my reading and study with still no clear direction of what He would have me say. And so I renew my daily prayer that He will guide me, direct me, show me His path. Your will, Lord, Your words, Your way. Not mine.

With all the “new” on the horizon, a new school year, new routines, new paths for so many of us, it struck me this morning that this—praying for His wisdom, discernment, and direction—is what He wants from me EVERY morning. Your will, Lord, Your words, Your way. Not mine.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this reminder. Help me, daily, to lay my plans before You and seek Your will. Show me what You would have me to say and do. Direct my words and my path. I trust You with my life, Lord. Help me always to seek Your will, Your words, and Your way instead of my own. Draw me closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

Lord, Be with us when we feel the bitter sting of disappointment in this life, when we are earnestly doing what we feel You have called us to do, but it is not working out the way we thought or planned. Help us to remember that Your ways are not our ways, that Your plan may require us to work through setbacks we did not anticipate. Help us to give You our whole heart and entire effort. Encourage us along Your path.

Lord, If we are off-base in our efforts, redirect us. If we are on the right track, help us to endure the bitter sting of disappointment, to understand that our efforts take time and that sometimes we don’t see the impact we have on others, even if it is there. Help us to work tirelessly for You, to strive in all we do to bring You glory and encourage Your people.

Lord, Thank You for this day. Help us never to fear living boldly for You. Help us to understand that sometimes living boldly means failing boldly. The sting of disappointment is bitter, Lord, but our hope is in You, not in this world. Use our disappointments to help us develop endurance and perseverance. Draw us closer to You with every breath. Help us to anchor our hope in You alone. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

In the past few months, I have become increasingly frustrated with the fact that pictures do not do justice to God’s magnificent handiwork. I’ve taken photos of gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, breathtaking vistas with mountain upon mountain rolling in the distance, cerulean skies with billowy clouds, only to look at the pictures later and realize that God’s phenomenal creation is not easily reduced to two dimensions. The pictures, while beautiful, just don’t have the same breath-taking, awe-inspiring quality that accompanies the real experience of standing in God’s majesty.

I think God experiences the authenticity of our worship, praise, and relationship with Him in a similar way. He can tell in an instant if we are being genuine or if we are just going through the motions. We might be able to convince the world with our show, but God knows our hearts. He doesn’t want a flat, two-dimensional relationship. He wants us to be real, true, genuine, authentic—with Him, with ourselves, with each other.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder to bring our whole hearts to You in worship and praise. You don’t just want our sanitized politeness. You want all of us—real, raw, unfiltered, authentic. Help us to be real with You and with ourselves. Help us to move past the “barrier of show” so we can praise You and love others with our whole hearts. Draw us closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

Today is the first optional workday in our district, and by tomorrow, most of our freshmen will be moved to their new college homes. It is a time of new beginnings, which can be difficult for many. But it can also be incredibly exciting. Sometimes, like this morning, when I read this verse, I can hear God’s excitement at what He has in store for us, His perfect plan in His perfect timing.

But new can be hard because it is unfamiliar, so how do we persevere in the new until we get our feet under us? First, don’t forget who you are. You are a deeply, fiercely, unconditionally loved child of God. Second, don’t forget the people who love and support you. In this digital age, it’s easier than ever to keep in touch. So even if you are hours away from home, reach out to those who care. Third, remember you are not the only one facing new. Reach out to others who are in the same boat. They completely understand your struggle because they are living it, too. Encourage and uplift each other.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that You are doing a new thing in our lives. Help us to embrace the sometimes messy chaos of new as You grow us into the people You designed us to be. Help us to reach out to others, to love, support, and encourage them in the new. Help us to remember that because You are in control, we are more than conquerors. Help us to embrace Your plans for us. Draw us closer. Amen.

Have a blessed day.

As I was trying to fall asleep last night, all the worries and anxieties of the day began swirling in my mind. I shouldn’t be surprised by now that those thoughts are loudest and most chaotic when what I long for most is peace and rest. But last night, I forced myself to slow my breathing and focus my thoughts on God’s light. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. God’s got me. God’s got those I love. He is mighty and sovereign.

Fears and worries aren’t the only darkness that tries to creep into my life. Anger, frustration, bitterness, impatience—all these dark characters and many of their relatives often wait on the fringes of my day, trying to steal my joy, hoping to crowd out God’s light in my life. I need to be more diligent about watching for them, about counteracting them in the same way I did last night—by slowing my breathing, focusing my thoughts on God’s light. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. God’s got me. God’s got those I love. He is mighty and sovereign.

Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your light, which can never be extinguished by the darkness of this world. Help me to be on my guard against worry, anxiety, fear, anger, bitterness, impatience—all the sources of darkness in this world. Your love, Your truth, Your grace and mercy—these are my light. Help me to cling to them. Help me to reflect Your light through my words and actions. Draw me closer to You. Amen.

Have a blessed day.