“Today I will commit to being an encourager, comforter and exhorter. Thank You Lord for Christian fathers who have modelled Your heart with their children.”
Promise #168
When you walk through the fires of adversity, you will not be burned.
Isaiah 43:2 (WEB)
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned,
and flame will not scorch you.
I took this photo when my wife and I were in New Zealand a few years back. These volcanic geysers continually release boiling hot water onto the earth’s surface and it is a truly amazing sight to see. In the natural, no one could walk through these gushing waters without getting burned.
Yet in this Bible verse, God says that even if we walk through fire, we will not be burned. When I think of this promise, I do not think of passing through literal waters or fires, but the raging waters and fires of adversity that we all face in life.
The NLT Bible calls it ‘the fire of oppression’ that we sometimes experience. I find great comfort in knowing that God promises that He will be with us as we go through our trials and that ultimately these trials will not overcome us.
One day when Jesus comes back or we go home to be with Him, we will be in a place where there is no more pain or suffering. But in this life, we will continue to experience hardships simply because we live in a fallen world. The next time you go through a difficult experience, remember God’s promise to be with you in the midst of the trial.
My prayer is that the flames of adversity will not consume you as you pass through them. May you be kept safe in the secret place of the Most High (Psalm 91) no matter what life throws at you!
TRUSTING GOD DAY BY DAY
“Let Me See Self-Control!”
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For Our Own Sake, We Tell the Truth CARRIE LLOYD Lee en español |
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:24 (NKJV)
I must be honest; it’s taken me some time to embrace truth.
The truth of others toward me, the truth of myself when I would prefer to believe my own pretense. It’s safer there. At times, truth has felt so aggressive. Ungentle. Blunt and harsh in its reality. Truth didn’t feel Christian; it felt unkind.
Being British didn’t help — for my culture preferred to sweep truth under the Persian rug and fill the awkward silence with a cup of Earl Grey.
How often I wanted to “Proverbs 4:23” my heart, guarding it, sprinting away as if the truth wanted to hunt or hurt me. I created a façade that said my day was fine, that I wasn’t in pain, that I wasn’t scared — whatever I needed to say to belong to society, to God even, I said it.
I used chameleon methods that were lying to myself, leaving unresolved solutions to my unsatisfactory life.
Within the storms many of us have recently faced, I know I am not alone. All that is coming to the surface in this silence, or the chaos, feels antagonistic: the dreams yet to be fulfilled, the relationship that isn’t as paradisiacal as it might appear. Before quarantine, distractions could divert our eyes from truth. But how helpful were our normal aversions? In every moment we hid, we missed an opportunity to learn the beauty of God.
John 4 reminds me of the finest truth-teller that ever lived. Our Lord never avoided honest conversations. He reveled in them. Why else would He make space and wait upon the hottest hour of the day for a woman who was already outcast by society? He seeks the honest ones.
Within this dialogue, I discovered a golden nugget that would help me embrace the power of truth forever.
Even if it stung.
I always wondered why, when it came to the Samaritan woman, did Jesus ask her to fetch her husband? Especially when He already knew she’d had five husbands, and the one she lived with was not her husband?
Jesus wasn’t trying to shame her, nor put her in her place. He’s not a rebel of his own teachings; He’s a master of them.
Instead, He wanted to see if she was owning her own truth, her own choices. He wanted to see if she was the kind of soil He could sow into. Hungry enough for wisdom, versus protecting her own ego. She didn’t tell Him what she thought He’d want to hear. She didn’t defend. She simply replied, “I have no husband” (John 4:17b, NKJV).
“In that you spoke truly,” He replied (John 4:18, NKJV). For true worship, according to our Lord, was coming: “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).
Can we ever worship Him if we’re not walking in truth? We’re missing an opportunity to discover the wonder of His freedom and missing out on life itself.
In the great strength of His undying, never-going-to-leave-you love, we have no excuse to run, but every reason to hold onto His hope for us.
For it was there I truly began to grow, where the Persian rug was picked up and shaken outside. I found true stillness in the freedom of His truth. I got honest about my fears of abandonment. Honest about my legalism. I stopped numbing myself to conviction and celebrated the fact that He could trust me with His truth. I finally built trust with myself and my friends. The cost of denial outweighed the power of His voice living authentically through me.
Today, I’d rather face the sting of my truth than the dull ache of denial, for the distance between God and me was too brutal to bear.
It was in this divine appointment between the Samaritan Woman that I learned truth isn’t repulsive; it’s revelatory.
The most freeing worship we could ever know.
Dear Jesus, remind me of the beauty of truth, a worship that sings lullabies in Your ears. That in my own shortcomings You strengthen me. Help me be compassionate to those who hand me truth, and help me speak truth through grace. Help me reject shame so I can hear clearly Your wisdom in every daily struggle. You are the great comforter who believes in me more than I do. Thank You for always leading me toward the light, even when I want to hide in the dark. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY: John 8:32, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (NKJV)
Psalm 26:3, “For Your loving kindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth.” (NKJV)
RELATED RESOURCES: Do you ever wonder who you are, why you are here, and what really makes life worth living? If you’re ready to be done pretending or want to find out more about leading a life of integrity, grab a copy of The Noble Renaissance: Reclaiming the Lost Virtue of Nobility by Carrie Lloyd.
CONNECT: Catch more of the truth on Episode 29: The Truth Tellers from The Carrie On Podcast with Carrie Lloyd.
Enter to WIN your very own copy of The Noble Renaissance by Carrie Lloyd. To celebrate this book, Carrie’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, June 22, 2020.}
REFLECT AND RESPOND: What are some truths in your own life you’ve been avoiding, about yourself or someone else?
Are there any areas in your life you’re numbing? With gentleness, identify what those things are, and ask the Lord what to do with those truths.
Carrie Lloyd is an author, podcaster and leader at Bethel Church, and lives in Hollywood, California. Follow @carriegracey on Twitter and Instagram.
© 2020 by Carrie Lloyd. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks Emanate Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson and division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, for their sponsorship of today’s devotion.
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Wait On His Timing
Is there something you are waiting on God for today? Maybe a decision you need help with, or whether or not you got the new job, or for His mighty intervention in a loved one’s life. It takes a lot of strength and courage of heart not to take matters into your own hands, doesn’t it? Yet that is exactly what He wants you to do – wait on His perfect timing for the unfolding of His perfect plan. He is with you and in absolute control, so trust in Him as you wait.
I wait for Yahweh; I wait and put my hope in His word. (Psalm 130:5 HCSB)
Therefore the LORD is waiting to show you mercy, and is rising up to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. All who wait patiently for Him are happy. (Isaiah 30:18 HCSB)
Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying. (Romans 12:12 CEV)
Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! (Psalm 27:14 ESV)
O Lord, waiting with patence is hard. But I trust in You and know that Your timing is absolutely perfect in all things. So I will wait.
This is an excerpt from 100 Days of Bible Promises by Shanna Noel and – a devotional book released by DaySpring publishing. Learn more about this book, or shop other books & devotionals from DaySpring.
10 Prayers to Pray Over Your Husband
Do you spend time each day praying for your husband? Determining what prayers to pray over your husband can be an eye-opening experience. Years ago, I decided to consistently pray for my husband. While that sounds really mature and wonderful, the choice was a selfish endeavor, though I thought I was being helpful. In my immaturity, I wanted a few things to change in my marriage and so I called on the Lord to change them. Funny how I discovered the one who needed to change was ME! Ever been there?
Through God’s work in my heart, I discovered the importance of praying for my husband and the power of praying for him. Over the years, God has shown me his work in my marriage through prayer time and time again. Prayer is a life-changing, uninterrupted connection to our heavenly Father and oh how he loves to hear his children pray! Check out these 10 prayers to pray over your husband using God’s Word.
- Pray for his work.
“Lord, I pray that You would bless my husband’s work. That he would be diligent and prosperous. That You would give him wisdom and discernment. God, I pray You would give him strength to walk the opportunities you provide. Thank you, Lord.”
Do you see a person skilled in his work? He will stand in the presence of kings. He will not stand in the presence of the unknown. Proverbs 22:29 CSB
- Pray for his heart, soul, and mind.
“Father, I praise You for my husband, Your unique creation. Please guard his heart and mind, Jesus. Protect him from temptation and fill him up with the good things he needs. You’ve promised to fill his soul with what he needs and I ask You to do just that.”
For he has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:9 CSB
- Pray for healing from the past.
“God, would You heal the wounds of my husband’s heart? You’ve promised healing to those who submit to You. Lord, please smooth the scars of past hurts and brokenness. May Your healing permeate his being, inside and out.”
Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for you are my praise. Jeremiah 17:14 CSB
- Pray for courage.
“Lord, You are gracious and merciful, yet You are all-powerful and understanding. This world can be a fearful place and I pray that You would give my husband courage. Lord, infuse his character with courage for daily decisions and the difficult ones as well.”
The fear of the Lord leads to life; one will sleep at night without danger. Proverbs 19:23 CSB
- Pray for his leadership.
“God, You have provided Your Word and I am so grateful. May Your Word guide my husband as the leader of our home. May his leadership skills be empowered by your wisdom. I trust that You will lead in his hand and heart in our relationship, his work, our home, community and church.”
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. James 1:5 CSB
- Pray for wisdom in finances.
“Lord, money yields the greatest potential to cause problems in a home. Please give my husband wisdom as he seeks to honor You with finances. I praise You for the blessings You’ve provided and I pray that You would help him, help us, to always honor You first.”
Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. Hebrews 13:5 CSB
- Pray for a heart for the Lord.
“Father, please give my husband a pure heart for You. May he seek to love You and trust You with everything he has and is. Protect him from opinions intended to sway him from Your Word.”
Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart. Ephesians 6:6 CSB
- Pray for his speech.
“Father, in a day when the world speaks with complete corruption, keep my husband’s words pure before You. I pray that he would use his words just as You would have him to. I praise You for his personality and pray for purposeful conversations in our marriage.”
No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29 CSB
- Pray for his friendships.
“Lord, I pray that You would provide encouraging friendships for my husband. That he would know he is never alone because You are with him, but I ask for others to speak into his life and sharpen him as he sharpens them.”
Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 CSB
- Pray for your husband to be a good father.
“God, I thank You that You are the good, good Father. Would you help my husband’s parenting to reflect You? May his children know Your heavenly love personally and experience it through their earthly father.”
Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 CSB
This list of 10 Scripture-based prayers is a perfect place to start exploring how to pray for your husband. If you know someone struggling or feeling disconnected in their marriage, share these powerful prayers with them and use this article to encourage their hearts. If you know someone who longs to strengthen her marriage and build up her husband,these prayers would be the perfect tool to do so!
Visual reminders of my praying intentions are always a bonus and if that’s you too, check out the You + Me gift collection for beautiful inspiration to pray for your husband. This collection, inspired by The 5 Love Languages, comes with sticky prayers, couples’ coupon book, correspondent cards, and love notes. You could also take your prayer encouragement another step by giving your husband one of these beautiful “You’ve been prayed for…” cards.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out our entire devotional library. Also, sign up for our e-newsletter to receive more devotionals, neat ideas, Ecard Studio updates and exclusive deals.
Father, please give my husband a pure heart for You.
Jesus Is Praying for You (Romans 8:34)
Jesus Is Praying for You
by Lynette Kittle
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” — Romans 8:34
Growing up it was comforting to know my grandparents and parents were praying for me. Many times their prayers were taken for granted but as they have passed away, I’ve become more aware of just how much their prayers meant to me.
Knowing they were daily interceding for me provided me with a strength, security, confidence, and support that God was leading in my life.
Just like their prayers encouraged me through life, I’ve realized there is another who is always praying for me, a risen Savior who is daily interceding on my behalf.
Hebrews 7:23-25 states, “Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”
If like me, you’ve experienced the loss of loved ones who you knew were interceding for you on a daily basis, or if you’ve felt alone at times thinking no one cares or is praying for you, realize that Jesus is at the right hand of God praying for you.
As 1Timothy 2:5 explains, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
His ascension to Heaven did not stop His ministry to you. Along with paying the price for your sin, He is alive and serving as your advocate before the Father.
And why might you need an advocate? Because as 1 Peter 5:8 describes, you have an adversary, the devil, who is seeking to devour you.
Still you can rest knowing Jesus is pleading your case before the Father. 1 John 2:1 states, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
Furthermore, Hebrews 9:24 describes how, “Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; He entered Heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.”
Jesus has not taken His priestly duties lightly, but rather has carried His love, concern, and ministry to you to the very throne room of God.
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, iBelieve.com, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, and more. She has an M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as an associate producer for Soul Check TV.
Want to go beyond a minute in the Word today? Continue over to BibleStudyTools.com!
10 Things You Should Never Say to Your Wife
- Brittany Rust
- brittanyrust.com
Marriage can be a beautiful thing and certainly something to be enjoyed. If you find a godly spouse, indeed, you find a good thing. But no relationship is perfect and sometimes your spouse will say something that gets on your nerves; we’ve all been there if married very long at all!
This one’s for the husbands; a list of things better left unsaid to your wife. It’s not all inclusive and this isn’t to point you out; us wives have some things better left unsaid as well. But in case you’re wondering, here are 10 comments that might bother your wife.
Image courtesy: ©Thinkstock/SIphotography
1. “You should have asked for help.”
A woman wants a husband who will care for her and watch over her. She wants a protector and to feel taken care of. Because of this, it’s nice when our husband notices we might need help with something and jumps in for the support. Sometimes a wife might need help reaching for that bowl above the refrigerator or picking up the cheerios on the floor. This is a great opportunity to jump in and serve your wife.
If you don’t jump in and maybe your wife seems frustrated or mentions she would have like helped, refrain from commenting she should have asked for it. A comment like that will leave her feeling alone and uncared for. I promise you, it’s the little things that go a long way!
Image courtesy: Pexels.com
2. “We just don’t agree so let’s not talk about it.”
Sometimes the logic is, if I know we won’t agree on the topic or see eye to eye, let’s not talk about it. But not talking about it doesn’t make the difference go away. If anything, it creates a gap that will only grow with time.
I’ve watched this happen when it comes to politics, family, and even the Bible. Don’t be afraid to talk to your wife regarding a sensitive issue just because you don’t think you’ll agree. Take the opportunity to really listen to each other and grow closer through the differences.
Image courtesy: ©Thinkstock/LittleBee80
3. “Why are you doing it that way?”
When we’re working on something we care about or pour a lot of time into, we look to our husband for encouragement and validation.
What you don’t want to do is start critiquing how your wife is going about her project. Avoid making statements that call into question her ability; this will significantly discourage her. It’s ok to compliment and then ask, “have you ever thought of trying this?” This approach encourages her and leads to bettering each other, rather than critiquing.
Image courtesy: ©Thinkstock/AndreyPopov
4. “Looks the same to me.”
Your wife gets a new haircut, works out to lose a few pounds, or tries out a new makeup look. She wants to know you notice and might ask “how do I look” or “can you tell I made a change?” If so, never say anything close to “you look the same to me.”
Your wife wants you to notice her, in both the small and significant ways. Make a comment about how you like the new look or appreciate the hard work she’s put into the new effort.
Image courtesy: ©Thinkstock/grinvalds
5. “What did you do all day?”
This is a big no, no! Some women stay home to take care of the kiddos while the husband goes to work, or perhaps works from home. I beg you to please never come home and ask your wife what she’s been doing all day. Maybe the house isn’t perfect or dinner is a bit late, but I promise you that any woman staying home to care for the family, whether that be with kids or a stay-at-home job, is not bored or sitting around the house all day.
Image courtesy: ©Thinkstock/liza5450
6. “What did you say?”
If your wife is sharing something with you, please don’t tune her out as you look at your phone or daydream about the upcoming game (or whatever it is men daydream about!). The last thing your wife wants to hear after she has said something is, “what did you say?” This can be incredibly discouraging and deflating.
Image courtesy: ©Thinkstock/chairboy
7. “I don’t know.”
Your wife is looking for her keys or asking what you’d like for dinner, just to name a few examples. She’s turning to you for some insight or help. When you say “I don’t know” and keep doing what you’re doing, you leave your wife feeling alone.
Instead, jump in and ask how you can help, offer to look with her, or make some suggestions.
Image courtesy: ©Thinkstock/Merlas
8. “I’ll do it later.”
She asks for some help with the house, or for you to run to the grocery store. You respond with “I’ll do it later” but forget or do it a few days later. Here’s the deal: if you do say it, be the person who does it within a reasonable time that doesn’t leave your wife stressed. Only then, having a track record of getting things done, may you use this phrase. If your history is spotty, it’s time to amp up your timeliness!
Image courtesy: ©Thinkstock/KatarzynaBialasiewicz
9. “I don’t remember saying that” or “You’re remembering that wrong.”
When remembering some details, both people are going to feel confident in their memory. Be careful how you handle this conversation or it could quickly turn into a fight.
If you feel confident in your memory, try something different like “they way I remember it is…” and approach it from a neutral perspective. Saying something like “you’re remembering it wrong” can feel like an attack and put your wife on the defense.
Image courtesy: ©Thinkstock/SIphotography
10. “It’s up to you.”
You’re trying to come up with a plan or figure out where to eat and your wife asks for your opinion. You then respond, “it’s up to you.” This can be a frustrating remark to hear and make your wife feel alone or bossy.
Engage in conversation with her to find a solution that works for both of you!
Disclaimer: I gathered these in a poll conducted with godly wives. To my wonderful husband, you’ve only said one or two of these [wink, wink]!
*Content taken from the article, 10 Things Never to Say to Your Wife, written by Brittany Rust. To read the text version please click the link.
Image courtesy: ©Thinkstock/nd3000
5 Long-Term Lessons from the Pandemic
- Steve Hall
- Contributing Writer
In the coming weeks, many of us will be in areas that begin lifting some restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. If done carefully that is welcome news.
But as we try to begin moving forward, this is an important time to think about lessons we’ve learned during lockdown that we may want to keep.
Below are some of the blessings that this crisis has opened up that I want to continue.
1. Loving Our Neighbors Well
Having met neighbors I would not otherwise, I want to keep and develop those relationships.
For many of us stuck working at home, or caring for kids no longer in school, it’s become more common to take walks around the neighborhood. I have met several neighbors on those walks I had never met while working downtown every day (with errands, exercise, or evening commitments after). I see these as providential meetings with people that God wants me to continue befriending.
This is important not just in the short run, but because this virus may have long-term implications for our country and economy. This crisis is opening an opportunity to introduce others to eternal hope when hope placed in worldly things has been shaken.
The body of Christ is the only group on the planet that can do that. I thank God for the new opportunities he has opened for those through this crisis.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/evgenyatamanenko
2. Prioritizing Spiritual and Emotional Health over Social Media
I want to continue using newly available time for spiritual growth and relationships ahead of the media, social media, and entertainment.
For the past few years, I have been fortunate to have mornings available for prayer and devotions. Working at home has now opened at least an additional hour every day because I’m not commuting.
I have tried to invest this new time to deepen my relationship with Christ, pray with others over Zoom and phone, reach out regularly to those most affected by the crisis, and support ministries who support people out of work because of the pandemic. I’ve also been in more regular contact with out-of-town family. All of these are new priorities on how I use my time that I want to continue.
But to do that, I’ve also had to resist the siren call of entertainment, incessant news, and social media, limiting those to one or two hours per day if I can. For families and all of us, it’s a great opportunity to invest more time face-to-face and less time face-to-Facebook (though the latter, if used carefully, can also help us keep in touch with others).
Families that normally have children in school, with parents now working at home, have been challenged by an over-abundance of human contact. For those of us living and working alone, the social isolation has been hard (especially for extraverts like me).
But that challenge has also provided the blessing of accepting more alone time, and the challenge of using it well. This is a great opportunity for each of us to use some of this forced down-time to draw closer to Christ, and to each other even if by phone or Facetime. I want to keep that up as much as possible, even if I return to work in an office setting.
3. Having Less ‘Stuff’
Having uncluttered my closets, I want to keep them that way.
With added time to clean and purge a home, I bet many of us have been surprised to find things we bought and forgot. With those things gone and space opened, I plan to be much more careful making clothing or other purchases.
This crisis is a tremendous reminder that in eternity, all we will have is what we have given away. We need to live like that, and give like that, and not just during a crisis.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Daisy
4. Giving More Sacrificially
Jesus was clear that we are simply stewards of what he entrusts to us (Matthew 25:14-29). But we have grown accustomed to seeing our possessions as ours, not his, after we give to church or charities. In truth, all our resources and our very selves belong to him and should be offered back to him. (Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Corinthians 10:26; Romans 12:1).
Sacrificial giving is not commanded in Scripture, but it is always commended. Jesus praised a poor widow who gave only a small amount, but it was “all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4). The Macedonian churches gave generously out of great poverty (8:7-15).
Voluntary and joyful giving of that kind is encouraged (2 Corinthians 9:6-7) and now is needed more than ever. That goes for local needs and those overseas, where countries already poor are now hit with the virus.
This crisis provides another potential blessing to give sacrificially. That is a blessing we can share with others with or without a crisis to prompt us.
5. Remaining Thankful in All Circumstances, including These
One of the more important habits I’ve cultivated during this crisis is to give thanks regularly for the many blessings I do have, even when I often lack company and conveniences that I had before. “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Paul wrote this to Christians who were facing persecution, something he faced time and time again in his ministry. What better time than now to put this verse to practice on a daily basis.
I hope these ideas have been constructive. Every challenge God allows into our lives provides an opportunity for us to serve and grow. May he help us seize those opportunities now and in the days ahead.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/jacoblund
Steve Hall is an attorney who works in Richmond, Virginia. He is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the University of Virginia School of Law. He also leads a nonprofit ministry, Joseph’s Way (www.josephsway.org), that since 2012 has been helping families and churches prepare for emergencies, financial crises, and legal challenges to the Christian faith, in ways that equip them to serve others during a crisis.
3 Poignant Lessons My Son Taught Me During Quarantine
- Jaime Jo Wright
- Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
It was week number three of my quarantine. Unlike many, being shut in my house was anything but a quest to find something to do. I am the Director of HR & Org Development in an essential company. My days were ten hours of Zoom calls, slogging through fast-changing benefits, laws, mandates.
Taking calls from employees who begged to be furloughed, begged to not lose hours, begged to stay working, begged to be sent home. It was impossible to quell everyone’s fears, and it was super difficult to maintain an upbeat front so the company didn’t spiral into mass panic.
I was sitting at my desk in our basement. My fluffy, white Flame Point Siamese cat was biting my toes. My coffee was cold. I had just finished one Zoom meeting and was taking a quick breather before hitting the link for the next one.
My office door burst open. Big brown eyes. Eight year-old exuberance. Cell phone in hand.
“MOM! I got Baby Luigi on Mario Kart!”
I confess. I stared at him, for a long, silent moment and then with all the lackluster gusto of a pandemic burnt-out mom, I responded. “Oh. Yay.”
It doesn’t really matter if you understand what Mario Kart is, or who Baby Luigi is. What’s important to note, is this was something my son had been working on for some time.
Leveling up in a game, per se. At the moment, video games were the lowest of the low on my priority list and akin to parental embarrassment since Mario was spending more time with my son than I was.
“You need to go now, Buddy. I’ve got another call,” was my response.
His reply was stunning. “Don’t you want to play Mario Kart with me?”
Why was it stunning? Because in that moment, I realized Mario Kart had something to teach me. So did my son.
While the pandemic was stealing our health, our peace of mind, our routines, our jobs, our finances, and our sanity, my son was uncovering treasures.
I couldn’t put aside my Zoom call. I mean, it was work after all. But I did promise to link up my phone and have a Mario Kart race later that day. I’d never played it before. He talked me into a slumber party too.
So at 7:30 pm, I set aside work, dishes, and deadlines to settle into bed next to a pajama clad kid and his cell phone.
That night, he taught me these 3 things about a pandemic:
1. The Blessing of Time
It wasn’t so much that I downloaded the app to my phone and proceeded to kick his pants with my Mario to his Luigi. It was the absolute awe and wonder in his eyes.
Frankly, his pride as he turned to me and breathed, “Momma! You actually know how to play a video game?” Thanks to COVID, this was something I was trapped into doing, per se. A slumber party mid-week over a phone app featuring little men in race cars? Never would’ve happened without Covid-19.
Instead, we would have shuttled the boy to bed by 7:30 with promises of school, homework, and karate lessons the next day. But instead, my boy was looking at me and my trigger-finger, video game playing, mad-skills, with absolute astonishment.
“You know, Momma,” he said, “we should have slumber parties more often and play Mario Kart.” For all the hate we give video games and pandemics, they do have a way of blessing us with unexpected time.
2. The Blessing of Bond
My son is snuggler. You could never spend an ounce of time with him, buy him anything, or tell him how great he is, but if you denied him a snuggle, he might self-implode.
That night, over Mario Kart, my son taught me to not only play Mario Kart one-handed, but that time spent together snuggled close, was better than anything else we could have thought to do. After a few rounds, his phone slowly lowered and he looked up at me and smiled. “Mmmm, Momma,” he snuggled, “I love you.”
And he watched me play Mario Kart, as he hugged my arm and shouted at my phone. The moment was too precious for him to let go of me. The bond is too close to destroy. For all the hate we give video games and pandemics, they do have a way of bonding us closer because we’re urged into being snugglers.
3. The Blessing of Sleep
After a bit, my son started to fade. It was 8:30 pm and I was wide awake, but for the sake of my child who needs thirteen hours of sleep a night, I turned out the lamp, rolled over and said “nite, Buddy.”
Then commenced the wriggling. The wiggling. The trying to find the perfect position. He found it… One leg thrown over my waist. His one arm tucked under my neck. His face on my pillow, his nose almost touching mine.
In the dark, I opened my eyes and could barely see him opening his in return. “I love you, Momma,” said my little snuggle bug, even though he’d already said it a little bit before. “Love you too, Buddy,” I responded. And his eyes closed and he was asleep. Just like that.
Peacefully wrapped around his mother, all gangly arms and legs, still little boy, but growing toward a little man. These moments would be scarce in the months to come and sooner rather than later, non-existent. I watched him until my own eyes grew heavy, and by 8:45 pm, I’d passed out into dreamland. For all the hate we give pandemics, they do have a way of bringing us into a restful sleep.
Togetherness. That quiet peace of being family, being safe, being asleep.
Photo Credit: ©Getty/MoMo-Productions
Slow Down, and Notice What You Never Have Before
You see, my son taught me that for all the hustle and bustle of life, even in a pandemic with a mandatory stay-at-home order, we can bring that hustle and bustle with us. Or, we can count our blessings.
New ones, old familiar ones, maybe ones we just never noticed before. When God says “Be still and know that I am God”, there’s something else that goes unspoken but hand in hand with that declaration. To be still and to know He is God, means giving up control.
It means, stopping. Breathing deep. Allowing our faith to grow stronger and more vibrant than ever before. In that, we can see things we may never have noticed. The positive sides to video games, the benefits of a pandemic, the quiet wonderment of a little boy who just wants to spend time with his momma.
My son taught me what I think God has been trying to teach me for some time. Stop. Just stop. Look around. See what God has done, is doing, and will do. Embrace the little moments that for you may at first, seem like an interruption.
View them through the eyes of a child and witness the wonderment, the treasure of the moment. A moment we would never have had were it not for the opportunity to be still, to lay aside our burdens on the One who can carry them without worry, and to just snuggle, just sleep, and just totally break records on Mario Kart.
The following morning, I woke up with a long list of things to do. I also decided it was still going to be there in an hour, and if I completed it immediately, more would just be added. I could run in a wheel like a hamster, or I could hop off and see what else the pandemic stay-at-home had to offer.
So we raced up the stairs–my son won that one–we ate glazed doughnuts like the naughty souls we are. I made him hot chocolate at 8 am. Then we pulled out coloring books and colored them.
I also took a work call while we did it. He understood and kept throwing me silly faces to try to make me laugh. But together–together–we lived another day in a pandemic world. Because sometimes, what an eight-year-old can teach through their actions and expectations, is more beneficial than any online meeting.
So as we come out of a pandemic, as we re-enter the world, the routine, the chaos, what have you been able to learn during this season? We hadn’t expected it. But it’s an opportunity to find out what might be important to you.
Have you retreated and found more rest by searching the pages of the Word? Has family time become more precious, or friends more dear? Did the little things suddenly become more important and did you find things to be more grateful for?
I think, if we’re honest, we all had someone teach us something during this pandemic. The important thing is that we don’t un-learn it. That we don’t go back to what we were, but we move forward now with who we are. I know I will. I have a Mario Kart date tonight with a little brown-eyed boy, and I have no intentions of missing it.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Bruno Nascimento
Jaime Jo Wright is the winner of the Christy, Carol, Daphne du Maurier, and INSPY Awards. She’s also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of three novellas. Jaime works as a human resources director in Wisconsin, where she lives with her husband and two children.
Yes, even this. He uses all things for good.
Everything God does is for our good. ~ Rebecca Smith, A Better Life
The Key to a Life Full of Abundance and Surprise and Peace
Rebecca Smith, A Better Life
Every time I looked at my left hand, it felt empty without that beautiful diamond ring we had picked out.
I felt as if I had nothing left. God had stripped away the very thing I had been working so hard for. We were almost there. We had almost made it. And then it was all gone.
I set aside some of those hurt feelings and the anger I felt at God and lay down on the nappy carpet of my California apartment. I knew that when times got really tough, we should cry out to God. So I picked up my Bible off my bedside table and started reading. Daily.
The more I read the stories of people in the Bible going on big journeys and being asked to do really big things, the more I saw them move when God said move and wait when God said wait. But they weren’t always good at knowing the difference, and sometimes they moved when God said wait and waited when God said move. But I could see that good things happened when they listened to God. And bad things happened when they didn’t.
Maybe I needed to do this too — listen to what God’s direction was for my life before charging ahead full speed or trying to change course to feel more comfortable. I wanted to call Neil back and tell him that I had made a mistake in breaking up, that we could remain together while he did some deep soul-searching about his future. I wanted to move, chase after Neil, and get that dream of being married back on the table.
Instead, I got really quiet and tried to listen for God’s direction. When I read about God’s promise to the currently barren Sarah and Abraham that they would have generations of children, I heard “wait.” After reading about Daniel in the pit with the lions yet remaining untouched, I heard “stand down.” I heard “keep your hands off” when God instructed His people not to touch the Ark of the Covenant as they carried it through the desert and into the land promised to them. When the Ark started to wobble because the oxen carrying it stumbled, a man reached out to steady it — ultimately touching the ark — and he was struck down dead.
I felt a parent’s angst and heartbreak as a father ran after Jesus, upset that his daughter was dying, knowing that Jesus could save her. Instead of rushing to heal the girl, Jesus lingered a few more days, and I heard “I know it doesn’t look like it, but I’ve got this in My control.” It seemed obvious that God was telling me to keep my hands at my sides. I shouldn’t touch the situation and try to make it work out in my favor. I should leave it alone and watch Him move the pieces around the chessboard to make everything still work out in my favor. After all,
These two commands — “stand down,” coming from God, and “charge forward,” coming from me — were at war with each other.
Have you been there too? The seas are raging, and your boat is rocking. This boat you built for yourself was supposed to take you to where you wanted to be — where your dreams lived. Dreams of getting married, being a mom, earning the degree, retiring early. But then a storm hits out of nowhere. He calls and breaks up with you. You struggle to get pregnant. You unexpectedly fail the last class you need to graduate. You lose your job two years before you’d planned to retire. You couldn’t have seen any of it coming, but the clouds have rolled in, and the hail is hitting hard. This sudden storm in the middle of the journey was not in the plan, and now your boat is rocking out of control.
We don’t like it, of course. No one likes being out in the open ocean in the middle of a storm. It’s tempting to ask God why He would let us be on this boat in the first place. What kind of God would allow His child to experience such a storm?
We look for where Jesus is amid this storm and, just as the disciples did in Matthew 8:24, we see Him sleeping. Sleeping! Can you believe it? How could he be sleeping?
It’s incomprehensible that anyone could sleep through the thunder and the waves and the rain. But He is. And since He is, it must mean that we need to fix everything ourselves because it doesn’t look as if He’s going to do anything about it. But here’s what we miss when the waves are billowing up over the edge of the boat and drenching us as we hold on to the sides with all our might.
This rocking boat in the middle of the storm is not out of control at all. It’s completely within His control. Completely.
The infertility you are walking through is not unseen. God continues to hold you in the palms of His hands, using this experience to create a future and a family for you. The financial hardship you are facing isn’t a surprise to God. He has not forgotten you and may be using this time to remind you that He does provide for all our needs. Your dreams of being married before you turned thirty were not wrong or embarrassing even as you round the corner to thirty-five. God is still working and orchestrating events in your favor. And the job you lost that seemed to mess up all future plans and paths that you worked so hard for? Maybe it’s a redirection into something better and more suited for your life.
He uses all things for good. Even this.
At this point in my own storm, I had to ask myself what I was going to do. Was I going to try to calm this storm on my own? Was I going to wake Jesus up with fits of screaming and terror? Was I going to reach out and try to steady the situation around me — even though God had already told me to keep my hands off it? Was I going to call on Jesus because I knew that with two words — be still — He could calm the storm raging around me as well as the storm in my heart?
I knew it was not my responsibility to convince Neil that we were to be married. It was not my job to orchestrate events and situations so that I would win in the end. At this point, the only directive I was hearing when I slowed down to listen was “keep your hands off.” Every sermon I heard and every Bible story I read seemed to tell me to stand down, to wait it out.
The circumstances of my life were not how I wanted them. But I wasn’t in charge of changing that.
Neil had made a decision, and while I wanted to convince him of why he was wrong and how amazing it would be to be married, I knew I couldn’t. I went about my life. I moved to Georgia, started my fifth-grade teaching position, and learned the ins and outs of the mind of a ten-year-old. I spent time in Bible studies and learning how to read my Bible and get something out of it. I made new friends and went to movies. Life went on while I waited for Neil’s heart to change. Either his would change, or mine would. And it wasn’t my place to change either of them. My only job was to follow God, to listen carefully to His whispers and His directions, and to do what they told me. I was in charge only of my obedience.
Sure, sometimes we need to step in and take action. But most of the time — especially for those of us with controlling tendencies — I think we will find that the best plan of action is to stand down. If your husband loses his job, don’t hop right on Craigslist and apply for every position you find without even pausing. If your house seems dirty, don’t neglect time spent playing board games with your kids to instead take a toothbrush to the baseboards. If your bank account seems low, don’t rush off to take out a second mortgage on your house or sell your grandmother’s diamonds. Just stand down for a second. Take a breath. And wait for direction.
In my own situation with Neil, thinking about all that scrambling to pick up the pieces of something that seemed to be falling apart left me with a sense of anxiety, unease, and exhaustion. And I was tired of that. I wanted to try God’s way. I was going to wait and listen.
I wasn’t going to make a dramatic effort to convince Neil to change his mind. And I wasn’t going to jump right back into the dating scene in search of another potential husband who could help me get my wedding dreams back on track. I wasn’t going to touch the crumbling mess falling down around me. I wasn’t going to move. I would wait with my hands in the air and my feet firmly planted — a stance of surrender and worship.
I wasn’t going to do anything except wait.
This practice of standing down and letting God walk before me was the first time in my life that I heard an almost audible command from Him to keep my hands off. But it wouldn’t be the last. It was the first in a long string of commands to step back and away from what He was trying to do. God had some big and exciting adventures planned that He knew I would love, and He didn’t need me to get in the way of making them happen. “Stand down” became a life lesson I would carry with me for the next fifteen years. Even if my boat started rocking and Jesus seemed to be sleeping through the storm, I still was not supposed to touch anything — unless He told me to.
Despite taking a hands-off approach, I realized my dreams were not at stake. They were not at risk of being lost. Just the opposite.
Dreams are best positioned for success when I listen to the directives of my Father and obey.
My obedience is what I’m in charge of, not anything else. God whispers, “This way,” and I follow. He whispers, “Stay still,” and I don’t move. I’ve realized through this waltz of moving and swaying and standing that God was then — and is today — orchestrating a wonderful and beautiful and amazing path to my dreams and desires. Sometimes I had no idea where we were going, and I often ended up in places that never in my wildest dreams I thought I’d be. But in all of it, He is good. Following God rather than asking Him to follow me might actually be the key to a life full of abundance and surprise and peace.
Excerpted with permission from A Better Life by Rebecca Smith, copyright Rebecca Smith.
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Your Turn
Has life thrown you a curveball? Does it seem like Jesus may have fallen asleep in the storm? He’s still in control. Not us. Not. Us. Just obey, sister! Come share your thoughts with us on our blog. We want to hear from you about following His lead. ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full
It’s time to DREAM BIG again!
So, what do you want? I mean, what do you really, really, really want? Get it out there. — Bob Goff, Dream Big
What Do You Want?
by Bob Goff, from Dream Big
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Trade what is simply available for what will truly last.
When I was in junior high school, I went with my parents to Hawaii. I was immediately smitten. Blue skies, crystal-clear water, white sand beaches, chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, and shaved ice with rainbow-colored syrup. My ambition at thirteen years old was to someday get a small place on the water in Hawaii. It seemed doable enough, right? I mean, how many puka shells could a beach house cost anyway? When I grew up, sadly, I found out how much a small place on the water in Hawaii costs: slightly more than a ship full of hundred-dollar bills.
Our dreams are birthed in childlike innocence, but as we grow up we discover more information that can be a buzzkill to our ambitions.
When I found out what a small place on the water actually cost, I wondered if I should abandon this dream. This is something we each decide at some point. We have an ambition and then face the headwinds that discouragement and reality and failure bring our way. That’s when we need to decide if our ambition is still worth it.
It turns out millions of dollars will only get you a surf shack a block from the water in Hawaii. At the time, I didn’t have ten bucks. You’ll need to decide what you’re going to do when you get some reality pushback on your dreams. If the front door is locked, you can walk away or look for a window that’s ajar to crawl through. Some of your ambitions are going to take time or a little creativity to figure out. Don’t quit on them. Wake up to new ways to get there, then do what it takes so you’re ready when your time comes.
While a small home in the Hawaiian Islands will always be out of reach for me, a small boat wasn’t. There aren’t many marinas in Hawaii, and the few that are there don’t have many slips. But get this — I found out that it was possible to rent a small boat slip for two hundred dollars a month if one became available. So I got on the waiting list at a marina in Honolulu. It’s a pretty long list. I’ve been on it for over two decades now and guess what? I’m only two dead people from the top, and I’ll have my small place on the water in Hawaii. Your ambitions are worth all the attention you’re willing to give them. Be patient. Get creative. Give it some time. If you can’t buy the house, get on the waiting list for the slip.
So, what do you want? I mean, what do you really, really, really want? Get it out there.
It’s not like you’re removing your own appendix to say it; it’s just not that hard to speak the words, and it will take less gauze. Get a starter list going. We’ll revisit it later and build it out with more focus and intention. If you want a convertible Porsche, don’t say you want world peace. Just get real about it. Wherever you are right now, just shout out as loudly as you can, “I want a Porsche!” You’re not trying out for Miss America, and nobody is going to give you a crown and a bouquet of flowers for saying you want to end world hunger if you don’t. Don’t pretend to be noble. Be real and it will be the most noble thing you’ll do all year. Trust me, heaven will be doing cartwheels if you will finally get real about what you really want.
What do you want for your life? If you’re like me, you want love, joy, happiness, meaning, purpose, and a more courageous faith. The trick to finding these things is discovering what ambitions you already have that will lead to them.
Guess what? For years you’ve already been quietly curating your life without knowing it. You know what works and what doesn’t. What lights you up and what bums you out. What lasts and what disappears. We need to figure out what you’ve come up with so far so we can figure out what to do next. Trust what you’ve learned already; let it be your Sherpa.
Once again, the best engine to drive our ambitions is a strong sense of purpose. There’s nothing really important about the vacation or the new pair of kicks or the convertible. These are things we might want for a time and might even enjoy for a while. They’re the short game though. Don’t confuse them with your ambitions. The long game is where your best ambitions reside. When you think you’ve found an ambition you want, figure out why you want it and whether you want it badly enough to do what it takes to get it.
We’re all looking for meaning, but it’s often lost behind a hedge of distractions, hurts, and disappointments. Figure out what these have been for you. Merely existing doesn’t satisfy most of us, so we pursue inputs that ultimately distract us from our lack of direction. At some point, though, even the distractions aren’t enough. Or someone else screws it up for us, and we end up wounded and lost again. The fix isn’t easy, but it’s this simple: We need to replace what we’ve settled for with what we’ve been longing for. We need to find ambitions worthy of our time and the effort it will take to pursue them.
For some, tremendous purpose will be found in a deeper expression of their faith. For others, it will be the accumulation of wealth or notoriety or adventure. Do whatever blows your hair back if you’re playing the short game. If you’re in it for the long haul and want to live a life steeped in purpose, a better long-term approach is to figure out who you want to be and let that inform what you do.
Don’t settle for what you’re simply able to do; figure out what you were made to do, then do lots of that.
As we get into the process of identifying and working toward your ambitions, don’t be too hard on yourself, okay? Going under the ice cap is hard work. It can get cold and lonely down there. Getting real is hard work too. If it were easy, you would have been there and back a dozen times already. Just ask Pinocchio. His ambition was to become less wooden and more real. It didn’t happen overnight or without a couple of setbacks and a lot of wood shavings. Rather than lie about it and have your nose grow, get real and watch your faith explode.
A long time ago, a friend told me there’s a difference between whittling and carving. One is just killing time, the other is laden with purpose. Keep carving. Engage the process; don’t stifle it. Go ahead and want the corndog and the surfboard and the date to prom. There is absolutely nothing inherently wrong with wanting those things. Just be sure they’re not the only ambitions you have. Take a look at what Jesus had on His list of ambitions and lift a few onto yours. His list wasn’t very long, but it changed the world forever. He was a master at choosing ambitions that were worth it.
Get this. His ambition was you. It was everyone else He created too. He made us with eternity in mind, sure, but also for tomorrow and the next day and the next, filled with touching lives with incredible intentionality. Identify what has captured your attention and what has distracted you. Fill your days with dozens of small, intentional acts of love. Take note of those ambitions you already have that Jesus also demonstrated and move them higher on your list.
God made us to enjoy each other and to reflect Him, and He derives tremendous joy when He sees us pursuing our unique desires with the skill sets He put in our individual tool boxes. I’m not really sure where He stands on corndogs, but I know He’s inviting us into lives that are more expansive and expressive, more loving and unselfish. He wants us to reflect His character in what we want and have these desires dwarf anything else that gets in the way. I’m certain He’s not asking you to mimic someone else’s ideas, desires, and dreams. Sure, be inspired by the lives other people are living and riff on them if it helps you get clarity, but as Sweet Maria tells me all the time (and as we’ll discuss later), keep your eyes on your own paper.
So, let me ask you again. What do you want? Jesus asked people what they wanted all the time. He didn’t have problems with the people who messed up grappling with the issues in their lives; He didn’t like it when people faked it. If you find yourself tempted to be artificial or disingenuous, find a new way to deal with your insecurity. Bite your tongue, swallow a goldfish, or shave off your eyebrows if you need to, but break the cycle. Look at Jesus. He surrounded Himself with disciples who couldn’t get the nets on the right side of the boat most of the time. At times they had desires that must have seemed superficial at best. But Jesus was kind, direct, and never mean to them.
When you’re real and authentic with Him, He won’t beat you up when you mess up because He’s embarrassed by you; He’ll embrace you because He loves you.
Remember the passage in the Bible where the blind man called out to Jesus so he could be healed? Jesus’ friends tried to help out by telling the man to stop yelling, but the blind man just yelled even louder. Maybe you should do the same if people have been trying to get you to quiet down about your ambitions. Quit whispering them to yourself and, instead, start shouting them into the world. Jesus asked the blind guy the same question He asks all of us every day. “What do you want me to do for you?” The answer must have seemed pretty obvious to the blind guy. But just like God in the garden with Adam and Eve, I don’t think Jesus needed to hear the answer. He wanted to make sure the blind guy was clear on his ambitions and knew what he wanted more than anything else. He wants the same thing from you too.
Where the story gets good is when the blind guy tells Jesus his deepest desire. “Rabbi, I want to see.” I can imagine him saying this with pleading, outstretched arms. Jesus wants the same for you — to gain more clarity on your faith, relationships, and what He uniquely made you for. He wants you to really see. Quit merely asking for thicker glasses when Jesus has invited us to climb up on His shoulders for a better view.
Excerpted with permission from Dream Big by Bob Goff, copyright Bob Goff.
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Your Turn
What do you want? As Bob would ask, what blows your hair back? Better yet, what were you made to do? Come share with us on our blog! We want to know what your deepest desires are! What would make your story good? ~ Devotionals Daily
Daily Devotion
Passing On Our Faith
“I have been reminded of your sincere faith which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
Dear Lord, may I be cognizant of those in my sphere of influence. May I “walk the talk” so that I can pass on my faith. Amen
Dose of Devotion 