Even when I suspect the worst and it turns out to be true, I will inevitably experience a wave of disappointment. If I give myself over to that wave, it will carry me out of God’s purpose and off to a place that is me-focused. That sea of selfishness is far from God’s best for my life. Instead allowing myself to be carried away, I handle disappointment best when I lift my voice to the Father and air my grievances upward. Crying out to heaven makes my soul stronger in the waves of sorrow, less susceptible to the drift of self-pity.
Tag: Purpose
This is a core memory for me. I was not quite four and certainly not allowed to sit in the beautiful pink velvet armchair that had belonged to my great-grandmother. I was pretty certain it was reserved for princesses; I had never seen another soul sit in said chair. Yet my mother had directed me and my brother to perch in the throne of pink velvet and I obliged. Then my baby sister was settled between us like sapphire in open prongs.
When it comes to personal horsepower, our minds and bodies only have so much. It seems we can spend our limited steam on worship or worry, but not both. One is productive, the other is destructive.
The church as a whole is distracted, distant and distraught. A global pandemic plus isolation plus rapid inflation has sent many folks into personal tailspins and the body of Christ is limping along severely dismembered.
Timothy’s personal history and personal sacrifice paved the way for an effective ministry.
Our weaknesses aren’t a surprise or even a disappointment to God. They are a reality that God has already factored into His perfect equation for the whole of humankind. He has accounted for our frailties. In His sovereignty, He has already made allowances and provisions and somehow incorporated our shortfalls into His larger, perfect story.
I often feel like my life looks different than others. Wind and drought have come with regular occurrence. In the past, I’ve been convinced that it’s a bad thing. Today I am realizing that God has designed me to withstand the conditions of my unique story.
We look at the Judas narrative and realize it takes great courage to return to the Savior, but that is where the power is.
“In a little while you won’t see Me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see Me again.” (John 16:16 NLT) What is a ‘little while’? It’s a question worth asking. When we consider a little while within the scope of eternity, we…
Just as the woodpecker was especially designed to drill into hardwood for it’s daily meals, we are designed to praise God. Our DNA is assembled to bring Him glory.