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The Truth About God and Your Emptiness in Life
The first red-winged blackbird appeared from out of the pasty white sky on a Sunday, and we marveled at the feeder like we’d never seen such a miracle. We were at the end of a season when all the emptiness in life had us feeling poured out. It’s funny how the normal can become a miracle when everything else has been stripped away. It’s funny how the once-expected rain can become a phenomenon after a season of drought. In the aftermath of the longest kind of winter season, that first red-winged blackbird looked something like a scarlet-caped wonder. In the aftermath of a never-ending night, just a little flicker of…
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3 Ways to Draw Close to God When You’re Weary and Worn
I’m feeling weary and burdened as we make the long walk to the end of the driveway to wait for the school bus. I know my soul longs to draw close to God. Sadly, setting aside the time feels like work, and work is what’s worn me thin. Ann Voskamp’s words pass through my mind: “It’s never the things you carry that hurt you, but how you carry those things.” Meanwhile, when I’m honest with myself and with God, there are times when it feels like I’m carrying an unbearably heavy load, and there’s no way this load could do anything other than crush me. Truth to Help You Draw…
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I Am Tired, God: Encouragement for Exhausting Seasons
The evening sky is graying with dusk, and your feet are weary from a full day of living in the thick of your calling. You’re ready for the needy people to head home so you can do the same—so you can take a long break from life and this world with its incessant demands. “I am tired, God,” you whisper. “Please carry me.” Most of us have been here. It might be the classroom where you invest your time teaching young people. Maybe it’s the house where the children rule the schedule, including when you will eat, sleep, and even shower. Perhaps it’s the quiet cubicle where you spend the…
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How to Feel Your Feelings but Stand on the Truth
She pedals alongside me on her purple princess bike as I push her cheese-curl-munching brother in the faded brown stroller. I have no idea she’s about to teach me a very grown-up lesson about how to feel your feelings. Little ones seem to have a way of imparting life lessons without knowing it. “I’ve decided not to let myself miss Daddy today,” she says. Her dad has been out of town for work for three days, and we have three more to go. “Why’s that?” I probe. “When I let myself miss him, it just ruins the day. I was sad all day yesterday, so I’ve decided not to be…
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A Refiner’s Fire Story and a Prayer for the Fires of Life
The snow outside was knee-deep when I counted the days and realized I hadn’t left the house in 28 days. I was living out my own version of the refiner’s fire story. The refining fire was burning away the dross in my life, and it hurt. I’ll share my story from the fire shortly. First, let’s visit the refiner’s fire story as we consider the various fires we face. The Refiner’s Fire Story The refiner’s fire story shares the story of a group of women who were studying the book of Malachi. They came upon Malachi 3:3, which reads, “He will be like a refiner and purifier of silver; He…
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To the Mom Who Is Barely Hanging on
I drove past you in the dusky light this evening. You looked like you were barely hanging on. With an infant strapped to your chest, the handle of a stroller in your left hand, and the leash of your small and energetic dog nearly yanking your right shoulder out of the socket, your face said it all. Your face told me that you’re barely hanging on. I wonder if you were stuck in the house all day. Maybe the walls started closing in, and you grew weary from changing diapers and cleaning up the same fifteen toys a dozen times. You were barely hanging on, and you needed some fresh…
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How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough
The maples were speckled with tangerine hues when the long season began. I didn’t know what the months ahead might hold. I was in the middle of a rugged stretch of roadway, and the tunnel ahead looked long. Where do you turn when the going gets tough and you’re not sure how to gut it out? When the Going Gets Tough I was trudging forward on an autumn day, and I stumbled into the following words: “He (Jesus) learned obedience from what he suffered . . .” (Hebrews 5:8 NIV). I stopped in my tracks. I’d never noticed these words, and maybe you haven’t either. Jesus, the King of kings,…
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10 Anchoring Bible Verses for Uncertainty in Life
Somewhere along the blurred line between the lush days of summer and the frosty mornings of autumn, I stared out the window and realized we were stepping into an uncertain future. I’m a planner, and the uncertainty threatened to make me come unglued. I needed to find some anchoring Bible verses for uncertainty. 10 Bible Verses for Uncertainty Opening my Bible, I began my search. As I scanned the pages, I considered my tendency to cling to control. I reminded myself that my loving heavenly Father holds all things together, and he never worries about my uncertain future. An Uncertain Future You might be facing an uncertain future as well.…
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Overcome Anxiety With God: 6 Steps to Help You
I sit beneath the hemlocks while my little boy throws rocks into the water. I’m thankful we have a place to slip away from the demands of our days. Today, I’m desperate to overcome anxiety with God in this quiet moment by the water. A question comes to mind as I sit in the silence: Where does my life feel out of control? When I feel like I have a grip on my life, peace reigns. However, when my house is a mess, my schedule is overbooked, my kids are disobeying me, and my career feels uncertain, anxiety creeps in. Not long ago, a friend looked into my eyes and…
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5 Unexpected Things God Is Doing When You Are Suffering
The maples tower grey and unclothed in the valley behind the house. This place looks nothing like the lush sanctuary that enveloped me in its arms two months ago. It’s surprising how your world can flip upside down in what feels like a breath, especially when you are suffering. This season has not come easily here. It has not met our expectations. Some of our dreams have come to life, and some have fallen apart. It’s not always easy to sense God’s presence when you are suffering. But faith isn’t about feeling; it’s about believing what we cannot see. I wonder if you’ve walked through a similar season of your…
