God’s future work

We’ve been talking about being thankful for the day. And thankful for things that happened long ago. And, I hope you found at least one thing from you past that you could identify where God was working in and through it all. Since we know God does all kinds of things and weaves them all together in a very personal way,

So, let’s offer up thanksgiving for the work God will be doing. Think 5, 10, 20, 40 years into the future. It could be in our lives but it can also be in the lives of our family and others we hold dear — friends, children, nieces/nephews, cousins, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I call this “Praying Forward” and it is a great opportunity to think in a bit bigger way.

We know God is working now. We know He has been working through the years of our life. And we know He will continue working through our lives. But, we also know that all of what God is doing is much bigger than us and God has always been working — through the generations. And, He will continue to do that.

I pray you look forward and trust God with your future. There surely will be difficult times because this is life on Earth. But may you trust God as He weaves it all together.

Thank you, Lord, for bringing me to this time. I entrust my future to You. And I entrust my people to You. Help my steps today reflect that trust. Help me “Pray Forward” even though I don’t know the details of the future. What I do know is that You are there!

Taking a look back

Sometimes our thankfulness has us in the present, which is great, But, for today, I encourage you to also reach back and consider those people and circumstances you can give thanks for in your earlier years.

I will tell you a one of mine:

My mom was pretty frustrated with church politics so there were a number of years when we weren’t in a regular, healthy, Christian congregation. My brother was an organist and started working at a Lutheran church. He needed some more singers for the choir and he invited me to come and help. I was about 12 years old at the time. I joined the youth group and confirmation classes and became a very active member of the church. My mom supported me, but she did not regularly attend. I was never shamed or questioned about my mom’s lack of involvement. And, when my brother took another organist job somewhere else, I stayed at that church and found my way there for almost every service. That church welcomed, embraced, supported, and loved my awkward teenage self. And, believe me, I was sorting through lots of things during that time. That congregation held onto me, steady as ever.

I have come to realize that not many congregations are like that. What a blessing to have been in that place at that time. How God orchestrated all that, I will never know. Why I even mattered that much to Him still amazes me. And for all of that, I am thankful. God provided for me in some amazing ways and I hold onto that, knowing His love and care for me has not lessened.

I pray that you have at least one powerful example of God’s love, care, protection, or provision in your life. It is worth remembering those times because they remind us what God does over time. Sometimes we are so used to immediate solutions that we don’t remember that God works over time.

May you be comforted and encouraged by God’s provision in your younger days and look to Him with anticipation for your future.

The gift of today

None of us know how today will unfold. But that does not negate the fact that today is a gift. In fact, let’s get a jump start on appreciating this day!

As soon as you can, take stock in the gifts of today. List as many as you can — from sunshine to spring rains to fluffy cats to food in the refrigerator to dishes in the sink. I would love to see your list! Post a few things in the comments so I can be encouraged by your perspective.

Sometimes we get caught up in only mentioning the “big stuff” we are thankful for. It is easy to forget those things that are commonplace or expected.

For example, I am thankful we have running water and a washer and dryer for our clothes. I appreciate having those helpers around so I don’t have to go down to the creekside and wash my clothes and trudge back to the house with wet clothes to hang on a line. Line dried clothes are amazing — but the handwashing routine is not what I am used to. I know, I have grown up with too many conveniences!

I am thankful that God placed me into this time. But, I pray I would have been a thankful person at any place in the timeline of the world. My circumstances are not where my joy is found.

Praise be to the Lord,
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:6-7 NIV

Heavy

2024 seems to be a challenge year for a lot of people.

Back in early January I asked a friend how things were going in her world and she answered, “Heavy.” Yesterday, I was visiting with a neighbor who is feeling the weight of several situations.

The burdens are all around us!

I think it is important to acknowledge the challenges we are facing. We don’t need to pretend things are all hippy skippy. But, when things are heavy, it weighs us down. And that makes slogging through the day more difficult.

Recognizing my limitations is so helpful during these times. God does not expect me to be a hero. He doesn’t expect me to “save” all the situations. But He does ask me to bring all these burdens and difficulties to him. He wants me to share my heart. He wants to share the load. And He wants us to trust that He is working things out.

Yes, we know people can make choices that will damage others and as we watch those decisions play out it is painful. We might be living with or ministering to the person who is left living with the challenging situation. How can we bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted?

We cannot. Only the Lord can.

He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 NIV

There are many brokenhearted all around us. And sometimes we are the ones who are crushed in spirit. Ask God to refresh and renew your perspective today. Ask Him to send some respite and relief. Thank Him for anything you can muster up the energy to be thankful for.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 NIV

As you move through your day, keep an eye open for those who are struggling. Pray for them. Offer to pray with them. Consider lending a hand to help them move through their circumstance with a loving friend. We can only pour into others what has been poured into us. Ask Jesus to fill you so you can be available for others.

Adjusting

Have you ever had your life turn upside down with little warning?

Honestly, having a warning doesn’t really seem to help anyway. It’s all hard. It could be a death, a debilitating illness, a job loss, a change in schools, a new boss or _________________________ (fill in the blank.)

How we adjust to what is in front of us is important. And we cannot expect to always do it with finesse.

How do you typically respond to a big change that isn’t welcome? In my younger years, I was quite reactionary. I dwelled, I stewed, and I was very verbal about all of my processing. As time has marched forward and I have encountered more difficult situations, I have learned how to pace my response. It doesn’t mean I don’t feel my feelings (anger, frustration, disappointment, sadness, etc.) I do. But I have learned to pause. I don’t have to have an answer or solution immediately unless it is a 911 emergency. I can take the time to regroup. For me, the most essential way to adjust and calm my system down is to take time with God — not only at that time, but ahead of that time. The work before really paves the difficult roads to be a little calmer.

This isn’t to say there aren’t difficult days or the “Why God?” questions. Of course, there are. But I know God can handle all of those. And He knows that I want to see His work in difficult situations. I want to see the hope that He can show and the glimpses of good and beauty that can arise from dark days.

Loss is difficult — when we lose our place, our people, or our health it takes time to adjust. But there is no better place for me to go than to God to have my perspective adjusted. He always sees and knows the bigger picture. And as I try to sort out the incomprehensible things in my brain, He doesn’t expect me to understand it all. He simply asks that I lay these disappointments at His feet and that I follow Him for my next steps.

As I wake up each day, I ask God to be with me as I move through the day. Yes, I have a general plan, but I know that is just a plan. God is the one who really knows how the day will unfold and I trust Him to walk beside me every step of the way as I adjust to the situations that come my way.

We make our own plans, but the Lord decides where we will go. Proverbs 16:9 CEV

Whelmed

I am looking around at the situations of my loved ones and they are whelming and overwhelming. And, incidentally, they mean about the same thing — engulfed, buried, submerged.

The feeling of overwhelm is real. Even our circumstances can be so much it can sink us into inaction — a state of “I have no idea what to do” or reaction — a perpetual state of “Hurry! How can I fix this?”

Maybe you are in a good place at the moment. The sea of life is relatively calm and you are plugging away on your projects. That is certainly something to be thankful for!

Some days, if I consider the stresses of the ones I love and I look at the list I have set up for myself and I can get stuck in a place where I cannot do much. It is important for me to consider what is really necessary. Sometimes I can get myself moving with a “Can I just ___________________ ” (I fill in the blank with a small, easy project that gets me up and doing something).

But, my first course of action is to acknowledge my feelings and give them over to God. He sees and knows where I am emotionally, physically, and spiritually and He wants me to take a moment to see and know it, too. I am not meant to carry all these things that burden my heart. It is important to recognize them and do the thing I can do —

And then I look at what is on “the list” and I get started by going through it. There will always be more for tomorrow. The goal is not to beat myself up for what does not get done. I am such an over planner anyway. My lists are ambitious. I enjoy creating! But sometimes my heart is burden with the situations of the ones I love. Intercession is serious business, especially for someone who feels for others so strongly.

My overwhelm reminds me that I may have forgotten the first and most important task for the day — intercession for those who are on my heart.

Are you feeling overwhelmed today? You may find that sharing the burden with Jesus and interceding for the circumstance gives you some space and perspective. Acknowledging my feelings about difficult situations helps me relax a bit and, after a time, consider some helpful next steps. My next moves aren’t necessarily solutions, but they are ways I can extend care and love to others.

Reset

Today, I have been adjusting.

I was out of the country for the last 3 weeks and my internal clock is still not reset to Central Standard Time.

Many circumstances call for a rest and a reset. When it comes to a mind, heart, or soul reset, I know that God is capable. The question is, am I willing?

Sometimes I like to hang on to things that don’t do me any favors. Maybe it is a grudge, a slight, an annoyance that I keep alive. It certainly doesn’t serve me well. And it can not only put a wedge between me and the “offender” but also between me and God.

When I allow God’s Word and perspective to transform how I look at things, it resets all of me. So why is it I resist the reset? Why is if that I dig my heels in and justify myself? Why am I so stubborn?

Lord, reset my heart so I can see others through Your eyes.

Respecting Rest

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 NIV

Do you find yourself feeling guilty about resting? I find that my mind has been trained to think that rest is for the weak. I don’t always notice my own subtle thoughts along those lines but sometimes I hear them in conversations with others: “I slept in and was lazy today.” or “I feel lazy when I sit for just a few moments.”

Those with busier personalities may have a harder time with sitting still. And others of us may do a good job resting and recovering as they prepare for the next thing. Do you allow time for physical and emotional rest?

Not all situations are demanding physically. Some circumstances require heart and soul work, but they each use our energy. I am just thinking about regular life here — you know, when things seem to be ok. We are working and doing life and day-by-day things are going smoothly. But throw in something that is demanding either short term or long term and we will find we need even more rest.

If we are living and breathing life on this Earth, we will all experience something that is demanding and maybe even soul crushing. I pray that you are in regular communication with God before that happens. Or that you start resting in Him now. When we are weary and burdened He will give us rest. As we seek God’s will and wisdom for our circumstances, He will give us the rest we are desperate for.

Sit a while and consider His offer for rest. Rise refreshed with renewed strength for your day. Let Him carry you through your circumstances.

Mindful

I vacillate between being overly mindful and complete oblivious.

A little balance is in order here. I am not sure why I am in a state of feast of famine with my mindfulness. I surely can’t be mindful in every moment of every day. But there are rhythms and helpful habits I can build into my day that can help me be more mindful.

Time in God’s Word.

A weekly piece of Scripture to focus on.

Scriptural truths in my visual or auditory space.

Regular opportunities for prayer.

Setting aside regular time with God helps me be more mindful. Slowing down and allowing God access to those deeper parts of me requires my time and His patience.

What things should I set aside to make space for God’s work in my heart?

Present

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

My request list is rather long these days. I cannot fix any of the situations around me. I can only offer them up to God. But the people I love are in heavy times and it hurts my heart.

And then I remember — I can lay all of these things at Jesus’ feet. And trust that God will give me His perfect peace. This life isn’t always easy. And sometimes if I focus too far into the future, I find myself in a little bit of a panic.

How will this all play out?

Today I present my requests and pray that God will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.