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the hidden life
Every dry season, every scathing wind that rips at us where we are most vulnerable, God uses to build our strength, to increase our perseverance and our faith in Him. I believe He allows us to go through periods of raw discomfort so that when the prophesied times of testing come, we will not be like “the colleagues who are spoiled for water.” We will not wither away because of a lack of strong roots. The dry, uncomfortable conditions of both daily life and seasons of life keep us digging deeper, spreading our roots deeper into the Rock who is our foundation.
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redeemed into Life
While I wish I could remember the sight of the exotic blooms that surely filled the greenhouse, or summon the warmth of the humid air that must’ve beaded droplets on the glass, all I really remember is the eternity I spent locked inside the metal and cement of a bathroom stall, sick to my stomach and aching for home.
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endurance and expectation
The world as we know it is being shaken. People are scared. But we know what comes next. We know there is Light to be had. We were rescued to give thanks and to triumph in His praise, so that hope is made known and that faith might spring from it to those around us.
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completely different
There is still pain in life. There is still sadness and heaviness. And even recently, in the dead of winter, I can find myself just wanting the sun to come, just wanting to smell the fresh air of spring, just wanting something new. I find myself feeling lonely and like I’m just going through the motions so much that I can often forget. I forget that God has already given me something new. I forget that I have access to that newness every single day.
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seeking renewal; pursuing peace
As a new year begins, I want to make it a practice to fill my mind and heart with all the things I have “learned and received and heard and seen” through the Word of God ... For we have been promised that if we “practice these things … the God of peace will be with [us].” Peace is such a rare and precious gift these days, as is knowing His constant presence. What a blessing, to step into this reality! And beyond that, to understand that we are being transformed by the renewing of our minds ...
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in the hands of the Renewer
Be it human invention or God’s natural order, I think the earth and everything in it is wired for renewal. At the deepest level though, it is our hearts that need renewal most. The truth is that no turn of the calendar or change of address, no fresh coat of paint or purchase of a new gadget is going to sustain our hearts and souls for long, even if those things are exciting and lovely in and of themselves. So then, let us put our hearts into the hands of a very tender Potter.
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choosing to rejoice
Rejoice. For the last several days, I have held this word in my heart. I have pondered and repeated it over in my head. I asked myself, “What does it mean to truly rejoice in the Lord?” In taking it a step further, I thought, “How would I describe to someone why I rejoice in the Lord, and why they also can rejoice in Him?" How wonderful it feels to delight in Him when we are cozied up on Christmas Eve and all feels right. But what about when everything is wrong? What about when our hearts are broken?
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rejoice
“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior ... No clearer insight exists into the brave and beautiful heart of Mary than this powerful New Testament psalm. As she is first acknowledged by another to be carrying the seed of God, these words pour from her mouth out of an overflowing heart. Their source is neither pride nor fear, but a humble acknowledgment of her own lowliness and a joyful exaltation of the Lord.
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blessed is she who believes
What was it, exactly, that Mary believed? Her actions here confirm her belief in God as Promise-Maker, Promise-Keeper. She believed that He is both willing and able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (see Ephesians 3:20). And she believed that He is the Giver of all good gifts and the rewarder of those who seek Him (James 1:17; Hebrews 11:6).
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let every heart prepare Him room
We have lately been swept up into a tangled net of deception, cunningly set to strip us of hope and submerge us in confusion, isolation, and discouragement. The calendar broadcasts a season of Light, and we dutifully veil our inner darkness with a veneer of celebration. Fully aware that we are lying to ourselves, we seek to keep at bay the One who sees us. Foolish? Or simply desperate? Likely both … Is there a way out?
