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Trusting the Gardener
This past spring, we did a lot of work in our backyard. One of my favorite additions was the many container plants with gorgeous blooming flowers that now dot our entire landscape. Always a summer go-to flower are my sun-loving petunias. They are easy to care for and one of the most vibrant summer flowers I've found. I often grab them in pinks, purples, yellows, and corals. In the early part of the season, I feed them a little Miracle Grow, and these fun little beauties thrive! I mean billowing and cascading over the sides and bursting with lush colors. It's hard not to be filled with the sweetness of summer while gazing at them, and this year they overflowed.
Do You Feel Imprisoned by Problems or Held Hostage by Fear?
“Be joyful always; pray continually; and give thanks in all circumstances.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. This sounds like pithy advice, but Paul knew the difficulty and power of God’s command.
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were unjustly jailed and bound with chains. Paul sat in a dark lonely jail cell, not knowing what tomorrow would bring. He didn’t have control over his future. Paul didn’t deserve to be beaten, jailed, or bound with chains. And I’m guessing he didn’t understand why God allowed this injustice. His physical pain mirrored his inner torment.
We, too, can find ourselves in a dark and lonely place, not understanding why we’re here or what lies ahead. And like Paul, we don’t deserve cancer attacking us, the marriage unraveling, the loss of our job, or our child going wayward.
These realities are as painful as unfair.
Our souls feel imprisoned by pain and bound by fear. Our prisons have walls of anxiety and chains of fear. In the dark and lonely cells, the enemy seeks to rob us of our ability to recognize or experience God’s provision or joy.
But God.
From Brokenness to Depth By Jodi Rosser
Two of my favorite things were combined to make this magnificent masterpiece that hangs by my front door.
Beautifully broken glass pieced together like a mosaic on top of a gorgeous rod iron tree with deep roots.
This artwork mirrors my story.
Brokenness. I could relate to that. The shattered dreams and smashed hopes of my own life resembled those broken pieces.
What Should We Do When It Gets Hard to Follow God?
Lesson #11 on a Journey to a Water Well
Have you ever noticed sometimes life gets harder before it gets easier?
Sometimes taking a step of faith ushers in challenges and uncertainties. Life can get harder before it gets better. But it doesn't mean we're on the wrong path. Quite the contrary, we may have finally stumbled upon God's will.
That was our experience after committing to sponsor the water well in September 2015. We were confident of God's plan for the water well and had witnessed God prepare our hearts as He miraculously positioned us to fulfill this need.
But we didn't expect life to get harder.