My Bottom Line

It's been a lot of years, but every year on Tyler's birthday and the anniversary of His death, I have to say something. If you've known me any length of time, you're at least familiar with my story, and maybe a little worn out with it. But, I can't forget to remember. And, I won't stop talking about it. See, the thing is, my story paints a picture of God’s relentless love and unfathomable grace and of the enduring hope that comes from surrendering my life to Him. That is a story worth telling again and again. Sunday I was having a hard time finding words, but they came.

The ebb and flow of grieving a loss is as constant as the ebb and flow of the ocean. It's always there, sometimes crashing against your heart and soul knocking you backwards and other times rolling in with ease. This year it was an unexpected crash. Yeah, sometimes that still happens.  When it does, it always, without fail, sends me back to the moment my world shattered into a million pieces. And then, I walk through it all one more time. But, God proves his perfect faithfulness in those moments, and I find myself overwhelmed by His grace and love. See, He never fails to whisper some truth to my aching soul. He gently goes to work peeling back yet another layer of my heart, mending and healing -- even all these years later. I love that. This year was no different. At the end of the day, one single truth emerged in my heart and soothed the ache in my soul. It's my bottom line. I need Him desperately. All of the time. And, He's there. All of the time. I mean it when I say, "had it not been for Jesus . . ."

Here's the thing: when I find myself in a moment, keenly aware of my desperate need for Him, then I am exactly where He wants me. Above all, He wants us to know Him and to belong to Him. He wants to be what we treasure most of all.

May I encourage you today, sweet friends? God sees you. When He says He will never leave us, He means that. He is telling the truth when He says He has a plan. When He calls us His sons and daughters, He means that, too. When He says He has us in the palm of His hand, He does. Lean in a bit, because this part is important. He. Loves. You. If you are standing in the middle of a million broken pieces, trying to answer questions that are unanswerable, grab hold of that truth and cling to it with all your might. You are not alone.

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{Five Minute Friday | Surrender}

It's Five Minute Friday. That means unplanned, unedited, straight-from-the-heart-to-the-paper writing. Yep, you just write whatever comes out based on a word you're given. If you have five minutes, you should give it a try!  Find out how here.

This week the prompt is {SURRENDER}.

Ready? GO.

This one is hard, isn't it?

Surrender implies trust. It means handing over control. It requires living my life with open hands. It's submission and obedience. It means when God asks something of me the answer is always yes.

Sometimes, I reason myself right out of a place of surrender. My eyes get fixed on the tangible. You know what I mean right? The impossible circumstance is screaming, the situation is proving too much of a challenge. And sometimes, I find myself asking "what's the reasonable thing for me to do here?" instead of saying "God, what do you want to do here?"  Yeah, I have to keep my eyes on Him. I don't ever want to lose sight of Jesus.

I want to be the kind of girl who surrenders my heart, my mind, my life completely into the hands of the God of Universe, believing that He is who He says He is, and having faith that He can and will do what He says.

Because, well, He is. And, He does.

Be encouraged today. If you know Him, rest in the truth that He is perfectly trustworthy and perfectly faithful.

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{Five Minute Friday | Enjoy}

It's Five Minute Friday. That means unplanned, unedited, straight-from-the-heart-to-the-paper writing. Yep, you just write whatever comes out based on a word you're given. If you have five minutes, you should give it a try!  Find out how here.

This week the prompt is {ENJOY}.

Ready? GO.

I get super-excited about Fall. Some of my favorite things are wrapped up in this season: colorful leaves, crisp morning air, pumpkin-spice everything, firepits, s'mores, turkey, family, football, boots, flannel shirts, cute scarves. Are you smiling? I mean, what girl doesn't feel like she can conquer the world in her favorite pair of blue jeans, a great flannel shirt, and a perfect pair of boots, pumpkin-spice latte in hand. It's my most favorite time of year, lots of things to enjoy.  

But, wait.

I'm quick to remember a time when there was less to enjoy and more to grieve.  When you suffer an incredible loss, pain tries to hijack everything you love about your favorite time year. Stumbling through the holidays grappling with grief and loss is no fun. But, I suppose you find a way to enjoy bits and pieces. You learn to hold grief and gratitude in a kind of healthy tension -- enjoying the moments right in front of you while at the same time remembering those moments that forever changed you.

And then, there's Jesus. My heart will be forever grateful for His unfailing love and faithfulness. He heals and redeems even the most painful moments, eventually, that is. And then, you find gratitude in the midst of your grieving.

Maybe you're still waiting. Perhaps for you, the pain left in the wake of loss is still quite raw. Don't lose hope.  I'm praying for you today. I'm asking God to remind you of His goodness and His nearness. I'm trusting that He will soothe your aching heart by reminding you of His unfailing love.  He sees you.

STOP.

{Five Minute Friday | Common}

It's Five Minute Friday. That means unplanned, unedited, straight-from-the-heart-to-the-paper writing. Yep, you just write whatever comes out based on a word you're given. If you have five minutes, you should give it a try!  Find out how here.

This week the prompt is {COMMON}.

Ready? GO.

My heart is heavy this week. I can't quite wrap my words around it. There's fear, uncertainty, outrage, and hatred. The division is deep and wide. It makes me sad.

It's common these days for people to feel despised, condemned, overlooked by fellow Americans, by brothers and sisters in Christ. I suppose it's not new. We have to pay attention.

We are in this together. Being in this together,  however,  doesn't mean we get to disregard what someone else may be feeling or thinking or experiencing. We have to listen. We have to try to understand.

Isn't it time we make it our responsibility to reach across the lines that so deeply divide and show the world what it means to love others and serve others despite race, economic status, gender, and sexual orientation? Can't we have some honest evaluation and look at where we are contributing to the problem rather than being part of the solution? You know, our hope was never meant to rest on a man or a political system. Only God can heal our land. I suppose He wants to use His church and the power of the gospel of Christ to do that. It's on us.

I can't pretend that I know what this kind of thing looks like in practical terms. But, I think it starts with listening. And when we listen, perhaps we can find common ground.

STOP.