One Day at a Time

My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

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Ever been in one of those seasons? It’s the place where things seem perfectly imbalanced. Or imperfectly balanced. Where up is down and down is up. Much is little and little is much. Right is bad and wrong is good.

The days in these seasons often bring the question, what’s going to happen next? You’re unsure of the direction each day will take. Blessing might be in season – a new job, birth of a baby, spiritual flourish. It can quickly, seemingly, turn to challenge – news that a family member is ill, loss, spiritual decay.

I never know what to do when I’m in this curious space. It can become tiring, emotionally draining, and uncomfortable. And let’s face it: we like things how we like them, when we like them, where.

But for the believer, life doesn’t work by being uncertain, does it? Or it shouldn’t, at least. We walk by ____ and not by ____. Yep, you got it. It’s no concern of ours how our days will go. We trust and know that our steps are ordered. And I don’t mean just casually. Our days and our times are ordained, mastered, and set in eternal order by God the Father, the Founder, and Creator. I may not know where I’m going, but I know who I’m going with. He loves us so much.

I said I never know what to do. Well, yes I do. I know to trust the Lord, each day and in every season, crazy as they may seem. I know that some people have hard lives to live, and I understand that and sympathize.  But as quickly and as close as we can get to TRUST, the peace of God will rule. Take it one day at a time.

What season are you in? And what are you going to do about it?

No Post This Week!

Thanks for all your engagement over July! Let’s catch up next week…

Melchee

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Grateful Friday

Giving thanks always for all things unto God… (‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬ KJV)

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Here we are at post three for July and at somewhat of a celebration for my blog. I’m six months in and I am enjoying every minute of it! Grateful Friday is a week early this month, and today I’m sharing a few words and passages that I keep close to my heart as I make my way through this writing journey. Or really, through life. I have plenty others that are favorites and for which I’m thankful for how they’ve shaped me, but I’d be here all day if I shared them all. So…

First, my own early words. Sorry, but I HAD to start here. The picture below shows a recipe I copied by hand from a magazine, which I then presented to my grandmother as a letter. (As you can see, I had motive.) On more than one occasion when I was little, I’d find something to copy, not knowing that it was a sort of foretelling. I appreciate that my grandmother, rest her soul, kept a few of my “letters,” and every now and then I pull them out and remember my meager beginnings.

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Next… “Want to know God’s will for your life? Then answer this question: What ignites your heart? Forgotten orphans? Untouched nations? The inner city? The outer limits? Heed the fire within! Do you have a passion to sing? Then sing!… Do you hurt for the lost? Then teach them! As a young man I felt the call to preach. Unsure if I was correct in my reading of God’s will for me, I sought the counsel of a minister I admired. His counsel still rings true. ‘Don’t preach,’ he said, ‘unless you have to.’ As I pondered his words I found my answer: ‘I have to. If I don’t, the fire will consume me.'” (Passage from The Great House of God by Max Lucado)

Third… “Living in God’s true love is a process. First, God loves us, and by faith, we receive His love. We then love ourselves in a balanced way, give love back to God, and learn to love other people.” (Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life – a Daily Devotional) Understanding love is so important in any type of ministry, right? It has to be at the center of it all. Joyce gives a concise but clear statement on the process of love, how it flows from God to us. I pray my words always come from a place of love. And speaking of…

And last… “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” This is from 1 Corinthians 13. You can read the full chapter here. This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. It’s beautiful and poetic. And as I just mentioned, love must be at the center of our work if we are to fulfill God’s calling.

How about you? What verses or quotes have inspired your journey?