Lately, my daughter has been having fun with clip art on the computer. She loves to browse through the pictures and copy them into MS Word to make her own creations.
The other day, when I went upstairs to our office, I found one of her pieces of “artwork†on the desk—a collage of beautiful outdoor scenes…cherry blossoms, daisies, and dandelions.
At the bottom of the paper, she’d titled her work: “Peaceful Placesâ€
I smiled at the thought of her hunting through images to find ones that bring a feeling of peace. And I loved the ones she chose. Looking at them really did make me feel calm.
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A few days ago, as my kids and I were out driving, I took the opportunity to review some safety rules with them. It had been a while since we’d done this, and it’s always a good way for us to talk about what to do in different situations. I usually ask them questions like, “What would you do if a stranger tried to get you to go with them?â€, and then they answer and we talk about it.
This time, we were talking about the importance of sticking together in crowded places like the movie theater or the mall, when my daughter chimed in from the back seat…
“Yeah, because if we’re just one, we can really break, but if we’re together, it’s not that easy.â€
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Yesterday, my daughter was sitting at the kitchen table doing homework for cheer as I was getting dinner ready. Her squad had been talking about respect and confidence all week, and she was filling out a questionnaire to turn in.
She read the first question out loud…
“Name one of the most confident people you know.â€
I thought for sure she’d write Miley Cyrus, or one of the Jonas Brothers, or maybe one of her own friends.
But instead she wrote…
“Mom.â€
When I saw her answer, I was surprised.
Because, as a people pleaser and a perfectionist, I wouldn’t say I’ve always been the most confident person.
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Yesterday, when I dropped my daughter off at her two-hour cheerleading practice, I sent her with a huge bottle of water. And because it was so hot outside, I packed one for myself too.
After dropping her off, I went to the community center down the street to get some writing done.
About an hour later, when I lifted my water bottle to take a sip, I realized I’d already finished it. And when I picked up my daughter at the end of her practice, hers was empty too.
In the heat, we’d polished them off. But, we were still thirsty.
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Are you going through a hard time right now?
Does it feel like no matter what you do, you continue to swim upstream, making little or no progress?
We all go through tough times. And though some struggles are more difficult than others, no matter what we’re going through, God encourages us in Hebrews 12, to:
“…run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.â€
God wants us to hang in there. He wants us to persevere. And the best way to do that is exactly how He says—by keeping our eyes on Him.
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Control.
I have to admit, I like it.
Just the other day, when I went to the gym, the stair masters that I normally use were all taken. I saw a friend on a machine I’d never tried, and I hopped up next to her.
“What level do you usually do?†I asked, not familiar with the buttons. “Does it have a manual setting?†I looked at her and laughed. “Because I like to be in control!â€
And as I worked out, I thought about just how true that is.
The same way I like to be able to push the buttons on the workout machines (instead of having them shift levels without ME telling them to), I like to be able to control what happens in my life.
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“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.†Colossians 4:2 NLT
Last week, I was reading a devotional and this verse really hit me. It made me stop and think… how DO I pray?
Am I alert and focused?
Or do I pray when I’m in bed at night falling asleep, or when I’m in the car and there are a million distractions?
Do I pray with a thankful heart, taking time to appreciate God’s love and blessings? Or do I dive right in, asking for help with whatever situation I’m facing at the moment?
Hmm.
I have to admit, when I asked myself these questions, I didn’t like the answer.
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Life is tougher than usual for many people right now.
Finances may be tight and stress may be high.
We’ve all heard the saying, “Attitude is everything.†But, when things aren’t going our way, or our future seems uncertain, it can be pretty easy to become consumed with worry or complaining.
Yet if we can remember that, no matter what is going on in our lives, God’s in control, this truth alone can help us stay focused on what’s important. And it can get us through the tough times.
“Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise. Psalm 48:1
Knowing that God is great—that He knows the plan for our lives and that He will never leave us—can give us peace in the midst of any storm.
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