Category: faith

I Want an Exact Answer!!

Lisa Preuett

Math appeals to my daughter because each problem has only one correct answer. Cut and dry. Two plus two equals four. No need to waver back and forth. You’re either right or wrong.

But when it comes to something subjective that involves reflection or opinion…..she can fall apart. In response to simply reading a few paragraphs in a book and giving a summary in her own words, the drama begins…..

“I don’t know what to put down for my answer!” “I don’t know what to do!” “I’m not sure about this!” “I’m just gonna leave it blank!”

What I think is going on is this: She’s really asking the question “What if I get this wrong? What if this isn’t right?” “What if I fail?” 

I get frustrated with her and tell her to calm down. I try to explain the difference between an exact answer and an acceptable answer. Math is absolute….one correct answer. Writing a one sentence summary of a paragraph will look different for each student. But all the answers will be acceptable.

After the drama settles down, she makes an attempt. Sometimes the first word can be the hardest. But once she steps out and starts writing, it makes more sense. It comes together. And she can finally accept the fact that her answer will be different from her friends. Her unique answer reflects who she is.

God whispers to my heart in that moment: Sometimes you want an exact answer for something, Lisa. You want to know precisely step-by-step how to handle something. You stand still and become paralyzed because you’re afraid of failing. 

There are some things in God’s word that are absolutes. If we were to ask these questions, there would be an exact answer:

Should we murder? NO

Should we steal? NO

Should we commit adultery? NO

But what about this one: Are we commanded to love our neighbor? YES

But what does that look like? Will everyone’s answer look the same here?  Or will each person follow through according to the gifts God has given them?

Here are some ways we can show love: Help someone with yard work. Invite a friend over for coffee. Write an encouraging note. Write a check to meet a financial need. Give a hug. Take the time to listen. Spend quality time with a loved one. Buy a special gift. Wash someone’s car. The list goes on…..

There is not just one way to show love. Love according to how God has wired you. Love with a passion that only you can give. Let your unique love flow through you to the people in your corner of the world.

The way in which you show love will look different from those around you. Not everyone will have the same exact answer for this command to love.

But to do nothing?  To stand still–as if paralyzed–for fear of getting it wrong? That would be a wrong answer for sure. To do nothing is to disobey this greatest command from Jesus.

So what about you, dear friend? What are you doing to show love? Are you standing still waiting for an exact answer? Waiting for God to tell you step-by-step what to do for someone? I urge you to pray and step out of this mode of thinking and simply ask God to open your eyes.

To see your children in front of you.

To see your neighbors you might rarely speak to.

To see your co-workers.

To see those friends from the gym.

To see those homeless people with the cardboard signs.

To see the single moms who are barely making it.

And yes….even the people who have wounded us.

When our eyes are truly open, we can then choose to love freely from our heart. We can love with the gifts God has blessed us with. It is far better to love by stepping out in fear of the unknown–even if we stumble–than to stand still doing nothing….waiting for some magical answer to appear before us.

We are all called to love. And when we each follow through with our unique way of loving, this is the body of Christ! And that is a beautiful thing to be a part of.

Mark 12:31 “…and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

chalkboard

 

 

When Change is Hard

Lisa Preuett

This is a season of transitions. A new school year for my 5th grade daughter. A new school building in a different location.  A new job for my husband.  A new women’s Bible study. Everything…is…NEW!

Transitions are HARD. Even though you transition to something good, it can still be challenging. Why is that? After much reflection on this, I’m come to the conclusion that transitions are hard because you’re trading familiar for unfamiliar. Predictability for unpredictability. Same old routine for a new schedule.

What used to work doesn’t work anymore. What used to fit doesn’t fit anymore. What used to make sense might now seem chaotic.

Transition is the gradual period of time in between 2 seasons of life. Making the transition from one to the other involves CHANGE.

Change is HARD!

Just as the seasons change, so our lives change as well. But the seasons don’t change overnight. We don’t go to bed one summer night and wake up to trees completely splashed with vibrant fall colors the next morning. No. The seasons change gradually….one leaf at a time. You start to notice a little bit at a time. A tree seems to have one drop of paint on it that can barely be noticed. A few weeks later the same tree appears to have more colors than it did before. One morning you wake up and the weather is a bit on the cool side. Just a tinge. Not anything drastic. But you notice a difference. It’s very gradual.   And before you know it, the warm-humid days stop altogether and you realize the cooler temps are more consistent.

This is TRANSITION!

I’m so thankful that when God brings change He doesn’t expect us to completely change overnight. He shines His light on our heart to reveal something that needs to be addressed. Then He ever so gently whispers to our soul something that needs to change. These are some of the whispers I’m hearing lately from Him:

That behavior isn’t working for you. That attitude isn’t getting you anywhere. Those words aren’t building anyone up.

 We know something needs to change. But it starts with transition. Gradually we step out and trade a familiar behavior with something better. Maybe it’s just a tinge. Just a hint. Maybe nobody even notices anything different at first. But gradually over time as we genuinely surrender an area of our lives to Him, a new pattern emerges. And before we know it, we’ve transitioned into a new season of life. What was hard at first now comes natural. What seemed inconsistent now becomes a new norm.

With everything around us constantly changing, it points us to this simple, yet profound truth: Jesus does NOT change. Ever.

Our circumstances are always changing. He remains the same.

Our feelings frequently waver back and forth. He remains the same.

Our thoughts shift constantly throughout the day. He remains the same.

Our loved ones don’t respond the way we’d like. He remains the same.

Are you in a season of transition? Are you struggling with making a change in a certain area of your life? Be encouraged that it won’t happen overnight. Just like the leaves change gradually, your transition will take place one step at a time. Trust God as you navigate into the next season. Most of all, take courage in the fact that our God never changes! The same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us….. Today!

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever”

autumn leaves

Jesus on Facebook?

Lisa Preuett

If you’re an avid participant on Facebook, you know the feeling of excitement when you log into your account and see those red numbers lit up over these three features:

Friend Requests. Messages. Notifications.

Why do we get excited to see a friend request? Well, someone has searched for us and wants to specifically be a part of our social media world. You have a choice though to either accept or ignore this request. Once you’ve accepted, this person becomes part of your Facebook world….a window into your life.

It’s a big deal to get a private message from someone!  One of your friends is seeking you out with a specific message intended just for you.  Someone knows you well enough to ask you a question or connect with you on a deeper level.  You can reply back with confidence that nobody else sees your words because of the security attached to this private feature.

And what about all those notifications? What’s it really mean?It might sound simple, but the more active you are with posting comments and pictures, the more likely it is that people will give you feedback.  Ultimately it’s the evidence of interaction. The more you are actively engaged on Facebook, your social media life becomes more intertwined with others.

Maybe you didn’t realize it, but Jesus has been an avid user of friend requests, messages and notifications way longer than Facebook has been alive.  Now he doesn’t use these exact labels, but the parallels are strikingly similar if you ponder this closely. If He used our “Facebook terminology” it might look something like this:

Friend Requests: Because of what He did on the cross, Jesus has sent out a friend request to ALL people. Each and every person on this earth is extended a friend request from Him. He seeks them out specifically desiring to enter their world, and ultimately their heart.  They have the choice to accept or ignore that request.

Messages: After accepting the friend request from Jesus, your relationship becomes personal.  The Bible is God’s message for all followers of Christ. But the way He speaks to us goes even deeper than that! There are private messages He communicates to us through the Holy Spirit, living inside each uniquely designed follower.

He knows you well enough to meet your deepest longings. And you can pour out your heart directly to him with confidence. Confidence that nobody else knows what you just prayed–with security that He’s heard you.

Notifications: Once you’ve embarked on a genuine journey with Jesus, you get involved with other followers. You do life with them.  You celebrate your joys together as well as grieve through the tough times. You can’t do this alone by any means. You need the body of Christ.

He also calls us to fulfill the great commission…to become fishers of men. This is where we go beyond ourselves and reach out to others. We invite them into our lives. We pour into them. We build them up to go out and do the same. Just as Facebook notifications are evidence of involvement, our ministry to others is evidence of our faith. It’s our FRUIT.

So where are you, dear friend? Have you accepted His friend request?I pray that you have! But if you haven’t, the request is still valid. Call out to Him today.

If you are His child, are you seeking Him with all your heart and soaking up His word?Are you being still enough to hear His  message–that gentle whisper? Are you calling out to Him? Rest assured that He hears you. He knows you. He loves you.

What do your notifications (FRUIT)  look like? Are you walking alongside anyone? Pouring into those who need help? Reaching out to those co-workers who seem hopeless? Building relationships with your neighbors?

Ask God to give you courage to step out of your comfort zone and get involved. He doesn’t suggest this. He commands it. And what He calls us to do, He promises to equip.

Next time you’re checking your friend requests, messages or notifications, let it be a reminder to check the condition of your heart and see if you’re where Jesus wants you to be.

facebooknotifications_616

 

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett 

 

 

A Modern-Day Proverbs 31 Woman

Lisa Preuett

Are you familiar with the Proverbs 31 woman in the Bible? You might cringe at the mere thought of her…the one who seems to have it all together with a perfect home and perfect kids. Perhaps this passage seems like a foreign language to us because of the culture during which it was written.  I’ve taken a stab at this by writing my own 21st century version.

And in case you didn’t already know, this woman in Proverbs 31 was NOT a real woman! This passage of scripture is a portrayal of virtuous qualities to be found in a godly woman.

Feel better now? Enjoy and be encouraged!

Proverbs 31:10-31

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

A woman who truly seeks after God is rare in today’s world. If she were paid for all she does, her annual salary would average around $150,000. 

Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

Because he married a smart woman, her husband trusts her completely to run the household.

She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

She wants to honor her husband even though her flesh yearns to control and demand her own ways. She refrains from “husband bashing” when she’s with her girlfriends.

She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

She purchases things for her home wisely and creates a warm atmosphere for her family.

She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

She drives to Costco to stock up on goldfish crackers and chicken nuggets. And she sometimes orders items online to save money, time and above all…her sanity.

She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.

She gets up in the middle of the night to care for a sick toddler who just puked all over the bed. When her alarm goes off she fixes pop tarts “to-go” for her older kids who are about to miss the school bus because she was up all night. Servant girls?? Those would be her children who are assigned daily chores.

She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She finds a few bargains at Goodwill and sells them on Ebay to make a profit.

She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.

She strategically puts in a movie for her kids while she cleans the toilet, does a load of laundry and unloads the dishwasher. If there’s time left over she’ll quietly slip away to go to the bathroom for a few minutes of peace to herself.

She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

She earns extra income from holding a yard sale. She sleeps at peace (for the most part), yet is ready to bound  out of bed at a moment’s notice when she hears her little ones crying out for her.

In her hands she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

If she has sewing abilities, this is a rare blessing! But if she’s like most, she frantically sews a button on her son’s only clean pair of pants 15 minutes before he heads out the door for school. Anything requiring more work than this is dropped off at a dry cleaners or seamstress shop. 

She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

She picks up a few extra items at Kroger for her neighbor whose husband just lost his job. Her friend recovering from surgery needs someone to watch her kids for an afternoon, so she gladly accepts with a compassionate heart.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

When she wakes up to the first snow on the ground, she pulls out the coats, gloves, boots and hats that she got on sale at Target. She’s also combs through clearance racks to purchase spring and summer clothing for next year.

She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

She shops at Wal-Mart to find a deal on a new comforter. She shops for clothes at consignment stores trying to stay within her family’s tight budget.

Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

Her husband walks into work feeling loved because he had a date with his wife last night. He brags on his wife to his buddies during his lunch meeting.

She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She gets an idea on Pinterest for a unique scarf and creates a website selling them to her friends.

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

She may physically be exhausted but her inner strength comes from God. She can laugh at the days to come (and often laughs at herself) because her confidence and hope come from the Lord.

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

After many moments of humility, she graciously gains wisdom. Her time in prayer and God’s word overflows from her heart when she instructs her children.

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

She makes sure the diapers don’t run out, keeps groceries stocked in the fridge, attempts to keep the never-ending laundry caught up and oversees homework when she’d rather collapse on the couch and take a much deserved nap.

Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.

When her kids get up, they plead, ” Mommy…..play with us!” Her husband quickly kisses her while rushing out the door whispering, “Babe, you rock!”

Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.

Many women hold masters degrees and will walk into fortune 500 companies sporting their high heels and business suits. But you are just as important,sporting your PJ’s with spit-up smeared on the front, rocking your little ones and reading them a story.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

 Our youthful skin gradually turns to wrinkles. The number on the scales inches up while metabolism slows down. So she doesn’t obsess on her outward appearance, but focuses instead on feeding her soul…where true beauty is found in God’s eyes.

Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Her hard work will pay off in the end because she has loved deeply through thick and thin. No matter what others say, God knows and sees everything she does and loves her relentlessly.

 

Proverbs-31

Blessings to you!

Lisa

Check out my book Embracing The Race

God is Faithful

Lisa Preuett

After trudging through the valley of unemployment for two and a half months, I praise God that my husband will be starting a new job this week! When the rug was pulled out from underneath us unexpectedly on June 23rd, we had no idea how many days, weeks or months it would be until God opened the door for a new job.

But God knew.

When we began walking this unknown  path, we trusted God to lead us one day at a time. Although we had no control of what was happening, we trusted that He was in control. To be honest, there were days our flesh struggled with this lack of control. Without control, we often feel helpless. Worried. Frustrated. Don’t we all just want a glimpse of what is ahead–a  little reassurance of what is coming? But God doesn’t always give us previews of the future. In fact, He rarely shows us what is around the corner.  That’s why it’s called faith!

The scripture I clung tightly to during this journey was Psalm 62:1-2: “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my fortress; I will not be shaken.”

The day I posted my reaction to my husband’s job loss, we were most certainly shocked, but not shaken: https://reststopforthesoul.com/2014/06/24/shocked-but-not-shaken/

This was a true test of resting in God alone. Our flesh finds it much easier to rest when things are predictable, structured, and familiar. We grow accustomed to incoming paychecks. We feel secure when the savings account balance increases. But when the paychecks stop and the account gradually decreases, it is a wake-up call as to what your true rest is in. When our eyes were fixed on trusting God and not fixated on the numbers, we found true rest!

God was faithful and He provided.

The blessings showered upon us during this time were priceless. Here’s some of the highlights:

*The very day he lost his job opened up the opportunity for him to join us on a trip to visit our son.

*My husband got to spend the majority of the summer with his wife and daughter. How rare is that? Most dads and husbands only get a couple of weeks vacation at the most to spend uninterrupted time with their families.

*We enjoyed multiple boating trips that we wouldn’t have been able to take if he’d been working. He usually travels for his job and is too exhausted to do a lot on the weekends. (We got the boat just weeks before he lost his job!)

*He had time to start (and finish) multiple projects around the house that are usually put on a “wish list”.

*We went on a mission trip to Beattyville in the Appalachia Mountains through our church and someone anonymously paid the balance of our expenses.

*My mom decided to treat us to an unexpected vacation in Florida to wind down our summer.

*The amount of money he received from unemployment was more than enough to pay our mortgage payment.

*God blessed us through his previous job to be able to save money for this “rainy season”. (And over the years He’s given us wise advisers such as Dave Ramsey who encourages people to put away money in an emergency fund when job loss occurs.)

*God has strengthened our faith!

*This season of uncertainty has given us a front row seat to witness that God is faithful and can be trusted.

If you are in a season of uncertainty, I want to encourage you to trust God wholeheartedly. Surrender your frustration, worries and fears to Him. Rest in Him alone. You might not know what’s around the corner.

But He does.

And because He loves us, we can trust Him. We will not be shaken.

God is my rock

 

 

Get Rid of Your To-Do List

Lisa Preuett

Just hearing the phrase “to-do-list” ushers in waves of unwanted stress and frustration. Tension rises as we add items to our list. We’re about to enter a familiar rat-race of trying to cram in as much as possible. We feel defeated if we don’t accomplish everything we set out to do. And even if we do, anything we checked off is only replaced with something new for the next day. The things we do seem so mundane and inconvenient sometimes!

But what if we changed the lens in which we view our to-do lists? Let me share a typical to-do list of my own and share what I mean by changing the way we view this. Instead of to-do, how about if we see those tasks as things we do for someone?

*Pack a school lunch

*Fold laundry

*Go grocery shopping

*Pick up dry-cleaning

*Pay the bills

Maybe your to-do list looks something like this on any given day. What appears to just be a list of tasks is really much more than that. If we look a little deeper, each of these tasks is something to be done….for someone. So instead of to-do, how about I look at each one as for-who? Let’s look again at my to-do list through the lens of who that task is for:

*Pack a school lunch….for who? My daughter

*Fold laundry….for who? My family

*Go grocery shopping…..for who? My family

*Pick up dry-cleaning….for who? My husband

*Pay the bills….for who? My husband (he makes the money and I write out the bills; we make a good team!)

Now this doesn’t necessarily change the tasks I must accomplish, but it changes my focus from things to people. Instead of something I must check off as completed, I focus on the who I am doing it for. What if when I got up each morning, instead of making out a to-do list, I asked God this question: Who do I need to love today and how do I need to accomplish that? Who needs my help today? Instead of randomly listing things that fill my head faster than I can write, perhaps I should make a list that looks something like this:

*God (What is He asking me to do today to put Him first?)

*My spouse (What does he need me to do to make his day run smoother?)

*My daughter (What does she need me to accomplish for her?)

*Others (After God and my family, who does God want me to reach out to today? Who could be encouraged through a phone call, text or running an errand for them?)

My actual to-do list might not change, yet I’m looking at these tasks through a different lens. The lens of service. The lens of love. I’ll even challenge us (myself included!) to take this a step further. How about as I’m in the midst of accomplishing each said task that I pray for the person I’m doing it for? Can we really do that? What would that look like?

As I’m making my daughter’s lunch I pray for God’s protection upon her as she begins her day.

As I’m folding my daughter’s jeans that are inside-out for the umpteenth time, instead of complaining, I pray for the areas she’s challenged with. As I’m folding my husband’s tee-shirts I pray God gives him strength to face the day ahead with a strong faith.

As I’m filling up my grocery cart, I praise God for His provision and pray for our family’s health. Shoot, I might as well even pray for the lady in front of me in the check-out line whose toddler is having a melt-down!

Whatever task I am attending to isn’t just a thing to accomplish and check off. It’s an act of service for a soul to be loved. No matter how trivial. No matter how mundane. No matter how inconvenient.

Wow, I have a lot of room for improvement in this area of my life! So thankful God is full of grace. So thankful He sees me as His child and not just something to check off his list.

What about you? Are you willing to get rid of your to-do list? And instead ask for-who? Your activities might not change, but your focus will change. And when we change our focus to line up with God’s purposes, amazing blessings are sure to follow.

Colossians 3:17 “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

TO DO LIST PIC

 

Desperately Drowning?

Lisa Preuett

I rested comfortably in my lounge chair on the beach, curled up with a book and an iced tea. Almost to the point of dozing off, I was startled when several people in the water frantically yelled, “Call 911!!” Not even knowing what was going on, I grabbed my phone and called.

It turned out that two young men had gotten pulled in to a rip current. They’d swam out beyond the posted buoys that warned swimmers to not go past that point.

The area they were caught in didn’t look dangerous. In fact, upon close inspection one would have a hard time believing this area could possibly cause any harm. When one of the men was suddenly pulled into the current, his buddy looked around in disbelief when he couldn’t see his friend. He frantically yelled, “Help!” but it took a little while before anyone even noticed something was wrong.

My husband and sister-in-law were out close enough to hear his desperate cries and alerted others to get help. They waved down people who were on jet skies to go out and rescue these men. In the meantime, everyone on the shore just stood waiting for a rescue squad to arrive and I prayed for God to intervene and spare the lives of these two friends.

Finally after what seemed like forever, I could see two people pulling a third one onto their jet ski. The other young man was pulled out of the current and able to trudge through the water safely back to shore. The young man who’d been sucked under by the current appeared completely exhausted and distressed as he flopped to the ground, surrounded by his worried friends. He and his friend were shaken up, yet they survived.

After further research on rip currents, I learned that some people don’t survive when they get sucked in to this sudden swirl of death. Last year in the United States, 64 people died from drowning as a result of getting caught in a rip current. People will panic when this strong current pulls them out unaware. Their first instinct is to swim against the current in a desperate attempt to get closer to the shore. But the current is so strong they can’t swim against it and they utterly wear themselves out in complete exhaustion and panic…..leading to drowning.

This scenario is similar in how followers of Jesus have an enemy. An enemy who prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour(1 Peter 5:8). The enemy doesn’t usually go after crowds. He usually targets those who have wandered away from the core of the flock. Those who are isolated. Those who may have gone outside the safety zone. That is his tactic–to trip someone up where they least expect it. What appears to look calm and harmless on the surface can suddenly knock us down and before we know it, we’re gasping for air–furiously treading water.

So how do we keep from getting caught in the rip currents the enemy desires to pull us  into? For one thing, we don’t stray off by ourselves. We can’t walk this life alone and we need accountability. We need the body of Christ to encourage and build us up. We can’t deceive ourselves into thinking we can figure life out on our own.

We also need to live our lives within the boundaries God has set up for us. I like to call them guard rails. They are there to protect us and keep us from swerving off course. God knows what is best for us and we need to trust Him.

But sometimes life happens and we find ourselves in a tail spin. We wander off to isolate ourselves. We attempt to cure our wounds with human means. We think Nobody else can understand what I’m going through; something must be wrong with me. And that’s when the enemy sees a moving target. He pulls us out further than we intended to go. And just like the pull of a rip current, he sucks us into a trap of swirling doubt.

Doubt that God sees our pain. Doubt that God cares about our pain. Doubt that there is hope.

What do we do then my friend? Do we give up and drown? No! We call out for help. We call out until someone responds. It can’t just be a whisper. It has to be heard. We humbly admit our weakness. We ask for help and patiently allow God to use other believers to help us. That is the body of Christ. Reaching out in the name of Jesus to bring others from the dangers of the sea…to the safety of the shore.

Maybe you’re not the one drowning but a spectator in the water. Are you close enough to those around you that you notice them slipping further away to a dangerous zone? Can you see them beginning to isolate themselves? Don’t wait until they’re close to drowning before you intervene. Keep them accountable, yet hold them close. Nudge them closer to the flock so the enemy can’t suddenly snag them away.

1 Peter 5:8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

rip currents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking a Wrong Turn

Lisa Preuett

Psalm 25:4-5 “Show me your ways, Oh Lord; teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me for you are God my savior and my hope is in you all day long.”

While vacationing on a beautiful beach in Florida, I planned on running three miles. The first two were under nicely shaded shops along the boardwalk. But then I wanted to enjoy the scenery of ocean waves crashing upon the beach. I’ll run my last mile along the shore and call it quits. Sounded like a good plan to me. I trudged over across the sand to the edge of the shore where I could run on solid ground. My plan was to run for half a mile out and half  a mile back to make it an even three. But that’s when I got off course.

I was ready to head back the last half mile and cut back through where I thought I’d entered the beach area. But what I didn’t know then was that I’d turned too soon. As I jogged back to where I thought our condo was located, the scenery around me didn’t look familiar. I kept looking for the sign that bore the name of our condo. But I didn’t see it anywhere. My persistent jog slowly turned to a sluggish stroll. I finally had to humbly admit the truth: I had taken a wrong turn and was headed in the opposite direction.

The sweltering sun ushered streams of sweat running down my back…. joined with tears of frustration pouring down my face. No longer underneath shaded shops to shelter me, I could not escape the blistering sun.

I sensed God gently speaking to my weary soul: Yes, you are turned around. But that doesn’t define who you are. 

As I continued to walk (not running at this point!) one step at a time closer to my condo, I asked God to show me some truth from this situation so it wouldn’t be a total waste. (Of course the obvious lesson is to figure out where you are before running an extra mile!)

Sometimes we think we know exactly where we are in life. We head off in a certain direction without evaluating where we really are. We make plans and think we have it all figured out. But then we suddenly realize we are not where we intended to be. We have to admit we took a wrong turn. We have to set our pride aside and accept the reality that we missed something.

But the cool thing about God is that even when we’ve taken a wrong turn, He’s still right there with us. Even when we are way off His intended course, He is still our rock. We may have to take a longer route to get back on track, but He promises to never leave us.

Although I was running in unfamiliar territory, I still felt the effects of the sun. In fact, it was the only thing recognizable at the moment of realizing I was lost. Whether I’m running at home in Kentucky or on a beautiful Florida beach, it’s still the same sun shining down upon me. And in the same way, God is always with us whether we’re in a predictable routine or right smack in the middle of something frightening and unfamiliar.

READY? Have you found yourself off course when you thought you were on the right path? Did you take a sudden turn not realizing it would bring you to a place you didn’t want to be?  If you find yourself on a path you didn’t intend to walk, humbly ask God to help you get back on the right course. Yes, you might have to experience some consequences but He will be with you every step of the way. He’s never left your side. He’s still there.

GET SET. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

GO! Heavenly Father, show me in my life where I’ve gotten off course. Reveal to me anything I need to confess in going the wrong way. Thank you for your faithfulness to me even when I’m going the wrong direction. Help me run back into your loving arms and walk confidently in your forgiveness and love. Amen.

path along the sea

 

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett 

Trudging Up the Steep Hills

Lisa Preuett

Psalm 121:1 “I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.”

It’s painful when you’re trudging up a steep hill. Every fiber of your leg muscles tighten. You feel as if you won’t make it to the top. Your calf muscles silently scream, “Please stop! We can’t go another step!” Instead of looking up ahead at how much farther I have to go, I look down at the ground and literally watch my feet, one step at a time.

There’s something invigorating about finally reaching the top of a steep hill. I finally look up from the ground and realize I’ve made it! Trudging up that hill caused my heart to almost pound out of my chest. My rapid breathing finally slows down. I let out a sigh of relief. Yes! The ground ahead of me begins to level out now. It’s smooth and I can see more of what’s up ahead.

But I take a moment and turn around.  Did I really just come all this way? I stand in awe of the beauty around me. Depending on the season, I might be looking at lush-green trees lining the path behind me, blue sky overhead. At other times I might be looking at autumn leaves splattered with bright orange-red colors. My absolute favorite view at the top of the hill is in winter. The snow-covered trees, glistening in the sparkling light of the sun. I breathe in the air and turn my head back in front of me.

I’ve had my share of steep hills in this life. Some of them I’d rather forget about. But I can undoubtedly say that there’s something invigorating about finally making it to the top. Those trials I thought for sure would kill my soul and squash my spirit. Yes, there are times my heart has nearly broken, fiercely pounding out of my chest. My flesh shouting, “I can’t go another step!” But when I came to the end of that challenge, my breathing slowed down. My tears and anguish turned into joyous breaths of praise. Praise to my Lord Jesus who walked beside me each step of the way.

Did I really just come all this way? I stood in awe of the beauty around me. Not physical surroundings, but the beauty of what God had done in me. The beauty of the strength He equipped me with. The beauty of his promise to never leave me or forsake me. My faith was strengthened. My hope was renewed. My love for Him was magnified. And this view was something I wouldn’t trade for anything.

READY? Where are you, dear friend? Are you gasping for breath, trudging up a steep hill? Do you feel you won’t make it to the top? Does your heart ache and you just want to stop? I encourage you to tightly grip the loving arms of Jesus. He is right beside you as you go up the hill. He is with you every step of the way. He can’t wait to show you the view at the top!

GET SET. Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

GO! Lord Jesus, the hills of this life are hard. Sometimes I just want to give up. When I feel this way, please help me remember your truth. Help me cling to the fact that you are with me even though I can’t always see what’s up at the top. Thank you for your promise of being with me each step of the way. Amen

Hill-Running1

 

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett 

 

When You Want to Hide

Lisa Preuett

Psalm 91:4  “He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge.”

Do you ever feel like hiding? You know what I mean, those moments when you feel you just can’t take anymore. Those moments when bad news sends you diving into your bed and you just want to pull the covers over your head. Those moments when fear grips you. Paralyzing you to where you can barely breathe. Those moments when you can’t fathom the circumstances you’re forced to walk through.

The thing with hiding is that where you choose to hide can make all the difference in the world. In today’s scripture, David exhorts us to take cover under the mighty wings of God’s refuge. He uses the imagery of a bird covering her chicks with feathers to convey a powerful picture of how God protects us when we feel the urge to hide.

A few weeks ago, my daughter and I were walking along a river. This river was occupied by multiple ducks! At one point we stopped to observe what would become the highlight of our day.

A momma duck was gliding along the water with five fuzzy ducklings trailing close behind. They came to a jagged rock, just inches above the water. The momma duck waddled up onto the top of the rock, patiently waiting for her babies to follow her. One-by-one, they waddled up onto that rock, running right under their momma’s feathers. These ducklings huddled together and basked in the refuge and provision of their momma. At one point when the momma spread her feathers out, you could barely see her babies underneath. A young girl walking with her parents squealed with delight as they noticed the ducks, “Look! A mother duck! Oh, it looks like her babies are playing hide-and-seek!”

What a perfect picture of how God patiently waits for us to run to Him for cover! Just like the momma duck spread her feathers, God longs to spread His protective wings over us when we need to hide.

He longs to cover us.

To shield us.

To console us.

To renew our weary souls.

But we can’t embrace His blessings and comfort if we aren’t close to Him. To be under His wings indicates we are very close.

Close enough to Him to where we feel his heartbeat.

Close enough to hear His gentle whisper.

Close enough to sense His presence.

In my story with the momma duck, I mentioned there were five ducklings. However, it was only four of them who followed her. One of them never made it up to the top of the rock. It kept looking up at momma and its siblings, yet it continued to anxiously swim around and around in circles. Sometimes it looked as if it would follow the same path momma had, but it aimlessly circled the rock over and over again. We yelled at this wandering duckling to get on the rock! “Come on! Your momma is waiting for you. You can do it!” Yet every time it got to the crevice in the rock that would lead it upward, it kept going its own way. The duckling’s siblings were safe under the protective feathers. Shielded in the shadow of strong wings. Close to the heartbeat of their momma. But this little one was missing out.

Where are you, dear friend? Are you plunging yourself under the protective feathers of your loving Father? Are you hiding in the shadow of His wings during your most needy moments? Are you like those ducklings, safely huddled together enjoying comfort and peace?

Or are you like the wandering duckling? Are you anxiously going in circles going nowhere? Maybe you know  the Father longingly waits for you, yet you keep going your own way.

Dear friend, I understand the urge to hide! I know it all too well. I remember days when I wanted to cover up my head, with no desire to see light again. Days when I hid in other things. Other people. But the times I have run into the arms of my Savior to hide, those are the times I’ve felt the power of His presence and the calm of His peace.

I urge you to find your place of hiding under the wings of God almighty. I challenge you to embrace His presence and His promises. I want to encourage you to simply be still and allow His peace to overcome any fear you may be feeling. Climb up on the rock of your refuge and be safe. Be where He wants you to be….under His wings.

Psalm 91:4  “He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge.”

baby ducks