Tag: Worries

Heavenly Strides

by 4letsgetrealtogether1 Comment on Heavenly Strides
Heavenly Strides

What do you call a writer who doesn’t write? Me. What do you call a Christian who isn’t disciplined in reading His word? Also me. Spending quiet time reading the Bible, feeling His grace and mercy when I do, empowers me to share…His goodness, His truths, His gentle hand in my life. It’s truly a simple formula.

A (Reading the Bible)

+ B (Reflecting on Him)

= C (Writing inspiration)

I KNOW THIS! And yet, I’m mystified when I go through a “dry spell.” I’ll think about writing. I’ll wonder what’s stopping me from writing. I’ll shame myself for not writing. But for whatever reason, I’ll waste more time on the above fruitless efforts, scroll, or play games on my phone and find myself still stuck in the same slump. Here’s one more stinger: I “proudly” have a 100 day streak on a language app because apparently that’s of higher priority in my feeble brain! How utterly ridiculous is that?!

Why am I confessing this to you? Exposing my vanity might give you enough pause to reflect on yours. If that’s offensive, stop reading here. Forgive me friends. You will totally miss the point of what I’m trying to share.

It’s infinitely easier to “busy” ourselves right out of meaningful work, or toil as the Bible references it. Both are four letter words, and we can logicize our way out of it’s profane presence. Labor is hard and often viewed as punishment. But laboring in vain? That’s ultimately more painful friends!

“Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

1 Corinthians 15:58 NRSV

Today, before starting this, I spent time in His word via the Bible app. Easy. Accessible. And in seven minutes, I navigated through the scripture of the day, guided reflection, and spent time with Him in prayer. Seven minutes y’all! That’s significantly less time than ANY of the aforementioned fruitless tasks! And what did it yield? Easing back into the familiar formula: A + B = C

I feel better about myself. I accomplished something meaningful. I found myself back on my purpose path. And as an added bonus, I started a NEW streak: 1 Daily Refresh. Day one is a great place to be friends! It’s a step in the right direction, away from my worrisome past.

The biggest irony of the day? I have the best image of our loving God chuckling as I share this. Here’s one of the verses from today’s guided prayer portion of the Bible app…

“And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?”

Matthew 6:17 NRSV

So in my REA/L moment today with you sweet friends, instead of wasting time worrying, let’s commit to working our way back to Him. Be steadfast in the things that matter. Prioritize our streaks towards Heavenly strides.

Alone

by 4letsgetrealtogether2 Comments on Alone
Alone

I have a friend group that’s absolutely precious. I love them individually, and together, we are a force to be reckoned with for sure. We pray for each other, listen through the vents, and laugh…a lot. These ladies are such a blessing to me, and I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if I called any one of them in an emergency, they would be there in the drop of a hat.

Why is it, then, that I still withhold certain things? If I know I am unequivocally loved and accepted completely, why do I feel it necessary to wrestle with worry when I can share with those who care? What makes some things okay to reveal and others too dicey, too close to home? How can I be held dearly and yet feel so alone?

Can you relate?

By now, if you’ve been following Let’s Get REAL Together for any length of time, you may have noticed my brain thinks in acronyms. Here’s one that slapped me in my face when I was in bed, experiencing another episode, and feeling very much ALONE.

All

Lifelines

Oftentimes

Neglected

Erroneously

In my head, I recognize I am NOT alone. But in my heart? It feels cavernous… empty… isolated. Alone.

Maybe it’s me, giving the devil a foothold in my mind.

Maybe it’s my pride, withholding when I feel weak.

Maybe it is what makes me so dependent on God.

He created Eve for Adam because it is not good to be alone (see Genesis 2:18). He gave us His Holy Spirit (see 1 John 4:13) to draw upon when we feel weak and/or afraid (see Joshua 1:9). He died for our sins (see John 3:16) so we have the opportunity to cast all our anxieties at His feet (see 1 Peter 5:7).

The list and scripture references are endless, as is His love for us. And this, my friends, is why we are neglectful and erroneous in our thinking we are ever alone. Yes, the feeling may feel very real. Yes, the feeling should absolutely be acknowledged. HOWEVER, we have to be mindful in what we hold as truth. Feeling alone is just that, a feeling. Period. Nothing more.

It is when we attempt to validate this feeling with false facts or omitting truths that we become negligent. I am guilty of it. More times than I’d like to admit. And if left unchecked, it can literally destroy you on a cellular level. The mind body connection is undeniably, scientifically proven. Which is why we must emphatically follow this scripture:

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

So the next time you feel alone, or scared, or overwhelmed, or insert whatever is counter to the fruit of His spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23), remember you ALWAYS have a lifeline to call upon. God is ALWAYS available, ALWAYS patient, and ALWAYS loves you. And yes, I am talking to myself in the mirror, while praying, my friend, you allow this to permeate you as well.

Sweet Release

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Sweet Release

Today I am sad…

Sad because of all the hate.

Sad because of all the debate.

Sad because of the polarization.

Sad because of all the incessant sanitization.

Sad because I created an account joining the Zoom nation.

Sad because my kids can’t just be kids, hanging out with friends without unnecessary reservation.

Sad because as I type this on the laptop, my eyes keep moving back to my phone propped up nearby with live video feed of a practice I’m not able to attend, fearing I might miss something that I can’t possibly or even remotely control.

*SAD*

All this sadness has given me a headache, quite literally. My limbs feel heavy, as if moving through mud. There is so much stress and tension in my body that I have a sick feeling in the back of my throat. I am desperately fighting this overwhelming sadness because I know full well that it’s not healthy. And yet, like the mysterious invisible hair that makes our skin crawl with a tickling irritation, I cannot seem to put my fingers on it and simply remove this feeling.

Then this “memory” pops up on my personal social media page.

“God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to Him.”

1 Peter 5:7

Not some of your worries. Not just the the big or little ones. Not the ones you think He can handle. *ALL OF YOUR WORRIES*

Funny God. You have the ability to show up anywhere! Even in a Facebook memory. It’s times like these where the phrase “God works in mysterious ways” becomes very present and applicable. You’d think that I’d already learned this a hundred times over: God is in control. I am not. Worrying about all that I cannot control does not gain me anything.

I confess, today was the first time in a while that I opened my Bible app upon waking (a habit I used to have). After making my way through today’s Bible story about witnessing, I moved onto my neglected devotional plan (Reset Your Mind, Overhauling Toxic Thoughts) and clicked “catch me up.” The title? “Capture Your Thoughts,” followed by a quote.

“Taking thoughts captive means controlling them instead of letting them control you.”

Priscilla Shirer

I feel somewhat empowered and a slightly relieved that I do have control over something: my thoughts. Somewhere, in my desperation to control the chaos that has engulfed our world, I handed what I could control over to fear, sadness, and helplessness. Silly me…

With my focus now redirected solely on writing this (as the Zoom feed has ended), I take a deep breath. Intentional. Cleansing. Recentering. What do I truly want filling my thoughts?

If it is heavy, I let it go. If it is hurtful, I let it go. If it isn’t of Him, I let it go. I cannot be His witness if I am wrapped in worry and warped thoughts. These do not point others towards Him. Period.

I am DONE feeding the worry worm. I am replacing this fruitless activity by cultivating healthier habits. Start my day with HIM. Align my thoughts with HIM. Cast my worries unto HIM.

*Sigh* Ahhh, sweet release…and just like that, I am in a better place.