One of the shopping areas in my hometown, the one I frequent most often, has a main thoroughfare that has several really rough potholes in it. Most of the time it is pretty easy to drive around them. Hitting one of them could do some serious damage to your wheel alignment! The tricky part happens when we get a lot of rain. That thoroughfare is also the lowest part of the entire parking lot so the harder it rains, the slower it is for the water level to run off; which, of course, obscures the potholes.

If you are a regular traveler through that terrain its fairly easy to still maneuver through without damaging your front end because you are familiar to the potential hazards; but it is definitely dangerous to attempt to drive through if you are unaware of what lies beneath the water level. If only the property manager would re-pave the thoroughfare and get rid of those holes. He may…someday. But for today, I’ll still drive through there…dodging potholes…and staying alert. I could just avoid the area altogether but some of my favorite places in town require that I travel that section of road.

We wonder why life has so many pitfalls and potholes. Some we may manage to avoid. Some leave us shaken and maybe even damaged at times. But we keep on because that’s part of life. Sometimes getting to the places we love require that we tread some difficult thoroughfares. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV) There is no avoiding trouble…its in this world that we live in. We may need an alignment every once in awhile. When terrain gets rough we might need to slow down, even pull over and wait for the rain to stop. But making sure that we stay in Christ is the key to getting through. He gives us peace while we’re in it and He has already overcome all that we might encounter today. So let that give you great confidence.

We can’t see the wind. But we can definitely see and feel the effects of the wind. I have literally watched as the wind shifted and left behind paths of destruction through corn and wheat fields and wooded areas. The wind can be as devastating as the path of a tornado or as tender as the wind chimes playing a tune while you’re relaxing on your patio. The unseen moving force can be a gentle breeze helping to set the tone for a relaxing evening or it can be a mighty swirl of energy powerful enough to knock over trash bins and clear furniture off your deck.

We cannot see the Holy Spirit of God. But we absolutely can see and feel His effect in our lives. He can tear up the stony ground of our heart in order to receive the seed of salvation. He can cover our soul with such comfort and peace in the hardest situations that it feels as though we are completely surrounded and tucked in. That Holy Spirit hush can silence all the other voices that carry chaos in our brain and whisper the tenderest ‘I love you’ to our longing for love soul.

He doesn’t just sweep in when there’s trouble. The Holy Spirit will lead us if we are willing to listen and obey. Maybe your parents or grandparents would say ‘go with your gut’ or ‘trust your gut’. When you just know that you know. Romans 8:14 reminds us of the blessing of listening to the leading of the Spirit. “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” (NLT) A life that is Spirit led has a distinct mark upon it. The fruit of a life lived being led by God’s Holy Spirit is full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. You cannot miss the impact of the fruit of the Spirit in a life being led by Him.

Have you ever found yourself dragged into a conversation that you really didn’t want to be in? Perhaps someone made a personal comment to you, about you or someone you care about, and it just didn’t sit right. Then you carried that comment around, along with those hard feelings that came with it, for hours, maybe even days…or weeks! I know that I have and it’s a terrible feeling.

Sometimes it happens accidentally. People mean well but they just didn’t know that it’s a sensitive spot for us. Or, people just speak without considering how their comments and opinions hurt our heart. What do you do? You can stew on it. Let it get you all worked up. You could tell them how it made you feel. Sometimes that is really the most appropriate way to respond. Or you could try something I just learned a few weeks ago. You can say, “I don’t have pockets for that!”

Pockets are so good for stashing things so we can be hands free…or so we can carry more stuff. But the more we stuff in our pockets, the more weighed down we are. And truthfully, there are just some things that God does NOT want us carrying around! Romans 12:17 says, “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Letting things go is a choice. It might take us a little to work through it; but, I love the visual I get when I say “I don’t have pockets for that.” I’m not going to carry it around.

What’s that thing that kept you up all night? Restless sleep. Anxiety over the next time you have to see that person, work with them, go to church with them? Try this: pray…and empty your pockets. Pockets can be good…but lets choose to fill them with the blessings of God.

What’s the best advice your Dad ever gave you? Since we just celebrated Father’s Day I was thinking back over things that my Dad taught me. Like remembering to grab your Bible off the roof of the car before getting in and driving off. Or always closing the door because we don’t live in a barn. One of the most valuable pieces of advice came when I was about 19 or 20 years old, working in a ministry, I was very frustrated about how some things were going. When I called home and told him about it, Dad said, ‘every place you work – with people – there are going to be frustrations and things that are out of your control. The best thing you can do is pray about it. Do your best at what you’re responsible for and let God handle the rest.” That advice has served me well over the years!

He shared that advice from his heart and from experience that day. And its straight from God’s Word for our every day living. “Praying without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV) “So no matter what your task is, work hard. Always do your best as the Lord’s servant, not as man’s.” Colossians 3:23 (VOICE) “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3 (ESV)

It’s not easy. We want things to go our way. Often we want to be in control. It takes trust in God to give something our very best, our heart and soul, and then step back for God to do the rest. We don’t know how God will complete it all. And much of the time…the way He does it is by bringing others into our story. After all, our stories are really all part of HIS story. And what an honor it is to be a part of it! So Dad was right. There ARE going to be frustrations and things that are out of our control. The best thing we can do is pray about it. Do our best at what we’re responsible for…and let God do the rest.

The first computer that we bought had a screen saver on it with a man on a little island surrounded by water. At first glance it looked like a nice little get away. This man would walk around the island. Sometimes it looked like he was trying to re-build his raft. Other times he was fishing, or reading…or climbing up the one coconut tree to taste of its fruit. My husband, Ken, would wake up in the middle of the night, go to get something to drink…and check to see what the man on the island was up to! Not too long ago, out of the blue, Ken said “I miss that little guy on the island.”

Some days it might feel appealing to be stranded on a little island in the middle of nowhere but we weren’t designed for long-term living like that. Isolation is a dangerous place to go to and to stay in. Being separated. Not connected to other people isn’t healthy for us. But there is a purposeful activity of getting alone that’s good for us and we should all make time to do it. In fact, Jesus gave us that example several times in the New Testament. Matthew 14: 13 (NLT) tells us, “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” 

The activity is not isolation. It’s solitude. Oh, it’s still a time of getting alone or apart from others. But the biggest difference between isolation and solitude, I believe, is found in our mind and in our heart. Solitude is a healing place where God can reach us and help us all the more because we’re alone with Him. What I love about Jesus solitary time away with His Father, aside from setting the perfect example for us, is that it directly preceded one of the greatest stories and miracles of Jesus’ ministry…feeding more than 5,000 people with two fish and 5 loaves of bread. There’s a benefit and a reward for making space for solitude in our lives. Jesus showed us that it’s important.

Getting alone with God. Solitude. Psalm 62:1-2 (AMPC) reminds us of its benefits. “FOR GOD alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be greatly moved.”

What holds us back? I used to think it was all the hard things we’ve been through in our life. Past experiences that scared us, hurt us, hindered our growth in one way or another. It’s true that we must choose to place all of those things in the hands of our Savior. He gives beauty for ashes in our life, time after time. But until we are willing to let go of the pain and trauma of those hard places we’ve been through…we will not be able to fully live in the freedom Christ died to give us.

You know what else can hold us back? The good things that have happened in our lives. I know that seems unbelievable but think about it. Have you ever had such a great experience that you thought nothing will ever compare to it?! So you don’t even try for something bigger or better. We had a good thing that brought us joy – a job, a hobby, a pet. Even friendships and relationships that brought us such joy and richness in our life…can hold us back from God’s purpose in our lives. We can cling so much to the good things that happened in our lives, that we miss the ‘next’ that God has for us!

Jesus is the same, yesterday and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) We can rest in that! But WE can’t remain the same. We can’t hold so tightly to our past, either good or bad, and expect to just stay there…to stay the same. God is calling us to step into those great plans that He has for us. Plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Plans to give us hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) I know it can be a lot to unpack, but Jesus is calling us to loosen our hold on the past in order to make room for what’s next. After all, He has great plans for us!

It’s been two years since my brother, Brent, went home to be with Jesus. I’ve gone to several funerals in the past couple of months and I confess that each time I got ready to go I was reminded of the day of my brother’s celebration of life. I remember the surreal feelings of walking through the days and weeks after and wondering if the numb parts of my heart would ever heal. It’s made me feel deeper for friends who are walking through all those same hard places and wishing I could help carry some of that burden. It’s changed my prayers for them. It’s reminded me of Jesus’ tears when He heard the news that His friend, Lazarus, had died. (John 11) I believe those tears were more for the deep love and compassion he felt for Mary & Martha’s grieving hearts. After all, Jesus was about to bring Lazarus back to life!

Today I came across something I wrote a few weeks after I said ‘goodbye for now’ to my brother. And since several dear friends have had to do the same recently I thought I’d share part of it in this space. At my brother’s service I was struck by how many people from so many varied backgrounds, beliefs, professions and ages showed up and shared with us something we all had in common. We loved Brent. He made us laugh. He made us think. It didn’t matter who you were to him. If you would be his friend..he would be yours. I’ve cried often since that day just wishing that he could’ve heard all the amazing things so many shared with us about him that day – hoping that he knew just how much he was loved by so many.

Please don’t wait to tell someone that they add value to your life. If they bring you joy – tell them! If you love that they make you laugh – laugh with them and let them know it. Life is too short to withhold the gift of kind and thoughtful words spoken to someone while they can still breathe it in. Celebrate them…with them…while you can!

Let’s talk about trust for a minute. The other day I was riding behind an enormous vehicle transport truck. You know the kind that can transport about six or eight SUV’s at a time?! As I was following this monstrous load I began to study how these vehicles are loaded into this carrier. And suddenly I noticed that the last vehicle on this rig looked like it was literally hanging off the back end. That at any moment that vehicle could slide right off the back end.

I’d been following directly behind that rig for about 20 minutes on the highway, trusting that whoever loaded those SUV’s onto the rig secured them properly and completely. I had a brief ‘what if’ thought in my head but I kept driving along right behind after my brain resolved that I was completely safe.

Later it occurred to me how quickly and easily I gave up worry and concern in that situation completely trusting an unknown person or persons to have loaded and secured the vehicles being transported. I didn’t slow down. I didn’t change lanes. I dismissed that ‘what if’ thought essentially putting my trust and safety in a complete stranger!

We say we trust God and yet we worry over things so often as if to say we don’t believe that He really is taking care of us. I’ve caught myself saying “I’m afraid that…” or “I worry that…”. When we say that about a situation, especially after coming to know God’s nature and character, that He cares about every thing that concerns us, we are opening the door to doubt and fear. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Today, let’s choose to trust the goodness and faithfulness of God in ALL our ways.

I have a terrible habit of spilling things. No matter how hard I try not to…something often makes its way onto my shirt. As much as I try to avoid the spillage…it’s almost inevitable. And the more I like the shirt the better chance there is of having something leave a trail.

Sometimes I am lucky enough to get the stain out but many times the stain remains. Once that shirt has been marked it doesn’t matter how well I think I’ve gotten it clean…that mark is all I see! I can receive compliments on the shirt all day long…and still I feel like that stain is like a neon light.

Our conscience can be a lot like that. Regardless of how well we manage to come clean, how often we ask Jesus to wash our sins away, and apologize to those we’ve offended, we find it hard not to see the stains from our past. Finding the strength to stop focusing on our mistakes and giving ourselves grace is probably one of the hardest things we have to do. But God invites us into His presence for just that reason.

This is what GOD said about our stains in Isaiah 1:18 (MSG). He said, “Come. Sit down. Let’s argue this out.” This is God’s Message: If your sins are blood-red, they’ll be snow-white.” We couldn’t be washed clean without the blood of Jesus. Because of what Jesus did for us, there is nothing too deep or dark, big or small, hidden or widespread, that can’t be washed clean by Jesus’ blood. Who are we to insist on seeing the stain when God says those stains are gone?!!

A friend of mine shared the most beautiful picture of a sunset from her vehicle’s side window and it made me think about how glorious it is to watch the sun set on a day…and how breathtaking it is to watch the sun rise on a day. The anticipation of seeing the sun bring its light to our part of the world reminds us that there is hope for what’s next. The night may have been very dark. We may have endured a really long, dark night…but there it is…hope coming up on the horizon. Reminding us that there is hope for light to shine in our personal darkness again.

And that glorious sunset closes the chapter of this day in history. Regardless of the good, the bad, the ugly and every shade of every thing in between…there is a time that God says to the sun…that is enough for today. Whenever I get that moment to just stop and take in the beauty of the sun finishing its purpose on my side of the earth I am grateful that God has walked with me through every part of this day. I am reminded that there a beginning and an end…of this day, of this work, of this life.

Lamentations 3: 22-26 remind us of who we put our trust in and have hope. “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

I think that is why a hush comes over me every time I am able to watch the sun rise and set. My soul remembers God’s compassions and mercies never fail toward us. I am reminded that HE is our portion for this day. And will be for tomorrow. I breathe in hope that He will be with me on every page of this day’s chapter. And tonight I will breathe out thanksgiving that my hope continues to wait and rest in Him.