ENCOURAGE - EQUIP - EMPOWER
IT STARTS HERE.
The first thing that was destroyed when sin entered into the world was man’s relationship with God. Genesis 3 talks about the Great Fall -- “…I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so, I hid” (Genesis 3:10). Despite the disobedience in the Garden of Eden, God still loved Adam and Eve but did not hesitate to call out their sin.
Do you ever feel like you’re running on fumes…or perhaps completely empty?
I imagine we have all experienced seasons where the reserves are running dry and we have nothing left in the tank.
Just over a year ago, I was in one of these seasons. A period of feeling like I was driving in circles, stuck in a perpetual NASCAR race wondering, “what’s the purpose...what’s my purpose?” I was discontent and burning out fast. That’s when my crew chief (Heavenly Father) called for a pit stop. Did I make it into the pit in time? Not quite... God had a literal pit stop in mind.
Embracing a new year means something different to each of us. Many will be racing out of 2020 in full sprint. It was a hard year for so many. Job loss. Deaths to family and friends. Isolation. Changes in routine. Missing the normal way of life. Some look back to see how 2020 changed perspective and provided opportunities: More time for what matters most. Keeping their job. Their people were not impacted by coronavirus. No matter what camp you fall under, one thing we can all cling to is that God was faithful all year long, He has been and will always be.
I don’t know about you but I am puttering into December tired, running on empty … weary. I’m exhausted by all the decisions that need to be made, ranging from how we will celebrate the holidays this year to the safest way to grocery shop. I crave connection with friends I have not been able to see in person. I wonder if I have done enough to help those less fortunate than my family, those suffering from injustice. There’s more, but you get the gist!
Growing up I always knew that Santa Claus was not real. (Sorry. Probably should have prefaced with a “spoiler alert” before dropping that truth.) But I liked to pretend and had a great imagination, so I would put out my play food by our fireplace with a little note embracing the magic of the season.
It’s Thanksgiving -- that time of the year when families come together to share meals and express gratitude. With the pandemic still hanging around, this year’s holiday will be different for all of us. Not for once did I believe a time would come when we will truly show love by staying away from those we love dearly.
I was recently involved in a community service project that involved clearing an overgrown part of a backyard. It looked like an impossible task, but I gamely put on my gloves and went to work. As I got started I realized how easy it was to pull off the top of the weeds. And aesthetically that looked pretty nice. You couldn’t really tell that the root was still there. It was a little bumpy, but overall, it would have been easy to dust the dirt off my hands and say, “Good enough.”
How do you respond in a crisis? I have always been one of those people who just puts her head down and does what needs to be done. I push through the difficulties, often not stopping to check what I am thinking and feeling. I just do the next thing until the crisis is over! Then when I come out on the other side, I look back and see how God worked in the situation. This tactic is not working too well right now because the length of the “crisis” is so long. It’s been six months of unprecedented craziness. That’s a long time to keep your head down!
