As I laid in bed yesterday with a migraine I found myself getting discouraged because I couldn't apply what I had learned from the weekend at the Tribe Conference. I couldn't take action after being so energized to do so. But as I continued in the migraine state of fighting pain but not being able to fall asleep, I reminded myself of why I write.
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This morning my sweet little Katherine looked up at me with big, toddler, tear-filled eyes and my heart melted.
It was seriously the Sweetest. Thing. Ever. As I was about to head out the door, Spencer told Katherine to tell me bye and love you. And as she looked up at me and said, "Bye-bye. Wuv you" in her precious not-yet-two-year-old voice, her eyes began to fill with tears. Then she tilted her little head down and wiped them away and looked back at me. And I felt All. The. Emotions. I don't want to be political. I'm really not trying to be. But my heart was saddened today. I know it often can be if one spends too much time invested in politics, but today my heart was saddened because of the Word of God being a spontaneous prop in a campaign.
A few months ago I read through Judges and was left with so many questions. Questions about God and Israel, the cultural context, and the events that took place flooded my mind after reading that book.
I know the God of the New Testament is the same as the God of the Old Testament, but reading through Judges left me confused. I knew if someone asked me questions about the book, I wouldn't have answers. Judges reveals a dark moment in Israel's history, a time when the people continuously did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So what can this ancient text, filled with violence and evil, teach readers today about God? After several weeks of not exercising, yesterday I got back out there. The crazy heat, the craziness of life, the crazy long list of excuses piled up making days turn into weeks and even weeks turn into months. I didn't mean to go this long without physical activity; it just happened.
But that's what excuses do, isn't it? They say you can wait until tomorrow, but then they make those tomorrows add up. And the longer those tomorrows add up, the harder it is to jump back into whatever it is you wanted to do. But the beauty of going to bed is knowing when the sun rises, a new day rises too. With the rising sun a fresh start awaits. Each day gifts us with the chance to say yes to what we put off the day before. If Satan were standing in front of me right now, I would punch him in the face. I know he'd try to be sly, to flatter, to entice, to distract. But I wouldn't even think twice. No doubt, there are lots of reasons to knock him out. But in this moment it would be for something little.
Do you ever have days that just wipe you out? Days where one thing happens after another that makes you want to scream or collapse on the floor? Do you ever have just moments in a day that wipe you out? Not even whole days but just moments that make you want to scream or collapse on the floor?
I sure do. Those moments just happened. And when those days happen, when those moments happen, I have to remind myself I'm not alone and am seen. I have to remind myself I am valued and am loved. At the end of the day I have to remind myself of God's good graces and His fresh mercies. Sometimes commentary is vital to understanding the meaning of Scripture. People have researched the original language, the original context, the original audience. And their research needs to be read and studied. I believe Scripture taken out of context is a dangerous thing.
But I also believe although context is crucial and necessary, the Word of God is wonderfully, sweetly enough. Scripture is beautifully profound and beautifully simple. And the Word of God does not return void. It takes faith to go.
Whether it's moving overseas or a moving across country or a job change or a some other change that makes you leave something behind and go to the new, the unknown, it takes faith to go. It's take confidence in the Lord's faithfulness. It takes risk because you don't have all the answers. But it also takes faith it takes to stay. Whether that be staying at a job, staying at a church, staying in a city or a country, or whatever situation it may be where you are making a very deliberate choice to stay, it takes faith to stay. It takes confidence in the Lord's faithfulness. It takes risk because you don't have all the answers. Sometimes you would rather go, but God calls you to stay. Sometimes you would rather stay, and God calls you to go. There is faith required for both. Sometimes the going is glamorized. Sometimes the staying is idolized. The adventure of the unknown might seem like a greater leap of faith to some, while the daily diligence in the known might be just as great a leap of faith for others. It all comes down to obedience. To the ones who hurt on Mother's Day...
To the ones who long to hold your precious glory babies and see their faces... To the ones who just want to give your moms a hug but are separated by miles or are on separate sides of glory... To the ones who feel less than because you don't have the same last name as your children... To the ones who are struggling through postpartum depression and don't have the strength to keep smiling through the day... To the ones who feel feel burdened and weary and exhausted especially today... To the widows and widowers who miss your spouses even more on a day like today... To the ones who cry for your prodigals to come home... To the single moms who don't feel celebrated and aren't given a relaxing break today... To the ones who stay away from social media on a day like today because of the sting it leaves with each post you scroll through... To the ones who avoided church in fear of it being too painful... To the ones who hurt on Mother's Day... |
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Sarah ConnatserSarah loves Jesus and her family and is passionate about addressing the urgent spiritual and physical needs around the world. She is the wife of Spencer and mama of Katherine and Claire, and they live in Nashville, TN. She runs a photography business with her husband and writes in order to offer encouragement and invite others to choose grace, joy, and gratitude in the adventure and the mundane. She loves traveling and reading; she will choose unsweet tea over sweet and bootcut jeans over skinny; and she is all sorts of awkward with small talk but thrives with deep conversations. |