Looking at the Sky

    As I grew in my faith, there were times I would look at the sky during worship. Most people I knew would bow down during worship because they did not feel worthy of the grace they received from God, or some other reason. I began to wonder why I would look up. Then I thought about my spiritual journey. 

   One of my biggest struggles has been being authentic with others. I used to wear a mask and pretend like everything was okay when it wasn’t. In looking to the sky, at God, I was saying, "I trust you. I know you see me. I know you love me for who I am because you made me."

   During these times it's like rain is washing over me. I feel his presence and acceptance. His acceptance of all of me. He loves me just the way I am. Now, he doesn't like my sinful nature. But he does love me enough to wash those sins away. And he does that for you too. It’s amazing to think about how the creator of the universe loves us so much and wants to have a relationship with us. He gave us the gift of worship and we should praise him for all he has done for us.

   So, do you have a specific way you like worshiping God? How can you make a point to praise God each day?

Take a Hike They Said

    Have you ever been hiking? It can be a fun experience depending on the difficulty and distance. Well one year my husband decided he wanted to hike to flat rock at Camp YoliJwa. I told him I'd do it if we did it in the morning so we could see the sunrise and so it was cooler. He agreed and we got my siblings and some of their friends to agree to do it as well. 

   We started out strong. Then we began to go up steep hills. I had done the hike before, but it had been a while. And this time I wasn't in the greatest shape, my allergies were acting up, my knee was in pain, and I had asthma. I had a lot going against me, but I wanted to try to make it. 

   I started to feel my breath becoming ragged, so I stopped. I continued after a bit. Then after a few more minutes I could feel it happening again. I stopped and took off the warmer layer I needed because it was cold. I let someone else take the lead at that point so I could go at a slower pace. It happened one more time after a bit. I sat on a rock this time.

   At that point I could feel a panic attack coming on. We were over 1 mile into a 5-mile hike. I felt like giving up and going back. I felt like I was a burden to the others and especially to my husband who stayed back with me. Then my husband asked how I was feeling. I said I felt like a burden. He said not to worry about the others but worry about myself. He said I was fighting a lot more than he was because he was just fighting being tired. He also said not to let it steal my joy. 

   Those were all the things I needed to hear. I had major fear in my heart of letting others down, of letting myself down. I was so focused on others and what they thought that I wasn't focused on me and my needs. I got back up. I kept walking even if it was slower than I wanted to. Eventually, I became the leader again for a time. Then we made it to flat rock. It was a nice view. 

   The trek back down the mountain was a lot easier. And we had some good conversations along the way. Had I decided to turn back, I would have missed out on the sights of God's creation and some bonding time with other Christians. I would have missed a lot if I would've listened to the fear and doubt. And that's how it is in most instances in life. If we listen to the fear and doubt Satan sends our way we miss out on good things. On the things God has planned for us.

   So what challenges are you facing now? How can you trust God in those challenges? How can you trust God when you are afraid and doubt?

When You Do Everything Right But...

    My husband and I enjoy the sport of archery. One day, after about twelve classes, I was shooting with a different bow. When you are shooting archery, you would think the goal would be to hit the bullseye every time. It is, but it takes a lot of steps to do that. If you have a sight, a tool that helps you aim, then your goal is to get a good grouping. That means you do everything consistently aiming at the middle of the target with your sight. If your sight is off, then you may not hit the bullseye. You shoot a round of three arrows then, if they group well, you move the sight based on where the grouping is.

   I moved my sight this day until I couldn't move it any farther to the right. But my arrows were still going to the right of the target. Different instructors kept coming over to try to help me figure out why they kept going to the right. They adjusted my technique in different ways, but the arrows kept going right. 

Finally, one of the lead instructors came over. She watched what I did. Then she said, "your technique looks good. Let me look at your bow." She looked at the bow and realized that it was the bow that was the problem. It was not meant to be shot that far for one thing. For another, it was a bow that wasn't really meant to have a sight so that made it harder. The instructor went to get me a different bow.

   I was thinking about how that event related to life. Sometimes it can feel like you are doing everything right, but things don't work out. You can show love to others, serve, grow in God by reading the Bible and praying, etc. but sometimes bad things still happen. Your friend still leaves, your job is still a stressor, you are having financial troubles, or whatever the problem is. 

   Now, obviously, no one is perfect but there are times where you just feel like you are doing everything you can to make the situation better but it's still not being fixed. Sometimes it's not you. Sometimes it is a test or a trial. Other times maybe Satan is attacking you. Whatever the reason, take heart. Just because things don't seem to be working out doesn't mean what you are doing isn't good. Keep pressing on and into God. Trust in his perfect plan. Then, one day, you will hit that bullseye.

   So, are you in a test or trial right now? Are you still doing your best to do what's right? If not, what can you do to grow in God and do what is right?

Spiritual Dryness

    Have you ever had a time where you felt like you were just spiritually dry? I mean you know what you believe. You know God is with you. You know he's helped you through hard times. You trust him. But you just don't feel the spirit in your life the way you used to?

   That happened to me after I got married. I'm not blaming my marriage but that's just the time period where I felt it most recently. I began to wonder why I felt that way. I knew Paul had talked about how people who are married focus more on the needs of their spouse and family, but it felt like there was something more there.

   I knew how I felt, and if you've been there, you know how you felt, but what do you do when you feel that way? The first step I took was I prayed. I asked God why I was feeling this way. I was still going to church, doing devotionals, listening to the word, listening to Christian songs, and doing all the things to get fed spiritually but it wasn't working so I didn't understand. That's when I realized I had been going through a season of going through the motions.

   You know when you just stick to the same routine but don't let it change you? When you lose focus of what should have number one priority. That's what happened. I was still doing all the things, but it was becoming a checklist instead of something that was truly digging deep into me, making me a tad uncomfortable, changing, and challenging me. That's a problem. 

   We should always be growing. It just depends on where we get our nutrients from as to if we are growing toward the Son or toward Satan. Instead of going through the motions I began to stop and meditate on each thing I was doing. If I read a verse, I would pause and think about how those words impacted me. If I listened to a song, I tried to let the words penetrate my heart and connect me to the Spirit. I paused, and that's something we all need to do from time to time to ensure we are not just going through the motions. 

   So, have you gone through a season of spiritual dryness? How can you grow in God each day?