Christian

Grafted

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Oreo and little orphan Buck

If this image looks a little strange to you, it’s because it is. We raise a breed of goats that are called Boer (they are the ones with white bodies and red heads typically). However, we also have a handful of Lamancha dairy goats that we inherited with some of the Boers that we purchased a few years ago. Lamanchas are an interesting breed of goat because they are some of the most gentle, even tempered goats you will ever meet. The drawback is that they are ugly as sin because they have no ears and they are not really a market animal (which is what we are in the business for). Well, this particular black and white Lamancha, Oreo, is such a sweetheart. Unfortunately, she had a hard time giving birth to her very first baby last weekend and ended up delivering a stillborn, that my husband had to help pull. Rather than her finding out that her kid didn’t make it, I quickly grabbed my little bottle baby, Buck, so that we could try to graft him onto her.

Little Buck couldn’t even stand up for over a week after he was born

Let me give you a little back story. Buck was born a little over a month ago and was the runt of a set of triplets. He was not able to stand up and his mother really didn’t tend to him. After trying throughout the day, unsuccessfully, to get her to tend to him and get him to stand up, we finally decided to get him inside and get him warmed up and fed. Since that time he has been my little bottle baby. He lived in a small water trough inside our house for about 3 weeks so that I could feed him (forcefully to begin with) and treat a nasty eye infection. Over time he healed and started standing, walking, running, and finally got well enough that we couldn’t even keep him in his little makeshift pen because he would just jump out. So we moved him to a little pen out in the barn with the other goats.

Buck in his new home in the barn when we moved him out of the house

My goal has always been to get him a real goat mom, but I was unsuccessful trying to get his actual mom to take him back. Goats are funny about that. Once they abandon a kid, they will not take them back. So I went along just feeding him several times a day. That all changed a week ago when I finally had a mom that needed a baby.

It has taken the full week but the picture at the top was the very first time she was letting him nurse without me having to be in there with her. It is an amazing feeling (even if it is a goat) to see an orphan gain a mom. And that got me to thinking about a few things.

I realized that every single person who calls themselves a Christian is also an orphan that has been grafted into a new family. “But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.” Romans 11:17 NLT

Grafting is an interesting process in the plant world. It is essentially taking part of one plant and putting it with another to make it grow as one. As time goes on in the process, the plant being grafted on (called the cutting or scion) takes on the characteristics of the one it is being grafted too (called the rootstock). Grafting is not a simple, or painless, process. As a matter of fact it involves cutting, bandaging, and a lot of time. This is often done when a plant has rooted poorly, or not all, and would die otherwise.

WOW! Isn’t that an analogy for us? Our process of grafting into the family of God is not necessarily a painless one. Sometimes there are things that need to be cut away and lots of time for healing past wounds. Nonetheless, we are called Sons and Daughters of God. We have been adopted, but we are chosen as heirs to the very kingdom of God. “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” Romans 8:17 NLT

Did you catch that last little part? Yes, we are His children, but we are also not immune to suffering on this earth. So, while you go through the pains and frustrations that can come with your own grafting process, I want to encourage you with this: as you heal and are fully grafted, you will also grow closer to the source of life and with that you will also start to take on the characteristics of the rootstock. So no matter what you are going though, push through the pain and remember that you are already grafted and accepted just as you are.

But also remember this: just because you are accepted exactly as you are, that doesn’t mean God is going to leave you that way!

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.” Psalm 51:10-12 ESV

Now, More Than Ever

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What a whirlwind the last 12 months has been. If you would have told me this time last year how 2020 would have panned out, I would have laughed at you and probably thought you were crazy. All of us would have, think about it. A global pandemic, toilet paper shortage, economic shutdown, summer of riots, and an election like none of us have ever seen before. And that is just the highlight reel. It is absolutely overwhelming to think about.

As a mom of 3 girls all under 10, it honestly terrifies me thinking about the world they are growing up in. The morality of our nation seems to be fading as quickly as the sun on these winter nights. If I spend too much time thinking about current events and the state of our world, I can find myself falling into fear. However, as Christians, we are not called to live in fear. As a matter of fact, we are told to not be anxious about anything. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 That is so much easier said than done.

We need a lot of help in the area of not being anxious. I know for me personally, it is so hard to simply stay mentally present when I feel the pressures moving in. I start going to the what-if scenarios and fear often takes hold. When that happens, I typically just need to get re-centered. Sometimes that re-centering involves talking things through with my husband, reflecting on how God has brought us through tough situations in the past. Other times I will dig through scripture or talk with church friends about what I am going through. More often than not though, It boils down to me getting back in alignment with God through prayer and getting rid of distractions. That method can be tough. It requires me getting real honest with myself and with God about fears that a “good Christian” shouldn’t have, at least in my naive mind.

What’s funny about the world we live in, is that the very thing we need the most sometimes: undistracted focus on God, is often one of the hardest things for us to do. In a world where we are never more than a few feet from a cell phone, television, or computer, the struggle can be real. It’s way easier to mindlessly scroll through your choice of social media than it is to get real about your relationship with God. Honestly, it’s much easier to post beautiful verses and share sermons on your own social media feed under the guise of “witnessing” than it is to allow those same words and sermons really witness to ourselves.

Ouch.

That hurts a little to think about, but sometimes even Jesus would point out painful things to bring about truth (for example, the woman at the well in John 4). What should really wake some of us Christians up, is that He was always the toughest on the people who claimed to be religious. We are expected to know better. We are held to a little higher standard. I think that is true even in the area of trusting. We are told to not be anxious. When those feelings of anxiety arise, we must push in to discover the root of them and, in turn, put the into God’s hands. When Jesus dealt with the most severe anxiety we get a glimpse into, in the garden prior to His crucifixion, we see Him do that very thing. “Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” Matthew 26:42 NLT. He made a choice to trust.

It isn’t a sin to feel fear or anxiety. However, we cannot allow that fear to hinder our God-given calling. We must lean in when, at times, we really just want to give up. Now, more than ever in this uncertain world we live in, we must shut off the distractions and get recalibrated. We have to quit worrying about our Instagram followers, social standing with the “in-crowd”, or if we are keeping up with the Joneses. It’s sad, really, how much effort we, and this definitely includes me, put into things that really don’t last. If we learn nothing else from 2020/2021, I hope that we learn a lesson or two about how much of a house of cards we really live in. Nothing in this life is guaranteed to be easy, but one thing is for sure: we do serve a God who truly does have a good plan for us. We simply need to trust Him.

Focus on the Narrow Road

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If you have been a Christian for any amount of time, you know that praying isn’t always an easy thing to do. Oh, don’t get me wrong. There are times when life is going good that we can tend to get over confident in our own abilities. Our prayers can become hollow and really we start to trust in ourselves more than God. Check that box, I know I am guilty of that from time to time. However, when we deal with hard things, that often drives us into a more genuine prayer life.

Unfortunately, no matter what translation of the Bible you look at, there is never a place where it says “Follow me, this path is easy”. Instead, it says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 NIV.

Narrow Road - North Maui Photograph by Amy Fose

Well, that’s encouraging.

Have you ever travelled on a narrow road? I know that I have. When you travel on a narrow road you have to take your time. It isn’t a freeway where you can set the cruise control and go without having to make a whole lot of adjustments. If that narrow road happens to be in rough terrain, you have to really slow down. You may even have to pull over and watch someone else pass you by from time to time. You can’t proceed faster than you are able, or you will likely wreck.

Our spiritual journey is like that. Sometimes we are able to roll very smoothly at a good pace. Other times, we take a hairpin turn and feel like we are headed in the exact wrong direction. That is when our prayer life needs to really kick in. So why not look at the model prayer for a little advice? I am referring to the Lord’s prayer that millions around the world have memorized and repeat often (See Matthew 6). However, there are a few key things in that prayer that should cause us to pause a little bit.

First it says to “give us this day our daily bread”. That is something that we as Americans struggle with big time, meaning I struggle with it big time. For proof of that look no further than the toilet paper extravaganza of 2020. We can’t even trust that we will have enough toilet paper without hoarding it, how are we ever going to trust God daily for something as basic as what we eat. That’s hard for me. I struggle when we get close to the end of the month and the cabinets start looking bare before I get to the store (I am a nerd who prefers to only shop once a month if possible). But we are not called to trust God for our monthly or weekly grocery trip, we are called to trust Him daily for our most basic necessities.

The second thing that can be tough in that prayer is where Jesus goes on to say “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”. That is scary. Some translations say forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. That’s terrifying. I don’t want to be forgiven in the way I forgive people sometimes. That should make us pause and think about who we may be holding unforgiveness toward. Jesus even goes on to say that if we forgive others, God will forgive us. But, if we don’t forgive others, God will also not forgive us.

Despite those challenging topics though, Jesus tells us that when we pray God already knows our needs. He does care about us, but he cares about us growing and becoming more Christ-like in the process. Jesus never once promises that He will always say yes to our requests. After all, also in the Lord’s prayer, it also says “may YOUR will be done” (emphasis mine). Believe it or not, our will is not always the same as God’s will. My prayer is that as I grow in my faith, my will will be in line with that of the Father’s. However, sometimes that is hard when we just don’t understand.

This year has been a year full of disappointments, frustrations, and loss. I find myself sometimes wavering in my own faith when things get tough, or when I feel like my prayers are not being answered. But I hold onto what God told Job when he felt the same way: “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.” Job 38:4 NLT.

Wow….that puts things in perspective. If God created the heavens and the earth and keeps the sun rising and setting every single day, I know that he is in control. We must reach a point where we can trust in that, no matter what the world looks like around us.

Don’t Create An Ishmael While You Wait On Your Isaac

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I am an extremely impatient person, as many of you may be.  I remember a particular Christmas as a kid when I actually tiptoed out of my room with a flashlight before dawn just to see what Santa had brought, then went back to bed and pretended to be surprised in the morning when I could finally get up (sorry mom).  I hate having to wait on things, especially if it is something I really want.
Over the years, I have really had to learn how to be patient.  One of the many areas I have had to learn the lesson of patience, has been in my finances.  When I first got married I knew nothing other than simply throwing things on a credit card or loan.  In my first few months of marriage in the process of building a home, my husband and I acquired one of the things many married couples do: debt.  We wound up with the Home Depot Card, Furniture Row Card, and a few other cards and debts.  Of course, we could have saved a little money by buying used, but hey we were married now so we deserved to buy new; regardless of whether we could afford the “things” or not.  Thank goodness, about 9 months after we were married, we wound up going through Financial Peace University (a class that teaches about finances from a Biblical perspective by Dave Ramsey) through our small group at church.  This course opened our eyes to see how important getting and staying out of debt was, and really revolutionized our thought process when it came to money.  We have had to make some tough decisions in order to not go back into the debt we use to live under.  It has not always been easy, but has always been worth it.
If you know the story of Abraham in the Bible, you know that there was a little bit of dysfunction in his life.  God had promised him a son, but time was ticking away and still he had no son.  His wife decided that since she couldn’t have a son that they could “rig it” and he could have a son through her servant Hagar (what wife in her right mind would do that???).  It worked, Hagar became pregnant and had a son she named Ishmael.  However, that was not he son God had promised.  Abraham and Sarah had jumped the gun and ended up with less than God’s best for them. One of my favorite things about this story is the fact that even though Abraham and Sarah had royally messed up (and we still feel the affects of this mess up all these years later, just look at the middle east), God continued to hold up his end of the promise.  The real blessing was Isaac who would be born from Sarah 14 years later. “The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would.” Genesis 21:1-2 NLT.
So many of us create our own Ishmael in the process of waiting on our Isaac.  It is so hard to wait, especially if things look impossible.  Things looked impossible for Abraham.  After all, he was 86 when Ishmael came along and 100 when Isaac finally arrived.  Talk about a long wait!  I honestly don’t blame them for trying their own way to make things happen.  However, had they simply waited and trusted in God, they could have avoided a lot of heartache.
So what is your Ishmael?  Have you entered into a bad relationship simply because you didn’t want to wait on who God has for you?  Or have you gotten yourself into insane amounts of debt because you didn’t want to wait and save up?  Or maybe you tried to force God’s hand on another thing you feel you have been promised and have made a mess of it.  Whatever your Ishmael, remember that God is true to his promises.  He has an Isaac in store if we can simply wait on His timing.

Impulsive Faith

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I am a chronic over-analyzer. I tend to absolutely overthink everything. I would not refer to myself as a perfectionist by any stretch of the imagination (if you want confirmation of that, just check out my lack of organizational skills), however, when I do something I want to do it well and feel like I owe it to myself and anyone else involved to do the best I possibly can. That tends to cause me a lot of lost sleep as I run through scenarios and conversations that have not even happened in the middle of the night. That quality also makes it difficult to take a step or a leap of faith when I feel called to do something. Rather than thinking about the possibilities of success if I take the step, I tend to think of what kind of ways I could fail.

Sadly, that way of thinking is the polar opposite of how we are supposed to really live out our faith. I don’t recall reading a story in the Bible where the characters had to “think and pray” about anything. They just did what they felt called to. Whether it was Rahab risking her life to protect the Hebrew spies (see Joshua 2), Noah building an Ark when he had never even seen rain (see Genesis 5), or my personal favorite, Peter stepping out of the boat (see Matthew 14), all of these giants of the faith took steps of faith, without hesitation.

News · Why did Jesus walk on water? · United Methodist Men

I especially love Peter, mostly because of his impulsive faith. Sometimes he gets a bad rap because he is impulsive. However, I have a different perspective. I think he is a giant in the area of faith. The man stepped out of a boat, during a storm!!! Who thinks that way? If you look at the story of Peter walking on water as a whole, the rest of the apostles reacted the way a lot of us would. They were fearful. They thought Jesus was a ghost. They had analysis paralysis and likely thought Peter was insane when he called out to Jesus and stepped out of the boat. The funny thing is though, that their hesitation made them miss out on another miracle (by the way, this happened right after Jesus miraculously fed a multitude).

I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to miss out on the miraculous things God has planned for me, because of fear of failure. Or worse yet, I don’t want to let the fear of what others may or may not think of me stop me from stepping out in faith. I lived the first 2/3 of my life missing out on things because I was trying to please others or look a certain way. Whether it was trying to please my parents, teachers or friends, or trying to portray myself as a perfect little Christian, I let those things keep me from taking any bold steps outside of what was “pleasing to man”. I don’t want to live that way. I want to be more like Peter and take bold steps of faith.

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 ESV

It is very hard to not want to please, or for some try to impress, those around us. We all want to feel like we belong and are accepted. What isn’t okay, is sacrificing our calling and our faith in order to be a part of that “in-crowd”. My prayer for all of us is that we would shed a little of that cautious nature, and start having a more impulsive faith like that of Peter, Ruth, Paul, Rahab, and countless others. When I leave this world, I want it to be said of me that I wasn’t afraid to take a step, or leap, of faith.

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Tough Days

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Frazzled Mom Cartoon Clipart | Tired mom, Frazzled mom, Busy mom

We are living in a very strange time right now. I have to admit, I am a little bit of a hermit in my normal life (as much as is possible as a public school teacher surrounded by people all day). I cherish the moments I get alone with no one demanding of me, whether it is a high schooler needing help on a math problem, or my own 3 children. However, this is different. This “social distancing” isolation thing is not the same as me shutting my classroom door during the lunch period to get work done and have a few moments alone to listen to my podcasts. No, this world that we are in proves what God himself said in the very beginning, “It is not good (beneficial) for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper [one who balances him- a counterpart who is] suitable and complementary for him.” Genesis 2:18 AMP

As humans, we need each other. We thrive when we are together and able to interact. On the other hand, when we are alone we tend to struggle. That is when depression and discouragement take hold. We need others to build us up.

Today was one of those tough days for me. I am fortunately not alone in my “social distancing”, I have my husband and 3 girls who keep me on my toes. However, I do miss the “outside” world. I miss my rare date nights going out with my husband. I miss having coworkers to talk to and joke around with without staring at a computer screen to do it. I miss going to the grocery store without feeling like you are in a war zone because everyone around you is wearing masks.

Today was one of those days where I looked around the house that I have cleaned 3 or 4 times already this week that looks like an explosion of crumbs, toys, shoes, and dirty laundry…again. It was a day that I have already done two loads of dishes, and probably need to do another. Today was a day where I should have been at church hugging friends and instead, I was stuck in the messy house staring at a screen pretending like it is the same thing. We all know it isn’t.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am so thankful for the technology we do have to be able to interact virtually. As a matter of fact, I have loved getting to “attend” other churches in neighboring towns because of the fact that everyone is now live streaming their services. I have really enjoyed that. I also appreciate that I have the means to text or call someone. But like I said, it’s not the same.

So what’s the solution?

I have no idea. To be honest with you, I am only writing this because I felt like I am probably not the only one feeling the same way. I think that we all now realize how much we have taken human interaction for granted. I never valued the interruptions I had when I was trying to get work done at school like I do now. I also never valued how good it felt to go to a grocery store or restaurant without feeling like I may just be swimming in a sea of germs (even though we always have been, just never thought about it).

If nothing else, I hope that we all come out of this appreciating each other a little bit more. I know that even though my kiddos are messy, I do appreciate the fact that I get to experience more little moments with them, like today when my sweet 4 year old finally mastered pedalling a bike. I have also loved seeing them learn more about reptiles because of the lizard, horny toad, and frogs they have found while playing outside. There are definitely blessings coming out of this pandemic.

My prayer right now is for every lonely person whether they are surrounded by family or don’t have anyone else around. I pray for the depressed and the discouraged. Know that even in your loneliest moment, God is there.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

Giveaway Time!

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wilderness

During the last financial crisis, in 2009, I was laid off from my job. It was a scary time for me and my husband. It’s hard to explain the emotions you go through.

Now we are in a whole new era with a different kind of crisis. So many have once again been laid off or furloughed from their jobs. There is a lot of uncertainty. Because of that, I want to give away 5 copies of the book I wrote born out of my own time of crisis, Finding God in the Wilderness: Learning to Trust God During Times of Uncertainty.

Entering is easy, simply comment on this post for yourself or tell me about a friend who you would like to enter (you can definitely do both). Please share this post on your social media as well!.

I will pick 5 winners on my wedding anniversary, April 28th.

If you just can’t wait until then, you can order a copy here.

 

Time to Step it Up

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Ladies, this one is for you. I have something on my mind, and have for a little while, it’s time to share it: We have got to do better!!!

Let me explain.

I want to flash back to junior high and high school for a minute. I remember back in those days so often preferring to hang out with “the guys” simply because girls can be so cruel. One minute we were best friends, and the next there was drama for one reason or another. I have already started seeing this happen with my second grade daughter. It’s heartbreaking when she comes home from school telling me that someone was mean to her and she was left out of a game on the playground.

I’m not sure what it is about females that causes us to be insecure, competitive, and sometimes downright mean. This shouldn’t be! After all, we are the nurturers. We should naturally be protective and encouraging of each other. We should believe the best about each other, unfortunately it is often just the opposite.

I absolutely love the story of Jonathan and David in 1 Samuel. Their friendship was unrivaled. It says in 1 Samuel 18:3 “Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.” Wow! Sign me up for that kind of friendship. I was re-reading the story of David and Jonathan the other night and I just couldn’t get over the selfless love they had for each other. They built each other up and encouraged each other, even though for Jonathan, it meant risking everything.

I have to admit, I am slightly jealous of my husband. He has never had a shortage of good friends. The thing about men, especially confident guys like my husband and most of the men he calls good friends, is they can just be relaxed and be themselves without comparison, judgement, or feeling like they have to portray themselves a certain way. I have some great female friends, but I can honestly say it has been years since I have had anything close to a “Jonathan/David” type of friendship. It seems like the older I get, the longer it takes us girls to tear down the walls between each other.

So what’s a girl to do? I want to issue a challenge that I myself have been try to do. I want to challenge every single woman who is reading this to go out of your way to encourage another woman. Whether that means speaking an encouraging word to someone, supporting a startup business, or even taking a younger woman under your wing, just do it! Be the friend that you want others to be to you! Use the idea of the golden rule: treat other women the way you want to be treated. Give the women you work with and do life with the benefit of the doubt.

When my husband and I first moved into the town where we live, 13 years ago, we had several couples in our church who took us in. We had no family in town, and really didn’t know anyone, but the people who poured into us then made so much of a difference. Be that person. Be the friend you wish others would be to you. Be the person to welcome someone new. Be the one to believe the best. Be the person to spread good news, and not rumors. Be the one to encourage another woman when she is trying something new. Be the one to build another woman up!!!

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Book Review: The Marriage Ark

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If you have been married for more than a day, it is pretty certain that you have encountered conflict in one form or another. It is inevitable for two people to live in a close relationship day in and day out without rubbing each other the wrong way from time to time. Regardless of whether you have been married in the past to someone else, have lived together, or have been dating for a long time, when you get married you enter a new level of relationship. This new relationship is one you enter with all the best intentions to make last, yet around 41% of 1st marriages end in divorce. I have yet to attend a wedding where the bride, or groom didn’t have all sorts of dreams about the future, none of which included divorce.

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In The Marriage Ark: Securing Your Marriage in a Sea of Uncertainty, author Margaret Phillips walks through how to build a strong marriage from 30+ years of experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist. She uses the story of Noah and the uncertainties he faced as an analogy for marriage. She really focuses on first the foundation of the marriage. She talks about how vital it is to look at things realistically, not in the technicolor glasses that so many people enter marriage with.

Throughout this short book, the author give some great advice about how to avoid major conflict before they start, especially for those who are not yet married. She also addresses how important it is to have the flexibility to withstand the natural twists and turns that you will encounter as a married couple. So many of us, myself included, enter marriage with the 20 year plan of how life is going to look. News flash: that twenty year plan rarely turns out exactly like you have it planned out. I know that from experience! 13 years into this marriage thing and my life looks much different than that wedding day plan. Different is not always bad though.

This is such a great book to add to your collection, whether you have been married 30 years, are engaged, or maybe just hope to get married someday. The author has so many practical tips to guide readers on how to deal with conflict, loss, and change. I really hope you will check this book out. If you would like a chance to win your own copy, please check out my Facebook page here.

A Matter of Trust

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The world has gone mad. I have go to be honest, what’s going on before our very eyes feels slightly like the vibe before Y2K mixed with the market crash in 2008…only amplified. Fear has taken hold and the world has gone a bit off the rails. Honestly, it kind of breaks my heart to see how quickly people have become selfish and panicked.

Is selfishness a sin?

No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

1 Corinthians 10:24 NIV

I was thinking about how many things we take for granted today, and it really humbled me. People are buying every item off a grocery store shelf, when just 2 weeks ago we took for granted how easy it was to get practically anything you wanted or needed at a big box store, or even with the click of a button on your phone app. Now the one item we probably all took for granted the most, toilet paper, has disappeared off the shelves and people have turned into hoarders overnight. I think it would be a great idea to take a deep breath and just think through all the things that we enjoy in this country. Is it inconvenient, absolutely. The uncertainty of what is to come over the next few days, weeks, and months can be a little unnerving if you sit and think about it too much.

One of my favorite verses during stressful times is Matthew 6:25-27 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”

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These birds don’t worry about a thing

I love the thought of that. Birds don’t worry, they just live one day at a time.

At our house we have quite a few animals running around. I can attest to the fact that they don’t worry about their future. They focus on right now. Their mode of operation never includes fretting about the upcoming winter or having the latest in ear tag fashion. No, instead they are focused on right now. I think we could learn a lot about a better way to live by observing the creatures around us. Prepare for the seasons ahead of us, but don’t fret about them.

With all this panic about a new virus floating around, and the massive damage it is doing to our economy, it is so easy to get pulled into fear and dread about the future. However, we have to remember: through it all God is still in control. I love the childlike faith of my girls. They don’t panic about the future. They dream of what could be. They talk about how they want to be teachers, singers, or doctors. They play pretend and have no fear of what is going on. They know that their mom and dad are going to take care of them, so they don’t have to worry. We need to be more like that. If God can create us out of nothing and uniquely gift each and every one of us, then nothing is too big for him, not even this virus.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT