so i just had to share this:
in case you didn’t know… a.j. and i are fasting together for 21 days. we just stepped into day 7 as of 1 minute ago and the Lord has done some serious work on me!
on the first day i was feeling a little reckless, so i went book shopping at goodwill. i found several christian books stacked on top of one another, including a bible study book about the fruits of the spirit. each chapter brings along little nuggets of wisdom that the Lord had waiting for me.
last night, however, hit me the hardest of all. it was, of course, a chapter about patience. i was struggling with my patience in the Lord for almost my entire life and now i am hearing about all of your struggles with patience in our support raising. it can be SO difficult to remain patient in this american life, especially when it comes to money.
what the Lord has put on my heart to tell all of you is to not lose faith, just because things aren’t going at the pace you’ve planned. it is hard to stay patient when satan clouds your head with fear of failure. it is even harder to stay patient when you see things unfolding in ways you weren’t expecting. no matter what happens, never forget that the Lord has a unique plan designed especially for each and every one of us.
i encourage you to practice patience by doing something that causes you impatience, and to ask the Lord to guide you through it. whether it be going to the bank at 4:30, driving in 5:00 traffic, picking up 4 elementary aged children from carpool or going grocery shopping with 3 kids under 10, do not lose sight of your patience.
finally, i have found a new biblical mantra that helps me out when i start to lose sight of my reality in the Lord. psalms 41:10a reads ‘be still and know that I am God’. simply quote this to yourself silently when your plans start to fray at the edges and allow Christ to sew it back together. you’d be surprised out how something so simple can slap some biblical sense into your head!
i love you all! please take gentle care of yourselves!
