to the faint and weary

"Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
The Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
And to him who has not might He increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
And young men shall fall exhausted;
But they who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up on wings like eagles;
They shall run and not be weary;
They shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:28-31

every good gift

Yesterday I posted about a week with Jesus. Today, I gave the day to Jesus. It's funny, even though today wasn't free of the trials I have been experiencing day to day, it was different. I found myself praying, over and over, at the darkest point of my day. And it made all the difference. Jesus was with me today, and it was beautiful.

I have hope for tomorrow, and I can say without a doubt it is because of Him.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:17

Thank You Father, Thank You Son, Thank You Holy Spirit. You took today and made it good. Tomorrow and everyday is Yours.

a week with Jesus

For the days I wake up with bags under my eyes, greasy hair, and a nasty film over my teeth. The alarm startles my dreams and remind me it's time to leave my husband and cozy bed to hit the shower. Tim and I get into the car and commute to school/work and I say "I don't want this day, I'm ready for tomorrow."

Tim has graciously told me on several occasions that I should just give those days to God, especially since I don't seem to want them. Maybe He can make something good out of a day that seemed like a waste before it even began.

Sometimes I take this advice well, I pray and the day is new. Sometimes I don't. I insist that all I want to do is u-turn, go home, crawl into bed, and sip chamomile tea until evening rush hour is over. Since jobs pay the bills, I go to work anyway, and wander my way through a purposeless day, tired and ill-humored inside.

I don't want to live another day like this. I want to change my perspective on life, where everyday is lived for Christ and given to Him... whether I am ready for the day or not. It's hard to remember this when circumstances are rough, be it small (I didn't get enough sleep) or big (spiritual trials at work or home).

I'm sure, as always, that the answer lies where my heart is.... focused on myself or focused on Christ. Can my whole life revolve around Him the way it has revolved around me the last 23 years? What if I breathed, spoke, dreamed and lived Jesus all day long? I know this would change the look of my everyday, and this week I'm going to pursue this reality.

How do you feel about this? If you are anything like me, this probably seems impossible. And it is. I can't do it myself, neither can you. Don't feel bad, descendants of Adam and Eve are notoriously self-centered. I think the way to live like Jesus is to give every part of your life to Him. Let Him work in you.

So, it is easy for me to write this on Sunday, a day that I slept in, went to church, and have a free evening. It is difficult to live this tomorrow, an early Monday back at work, staring down another week. Everyday this week my goal is to verbally give the day to Jesus in the morning, whether or not I am ready for the day... and see where He takes it.

I think, regardless of alarm clocks, long hours, greasy hair, and traffic this is going to be a good week. Why? Because it doesn't belong to me anymore.

"Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise."

I love You Jesus.

a lesson in encouragement

Thursday morning. Two words. Sorely trying. In other words, very difficult. I work at a day program for adults with disabilities. The job is very rewarding and fun, and it can also be very draining. I generally shy away from writing about my job to protect the privacy of the participants and their families. But, I wanted to share this story today.

Thursday morning had had its fair share of meltdowns by 12:20 in the afternoon. I was feeling slightly (understatement) frazzled by the time I had finished my lunch. I was praying, "Lord, please help me make it through this day." I sat down in the lunch room, and one of the participants, I'll call her Elizabeth, looked across the table at me and said, "Hi Abby!" with a big grin on her face. "Hi Elizabeth." I smiled back. "I miss you Abby, I have fun with you." Elizabeth replied, still grinning.

Talk about heartwarming.

Elizabeth's small act of encouragement gave me a burst of energy for the rest of the day. I smiled more, I laughed with more joy. I knew someone was happy that I made it to work that morning, and it made all the difference.

I want to be more like Elizabeth. I would love to be the bright spot in someone else's day. I want to be an intentional encourager. I want to see the beauty that God has created in other individuals, and speak a little joy into their lives.

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up."

1 Thessalonians 5:11