Tag: encouragement

A New Song

I must admit, today didn’t start off well. I woke up feeling tired, discouraged, and more than a little hopeless.

It wasnt like something really negative had occurred, or like I had nothing to be grateful for – because that was far from the truth. It was just that my hormones and emotions were pulling me into a pit of depression and anxiety.

That all-too-familiar and dreaded pit of darkness.

I wanted to feel sorry for myself and wallow in my feelings of dejection. It would be so easy! And for a little while, I DID wallow. But God quickly pulled me closer to Himself and snapped me back to reality through a suggestion from my husband:

“Why don’t you put on some uplifting music?” he asked.

I didn’t want to – I just didnt feel like it! The pit I occupied was deep and dark, and it seemed impossible to try to climb out. Also, if I was honest, the pit felt somewhat comfortable in its familiarity.

But as I turned on some Christian music and sat down with Micah, our miracle child, the LORD faithfully began to pull me up out the depths with truths from His Word.

He loves me. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for my sins and to provide a way for me to have a relationship with Him. He is good, and wants what is best for me. I can trust Him. He is in control – and I don’t have to try to be!

Maybe you can understand my feelings of worry and despair. Maybe you’re in a dark pit of your own, and can’t seem to climb out. Look to God for help. Wait expectantly for His provision. He is faithful, and will not fail you. As you rely on His grace and strength, He will lift you out of the pit and provide a song in your heart – a new song of praise that will be a testimony to those around you. 💛

“I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.” ~ Psalm 40:1-3

Thankful Thursday – God Carries Our Burdens

I’ve been overwhelmed recently.

Overwhelmed by questions that I don’t have answers to and decisions that we need to make as a family. The future seems so unclear and confusing. We ask God for wisdom, but sometimes no direction is forthcoming. And it all gets wrapped up in a big bundle that I feel on my back, weighing me down.

But God doesn’t want that burden on my back. He wants to take it for me.

Matthew 11:28-30 reads, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

I’ve mentioned these verses before in my writing. It’s a promise that is special to me – however, I don’t often do my part by giving my burdens to the Lord and letting Him carry them for me. I can be a control freak, and letting go of those burdens means letting go of control. But I’m learning that we’re not meant to have that control.

It’s just too much! It’s too much. God never intended for us to be weighed down by burdens to the point of anxiety and even negative physical symptoms. He wants us to take His yoke upon us and let Him do all of the hard work – the lifting, the carrying, the controlling. He promises to gently come alongside us and take the weight, and to teach us the way to go. He will give us rest for our souls.

So today I’m grateful for a God who carries our burdens. And I pray that I will continually surrender the weight of my worries to Him, trusting that He’ll take care of me and our family and our future.

He is good, and He deserves my (and our) heartfelt praise. ❤

Photo by Ryan Jacobson on Unsplash

Thankful Thursday – And an Attitude Adjustment

God showed me today that I’ve been harboring an ungrateful attitude. Instead of letting go of the little things that bother me, I’ve been clinging to them and blowing them out of proportion. It’s difficult to receive an attitude adjustment…but God knows what I need, and always does what’s best for me.

So I figured it would be good to focus on some things that I’m thankful for. This way I can hopefully kick the ungratefulness to the curb. Here are a few things that I’m specifically thankful for today.

  1. The calming sound of the rain as it waters the earth. We’ve been getting a lot of rain along with thunder and lightning recently. Although I don’t enjoy when I have to go outside during a downpour, I do like listening to the steady rain on our rooftop when I’m trying to fall asleep at night.
  2. Birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, and other celebrations of life. Although I’m not a big fan of parties, it’s still nice to celebrate important milestones with friends and family.
  3. Books. Enough said.
  4. Coffee. Not much to add to that, either.
  5. A husband who works very hard to provide for our family. Even though he’s not crazy about his jobs, Roy shows up each day and does the best that he can.
  6. The vacation we were able to take. It’s not often that we get a lot of time together to just relax…but our trip to Virginia was a needed break, and we’re grateful to God for it.
  7. That God sees us and knows us completely and still loves us just the same.
  8. Good memories. It’s nice to reminisce with loved ones about stories from the past. The memories can even spur you on towards the future.
  9. Nature. Flowers, trees, raindrops, insects, clouds, and sunrises/sunsets are just a few. Nature inspires me.
  10. Prayer warriors. I’m so thankful for people who lift me up in prayer. When I’m weak, I know that others are helping to carry my burdens to the Lord.

Thank you so much for reading. 🙂 What is something that you are thankful for today? ❤

Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash