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]]>Psalm 145:14 — The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
There’s a fine line between being prepared for a trip and packing like you’re moving away.
And apparently, I have a hard time finding that line.
You see, with my second job, I’m traveling more than ever these days.
And I’ve discovered something about myself.
I need to learn how to travel light.
Because somewhere along the way, I’ve convinced myself that a three-day trip requires enough clothing for two weeks.
Six pairs of shoes?
Of course.
Twelve pairs of pants?
Well, what if I change my mind?
And don’t even get me started on all the little things I throw into my suitcase “just in case.”
By the time I’m finished packing, I can barely lift the thing.
And then I’m standing there wondering why I need a back brace just to get my suitcase into the car.
All for a three-day trip!
But lately, I’ve been thinking about something.
There’s a difference between carrying what we need and carrying what we’ve simply gotten used to holding on to.
And I’m not just talking about luggage.
Because if we’re being truthful, some of us are walking through life with some pretty heavy baggage.
Old regrets.
Unforgiveness.
Worries about tomorrow.
Disappointments we haven’t been able to let go of.
Things someone said years ago that we still replay in our minds.
And sometimes, we’ve carried those things for so long that we don’t even realize how heavy they’ve become.
We just keep going.
Keep smiling.
Keep telling everybody we’re fine.
All the while, we’re struggling under the weight of things nobody else can see.
Have you ever felt that way?
I think that’s why I love Psalm 145:14.
“The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.”
What a beautiful picture of God’s heart.
He sees the person who’s struggling.
He notices the one who’s exhausted.
He doesn’t look at someone who’s fallen and tell them they should have been stronger.
He reaches down to help them up.
And He lifts those who are bent beneath their burdens.
I don’t know about you, but that brings me so much comfort.
Because sometimes, we convince ourselves that being strong means handling everything on our own.
We think we have to figure it all out.
Hold everything together.
Carry every responsibility without ever admitting we’re tired.
But God never asked us to be strong enough to live without Him.
In fact, Jesus invites those who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest.
Not after they’ve solved all their problems.
Not after they’ve finally gotten their lives together.
But right in the middle of their weariness.
And here’s something I’ve been learning.
Just because you’ve been carrying something for a long time doesn’t mean you have to keep carrying it the same way.
Now, that doesn’t mean every burden disappears the moment we pray.
Some situations still require difficult conversations.
Some responsibilities are ours to fulfill.
Some heartaches take time to heal.
And sometimes, God helps us through the people He places in our lives.
But even when the circumstances don’t change overnight, we can stop believing that we’re supposed to face them all alone.
We can bring our worries to Him.
Ask Him for wisdom.
Trust Him with the things we cannot control.
And allow His strength to support us when our own strength is running low.
So here’s a little challenge for you today.
Take a moment and think about what you’re carrying.
Not in your suitcase.
In your heart.
Is there an old hurt you’ve been holding on to?
A worry about tomorrow that’s stealing your peace today?
A regret you’ve replayed so many times that you’ve forgotten what it feels like to live without it?
Maybe it’s time to open up that emotional suitcase and take a look inside.
Ask God what needs your attention.
What needs healing.
And what you’ve been trying to control that you need to place in His hands.
Because you were never meant to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.
And the God who lifts those bent beneath their burdens is ready to help you with yours.
As for me?
I’m still working on the whole packing thing.
But I’m learning.
I really don’t need six pairs of shoes for a three-day trip.
And I certainly don’t need to drag around things that are weighing down my heart.
So here’s to lighter suitcases.
Lighter hearts.
And learning to trust the One who’s strong enough to carry what we cannot.
Travel light, my friends.
What am I carrying that God never intended for me to carry alone?
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]]>The post Through The Stormy Night appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>Psalms 30:4-5 — Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.
I thought that tent was going to come apart at any moment.
I was just a little girl, tucked inside a tent with my parents and siblings on one of our family camping trips.
Before we eventually upgraded to a travel trailer, all five of us squeezed into that tent for our weekend adventures.
And I loved those trips.
There was something so exciting about Friday afternoons when Mom and Dad finished work, and we loaded everything up to head out for the weekend.
The fresh air.
The campfires.
The adventure of sleeping outside.
Well, I loved most of it.
Because there was one particular camping trip I’ll never forget.
That was the night the storm came.
Rain hammered against the tent.
Wind rattled the poles.
And thunder cracked so loudly that I was sure the whole thing was about to collapse around us.
You know, it’s funny how something that feels perfectly safe when the sun is shining can suddenly seem awfully fragile in the middle of a storm.
Those tent walls that had felt so cozy at bedtime?
They didn’t seem nearly strong enough anymore.
And I was scared.
Really scared.
I lay there listening to the wind and rain, wondering how in the world we were going to make it through the night.
Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.
I woke my mom.
And I’ll never forget how she responded.
She didn’t panic.
She didn’t sound worried.
She simply spoke to me in that calm, reassuring voice that only a mama can have.
She told me we were safe.
That she was right there.
And that she wasn’t going to let anything happen to us.
Now, here’s the part that has stayed with me all these years.
The storm didn’t stop when my mother started talking.
The rain was still pounding against the tent.
The wind was still blowing.
The thunder was still rumbling in the distance.
But something changed.
Not outside.
Inside.
Because I trusted my mom, I was finally able to close my eyes and fall asleep.
And when I woke up the next morning, sunlight was streaming through the trees.
The storm had passed.
And there was this wonderful feeling of peace.
We had made it through the night.
You know, I think about that camping trip sometimes when life gets difficult.
Because storms don’t always come with thunder and lightning.
Sometimes, they come with a phone call you weren’t expecting.
A diagnosis you weren’t prepared to hear.
A relationship that’s falling apart.
Or a disappointment that leaves you wondering how you’re going to keep going.
And suddenly, the things that once made you feel secure don’t seem quite as strong as they used to.
That’s when fear has a way of creeping in.
And that’s when we need to remember the words of Psalm 30.
“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Isn’t that a beautiful promise?
Now, it doesn’t mean every problem will disappear when the sun comes up.
Some storms last longer than one night.
Some heartaches take time to heal.
And sometimes, the morning arrives while we’re still waiting for answers.
But the promise of Scripture is bigger than one sunrise.
It’s the reminder that sorrow doesn’t get the final word.
God does.
And the same God who walks with us through the darkness is still with us when morning comes.
I think that’s what my mother taught me that night, even though she probably didn’t realize it.
She couldn’t stop the rain.
She couldn’t silence the thunder.
But her presence and her voice reminded me that I wasn’t facing the storm alone.
And isn’t that what our Heavenly Father does for us?
He doesn’t promise we’ll never face frightening things.
But He does promise that He will never leave us.
And sometimes, just knowing He’s there gives us enough peace to close our eyes and rest, even while the storm is still raging.
Maybe that’s where you are today.
Maybe you’re in the middle of something you never saw coming.
Maybe you’re tired.
Maybe you’re frightened.
Maybe you’re wondering how you’re going to make it through the night.
If that’s you, I want you to remember something.
You don’t have to wait for the storm to end before you can find peace in the One who is with you.
Listen for His voice in Scripture.
Talk to Him about what frightens you.
And trust that even when you can’t see what’s coming next, He hasn’t lost sight of you.
Because the night won’t last forever.
And even when the road toward healing is longer than we hoped, God’s love will remain.
I still remember waking up that morning, seeing the sunlight filtering through the trees, and realizing we’d made it.
And I think one day, we’ll look back on some of the storms we’ve faced in life and recognize how faithfully God carried us through.
So hold on.
Keep trusting.
And remember the promise.
Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Can I trust God’s presence in the middle of my storm, even before I see the first signs of morning?
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]]>The post Take A Breath Today appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>Psalm 29:11 — The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.
Have you noticed the leaves beginning to change?
There’s something about this time of year that makes me want to slow down a little.
Maybe it’s the cooler air.
The colors in the trees.
Or the sound of leaves crunching beneath your feet as you walk along a trail.
And if you’ve ever spent a fall afternoon at Kiroli Park, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
For just a little while, you can step away from the noise.
No deadlines.
No ringing phones.
No problems you have to solve right this second.
Just the trees, the birds, and a world that keeps turning whether you’re rushing around or not.
I was reading recently about Forest Park in St. Louis being named the best city park in America, and it got me thinking about how much places like that mean to us.
Not because they’re flashy.
Not because there’s always something exciting happening.
But because they give us something we don’t always realize we need.
Room to breathe.
And goodness, don’t we need that sometimes?
Because life has a way of making us believe that everything depends on us.
The bills have to be paid.
The deadlines have to be met.
The family needs something.
Work needs something.
And there’s always one more thing waiting for our attention.
Even when we finally sit down, our minds don’t always get the message.
We’re still thinking about tomorrow.
Replaying yesterday.
Trying to figure out how we’re going to handle everything that’s coming next.
And before long, we’re exhausted.
Not just physically.
But emotionally and spiritually, too.
Yet there’s something beautiful about Psalm 29.
If you read the entire chapter, you’ll notice that David spends much of it describing the incredible power of God.
His voice thunders over the waters.
His voice breaks mighty cedars.
His glory fills creation.
It’s a picture of a God whose power is beyond anything we can imagine.
And then, after all those descriptions of His strength and majesty, the psalm ends with these words:
“The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.”
Isn’t that something?
The same God whose voice shakes the wilderness is the God who offers peace to you and me.
The One who commands the mighty waters isn’t overwhelmed by the things that overwhelm us.
He isn’t worried about tomorrow.
He isn’t surprised by what happened yesterday.
And He certainly isn’t asking us to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders.
He’s asking us to trust the One who already holds it.
Now, that doesn’t mean our responsibilities disappear.
The bills will still need to be paid.
The difficult conversations may still need to happen.
And tomorrow may bring challenges we haven’t even thought about yet.
But we don’t have to carry all of that as though we’re facing it alone.
Sometimes, we need to remember that being still isn’t the same thing as being irresponsible.
Taking a moment to rest doesn’t mean we’ve stopped caring.
And stepping away from the noise doesn’t mean everything is going to fall apart.
Sometimes, rest is simply an act of trust.
It’s our way of saying, “Lord, I know there are things I need to do. But I also know that You are God, and I am not.”
And there’s freedom in that.
So maybe today, you need to take a little walk.
Find a quiet spot.
Leave your phone in your pocket.
Listen to the birds.
Watch the leaves moving in the breeze.
And for just a few minutes, let yourself be reminded of how big God is.
You don’t have to solve every problem before you can experience His peace.
You don’t have to have tomorrow figured out before you can rest today.
And you don’t have to hold everything together.
Because the world can keep turning while you take a breath.
And do you know what?
He will still be God when you return.
What am I trying so hard to hold together that I need to trust God with today?
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]]>The post Bad Cookies, Good God appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>Lamentations 3:22-23 — The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
My oven quit the other day.
Now, I’m pretty sure this oven came over on the Mayflower, so I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised.
It had a good run.
But that meant I needed a new one.
And that’s when I discovered something nobody had bothered to tell me.
Apparently, 350 degrees on one oven doesn’t always bake quite the same way as 350 degrees on another.
Who knew?
Well, I certainly didn’t.
At least, not until I pulled my first batch of cookies out of the new oven.
And let me tell you.
Those cookies were harder than my dining room table.
I didn’t technically burn them, but I’m pretty sure you could’ve lost a tooth trying to eat one.
They were not good.
Not even a little bit.
So, into the trash they went.
And I was frustrated.
Now, was I devastated?
No.
Heartbroken?
Of course not.
They were cookies, for goodness’ sake.
But I was frustrated.
And you know how that goes.
Sometimes, it doesn’t take something big to put us in a bad mood.
A rude comment.
A flat tire.
An email you really didn’t want to receive.
Or a batch of cookies that could probably survive being dropped off the roof.
And suddenly, that one little disappointment starts coloring the way we see everything else.
The rest of the day feels harder.
Our patience gets shorter.
And before we know it, we’re allowing one frustrating moment to decide what kind of day we’re going to have.
Have you ever done that?
I know I have.
But that got me thinking about a passage in Lamentations.
Now, Lamentations wasn’t written about a bad batch of cookies.
Not even close.
It’s a book filled with deep sorrow over the destruction of Jerusalem and the suffering of God’s people.
The grief was real.
The loss was overwhelming.
And the circumstances weren’t going to be fixed by simply starting over.
But right there, in the middle of all that heartbreak, we find these beautiful words:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Think about that.
Those words weren’t written because everything was going wonderfully.
They were spoken in the middle of sorrow.
And that’s what makes them so powerful.
God’s faithfulness doesn’t depend on how well our day is going.
His mercy isn’t reserved for the mornings when we wake up happy and everything goes according to plan.
It’s there when the day starts badly.
It’s there when we’re disappointed.
It’s there when we’re tired, overwhelmed, or wondering how we’re going to make it through something much bigger than a frustrating afternoon.
And His mercies are new every morning.
Every. Single. Morning.
That means yesterday’s disappointment doesn’t have to define today.
And today’s frustration doesn’t have to steal every bit of joy from what comes next.
Now, I’m not saying we should pretend that difficult things don’t hurt.
Some disappointments are much bigger than others.
Some take time to heal.
And some seasons of life are genuinely hard.
But even in those seasons, we can hold on to this truth:
Whatever changes around us, God’s love for us does not.
So maybe something didn’t go the way you hoped this week.
Maybe somebody hurt your feelings.
Maybe your plans fell apart.
Or maybe, like me, you just wanted a decent batch of cookies and ended up with something that could be used as a doorstop.
Whatever it is, don’t let that one moment convince you that everything else is ruined.
Take a breath.
Give yourself a little grace.
And remember that God’s mercy is still there.
Because even when the cookies are a complete loss, God’s faithfulness never is.
And tomorrow?
Well, tomorrow comes with brand-new mercies.
And maybe, just maybe, a better batch of cookies.
Am I allowing one disappointing moment to define my day, or am I making room to recognize God’s mercy in what comes next?
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]]>The post You’re Gonna Be Alright appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>Matthew 6:25-26 — 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?
Some days, faith looks less like standing on a mountaintop and more like hanging on by your fingernails.
You know those days.
When the bills keep coming.
When the doctor’s office calls.
When someone you love is hurting, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do to fix it.
And everybody keeps telling you to trust God, but if you’re being truthful, you’re just trying to make it through the day.
That’s one of the things I appreciate about Matt Maher’s song, “Gonna Be Alright.”
It makes room for those days.
It doesn’t pretend that life is always easy or that we’ll never face something that shakes us to our core.
Instead, it reminds us of something we desperately need to remember.
Even when everything around us feels uncertain, God hasn’t changed.
And that’s exactly what Jesus was teaching in Matthew 6.
He told the people listening to Him to look at the birds.
Now, think about that for a minute.
Birds don’t plant crops.
They don’t fill barns with food for next winter.
They don’t have savings accounts or carefully planned retirement funds.
And yet, God provides for them.
Then Jesus asks a question that I think we sometimes read right past.
“And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?”
Let those words settle into your heart.
You are valuable to Him.
Not because you’ve managed to keep everything together.
Not because your faith has never wavered.
Not because you’ve figured out how to handle every problem life throws your way.
But because you belong to Him.
Of course, knowing that and feeling it can be two very different things.
The bills still have to be paid.
The medical tests still have to be taken.
The difficult conversations still have to happen.
And sometimes, even when we know God is faithful, we’re still afraid.
But here’s what I want you to remember.
Trusting God doesn’t mean you’ll never feel worried. It means you know where to take your worries when they come.
Jesus isn’t telling us to ignore our responsibilities or pretend our problems aren’t real.
He’s inviting us to stop carrying tomorrow’s burdens as though we’re carrying them alone.
And I think that’s where so many of us struggle.
We spend today worrying about what might happen tomorrow.
And then we worry about what we’ll do if it does.
Before long, we’ve lived through a hundred terrible possibilities in our minds, and none of them has even happened yet.
But our Heavenly Father already knows what we need.
He sees what we’re facing.
And He hasn’t forgotten us.
Now, that doesn’t mean everything will work out exactly the way we hope.
Sometimes the answer isn’t what we prayed for.
Sometimes the road is harder than we imagined.
And sometimes, we have to keep trusting God without knowing how the story is going to unfold.
But even then, His love doesn’t disappear.
His mercy doesn’t run out.
And His presence doesn’t depend on our circumstances.
So maybe today, you don’t feel particularly strong.
Maybe your faith feels a little shaky.
Maybe you’re holding on by your fingernails.
If that’s you, I want to encourage you to do something Jesus told us to do.
Look at the birds.
Really look at them.
Watch them for a moment.
And remember that the same God who created them, who knows their needs and provides for them, knows yours too.
You don’t have to figure out every detail of tomorrow today.
You don’t have to pretend you’re not afraid.
And you certainly don’t have to face any of it without Him.
Because the God who holds tomorrow is the same God who’s holding you today.
And even when you don’t know what’s coming next, you can rest in the love of the One who does.
What am I trying to carry into tomorrow that I need to place in God’s hands today?
Gonna be alright
Lilies of the field
They don’t toil they don’t spin
Sparrows in the wind
They sing of where they’ve been
If the hairs on my head are counted
And the tears that I cry, are too
Then why would I be anxious
If? It’s all just the same to you
Chorus:
I lift my eyes I know
Everything gonna be alright
My Lord
So why should I worry
Not a thing
That I lack
You’re with me
That’s a fact
I’m alive
It’s a ride
Where I go Lord I know
It’s gonna be alright
V2
Best days or my worst,
If i’m last or if i’m first
Sunshine or rain
The sky might fall but You remain
If the whole world’s in your hands Lord
and mercy’s always new
Then why would I be anxious
When It’s all just the same to you
There’s peace for the trouble this day
There’s hope that everything could change
Tomorrow’s gonna find it’s way
If you’re hanging on the edge of faith
Don’t be afraid
Songwriters: Matt Maher, Simon Dumas, Cecily Hennigan
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]]>The post Love Smells Like Donuts appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>1 Timothy 1:5 — The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.
Is there a smell that can take you back to a certain place in an instant?
Maybe it’s your mama’s cooking.
Freshly baked bread.
Or something simmering on the stove.
For me?
It’s donuts.
And not just any donuts.
I’m talking about the homemade kind, fried fresh and served warm.
You see, when I was growing up, my grandma had a Halloween tradition that was a little different from everybody else’s.
While the neighbors were handing out little pieces of chocolate and hard candy, Grandma was standing on her front porch with an electric frying pan.
Making donuts.
Yes. You heard that right.
Fresh, homemade donuts.
Right there on the porch.
And let me tell you, the neighborhood kids knew exactly which house to visit.
They lined up for those donuts.
And so did their parents.
Because apparently, even grown-ups will abandon all dignity when a warm donut is involved.
And I can’t say I blame them!
But here’s what I remember most.
Grandma wasn’t doing anything fancy.
She wasn’t hosting some big event.
She was simply sharing something she loved making with the people around her.
And somehow, all these years later, I can still picture that porch.
I can still imagine the smell.
And I can still remember how special she made everyone feel.
Years later, when my two nieces started spending the night with me, we created our own little donut tradition.
The next morning, we’d get up and make homemade donuts together.
Now, I don’t know if they loved the donuts more or just loved being together.
But I know those mornings became something special to all three of us.
So special, in fact, that anytime I saw something with donuts on it while shopping for their birthdays or Christmas, you can bet I was buying it.
Donut pajamas?
Absolutely.
Something with a donut printed on it?
Into the shopping cart.
Because those silly little donuts had become a reminder of something much bigger.
Love.
Family.
Time spent together.
You know, these days I’ve heard people are putting all kinds of things on donuts.
Ham.
Cream cheese.
Fancy toppings I never would have imagined.
And hey, if that’s your thing, go right ahead.
But I’ve decided the best part of a donut has never been what’s on top.
It’s who you’re sharing it with.
And that makes me think about something Paul wrote to Timothy.
In 1 Timothy 1:5, he explains that the purpose of his instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.
Think about that.
With all the things Paul could have emphasized, he wanted Timothy to understand that the goal was love.
Not just knowing the right answers.
Not simply looking like a good Christian.
But becoming the kind of person whose faith is genuine and whose love flows from a heart being changed by Jesus.
And here’s what I find so beautiful about that.
Love doesn’t always have to be something big.
It doesn’t always require a lot of money.
Or a perfectly planned moment.
Sometimes, love looks like an electric frying pan on a front porch.
Sometimes, it looks like two sleepy nieces making donuts after a sleepover.
Sometimes, it’s a cup of coffee with a friend, a phone call to someone who’s lonely, or an extra place at your dinner table.
Little things.
Ordinary moments.
But when they’re offered with genuine love, they have a way of staying with people.
I doubt my grandma ever imagined that decades later I’d still be talking about those Halloween donuts.
She probably just wanted to make the neighborhood kids smile.
But that’s the thing about love.
You don’t always know how far a small act of kindness will travel.
Sometimes, it travels all the way from a grandmother’s front porch into the hearts of another generation.
And maybe that’s worth thinking about today.
You don’t have to do something extraordinary to show someone the love of Jesus.
You just have to be willing to love the people God puts in front of you.
Because when Christ changes your heart, that love has a way of finding its way into everyday life.
And sometimes?
It smells a whole lot like homemade donuts.
What small act of love could I offer today that someone might remember for years to come?
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]]>The post The Songs Mama Sang appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>Ephesians 1:7 — He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
I can still smell the butter beans simmering on the stove.
And the pot roast browning in the kitchen.
Growing up in Tallulah, Louisiana, our kitchen wasn’t very big, but somehow, Mom always managed to fill it with the most wonderful smells.
And if she was making her famous rice and gravy, well, you could count on finding me somewhere nearby, waiting impatiently for supper.
But there was something else that filled that little kitchen.
Music.
You see, Mom loved to sing while she cooked.
And not just any songs.
She sang the old hymns.
“At the Cross.”
“What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”
“The Old Rugged Cross.”
I can still hear her voice.
And isn’t it funny how a song can take you back?
All these years later, I can hear one of those hymns and suddenly I’m that little girl again, standing in Mom’s kitchen, waiting for supper.
But lately, something has changed.
I’m listening to those songs differently.
Especially the ones about the Cross.
You know, I’ve known about Jesus’ death and resurrection for as long as I can remember.
I’ve celebrated Easter.
I’ve heard the sermons.
I’ve sung the songs.
But lately, during my quiet time with God, I’ve found myself thinking more deeply about what happened on that Cross.
Not just the familiar story.
But the reality of it.
Jesus.
The Son of God.
Suffering.
Bleeding.
Giving His life.
For me.
And sometimes, when I sit quietly and think about that, it almost takes my breath away.
Because the Cross wasn’t just something that happened a long time ago. It was the price of my freedom.
Ephesians 1:7 says, “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.”
Think about those words.
Purchased our freedom.
Forgave our sins.
And not because we’d earned it.
Not because we’d somehow managed to be good enough.
But because God is so rich in kindness and grace.
You know, we talk a lot about generosity.
About giving what we have.
About making sacrifices for the people we love.
But when I think about the Cross, I realize that every act of love we offer is only a small reflection of the love Jesus has already shown us.
He didn’t give us something He could spare.
He gave Himself.
And through His sacrifice, He made a way for us to be forgiven, redeemed, and brought into a relationship with God.
That’s a gift we could never afford.
And one we could never repay.
But we can receive it.
We can live in gratitude for it.
And we can allow that love to change the way we love others.
I think that’s what has been stirring in my heart lately.
The more I understand what Jesus gave for me, the more I want my own life to reflect His love.
Not because I’m trying to earn His approval.
But because I’ve already been given more grace than I could ever deserve.
And now, when I hear those old hymns, I hear something I didn’t fully understand as a little girl.
Back then, I heard Mama singing while she made supper.
Today, I hear her singing about the Savior who gave His life for mine.
About forgiveness.
About grace.
About a love so great that it went all the way to the Cross.
And suddenly, those familiar songs mean more than they ever have before.
So the next time you hear an old hymn about the Cross, don’t let it become just another familiar song.
Listen a little closer.
Think about what Jesus gave.
Think about what His sacrifice means for you.
And let your heart be filled with gratitude.
Because all those years ago, in that little kitchen in Tallulah, Mama wasn’t just singing hymns while she cooked supper.
She was singing about the greatest gift I would ever receive.
Have I become so familiar with the story of the Cross that I’ve forgotten to stand in awe of what Jesus did for me?
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]]>The post Seven Dollars and Thirty-Two Cents appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>Proverbs 15:16 — Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.
There was coffee brewing at the radio station the morning of our fundraiser.
Which was appropriate, because Tammi and I are both coffee girlies.
And if you know us, you know we take our coffee seriously.
As we were sipping, Tammi started telling me about her morning drive-through routine.
“I know I could make coffee at home,” she said, “but it just tastes so much better when someone else makes it.”
Yes.
Amen.
I couldn’t agree more!
There are just some things in life that are better when somebody else does the work.
And coffee is definitely one of them.
But somewhere in the middle of our conversation, Tammi remembered she had a little cash in her wallet.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I hardly ever carry cash anymore.
So she pulled it out and started counting.
A few bills.
Some change.
And when she finished, she had exactly seven dollars and thirty-two cents.
$7.32.
She looked at it for a moment and said, “You know what? I’m going to give this.”
And just like that, she did.
Now, Tammi knew exactly where that money probably would have gone.
Another trip through the coffee drive-through.
Another cup of coffee she didn’t really need.
And listen, there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a good cup of coffee!
But in that moment, she decided there was something else she wanted to do with those dollars.
And I just loved that.
Not because $7.32 was some enormous sacrifice.
Not because it was going to change the entire fundraising total.
But because she didn’t stop to ask whether what she had was enough to matter.
She simply decided to use it for something that mattered to her.
And I’ve been thinking about that ever since.
Especially when I read Proverbs 15:16.
“Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.”
Now, that verse isn’t saying it’s wrong to have money.
And it isn’t saying that having less automatically makes us more spiritual.
It’s reminding us that the amount we have matters far less than the place it holds in our hearts.
Because you can have a lot and still feel like you never have enough.
Or you can have a little and discover a deep sense of peace because you know where your security really comes from.
Not your bank account.
Not your possessions.
But the Lord.
And that changes how we think about generosity.
Because sometimes we convince ourselves that we’ll be generous later.
When we have more.
When the bills are paid.
When there’s a little extra sitting in the bank.
And of course, we need to be wise with our money and take care of our responsibilities.
But generosity doesn’t always have to wait for some future season when everything feels financially comfortable.
Sometimes it begins with a simple question.
What do I have right now that I could use to bless someone else?
You know, that reminds me of another story in the Bible.
A little boy with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Not exactly enough to feed a crowd of thousands.
But he offered what he had.
And in the hands of Jesus, that small lunch became part of something extraordinary.
Now, I’m not suggesting every small gift will turn into a miracle like that one.
But I do think there’s something beautiful about being willing to offer what we have instead of focusing on what we don’t.
Tammi had $7.32.
The little boy had five loaves and two fish.
And maybe today, you have something you could share, too.
It might be money.
It might be time.
It might be a talent, a kind word, or an opportunity to help someone who needs it.
Whatever it is, don’t dismiss it just because it seems small.
Because generosity doesn’t begin with having a lot. It begins with a heart that’s willing to share.
And sometimes, that looks like seven dollars and thirty-two cents.
And one less trip through the coffee drive-through.
What do I already have that I could use to bless someone else today?
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]]>The post From Hobby to Hero appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>2 Thessalonians 1:3 — Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.
It all started with a YouTube video.
Thirteen-year-old Zach watched someone using a 3D printer and thought, Hey, I want to try that!
Now, most kids might use a 3D printer to make something fun.
A toy.
Something cool for their bedroom.
Maybe something they could show off to their friends.
But Zach had a different idea.
He heard about a little girl with special needs who needed a wheelchair.
And instead of thinking, Somebody should do something about that, he decided to see what he could do.
So he got to work.
And let me tell you, this wasn’t some little weekend project.
Zach spent 300 hours that summer designing and building a wheelchair for her.
Three hundred hours!
But here’s what makes this story so special.
He didn’t just design a wheelchair.
He designed a wheelchair for her.
He thought about what she needed.
Adjustable footrests and a headrest so the chair could grow with her.
Space for her medical equipment.
A tray.
A cup holder.
And even pink accents.
Why pink?
Because pink was her favorite color.
Now, I love that detail.
Because it tells me Zach wasn’t just trying to solve a problem.
He was thinking about the person who had the problem.
He wanted her to have something that would make her life easier, but also something that felt like it belonged to her.
He could have stopped at making a chair. Instead, he made her chair.
And isn’t that a beautiful picture of what love looks like?
Love pays attention.
Love notices the little things.
And love is willing to put in the time to make a difference.
In 2 Thessalonians, Paul writes something beautiful to the believers there.
He says, “We can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.”
I love the connection between those two things.
Their faith was growing.
And so was their love.
Because when faith grows in our hearts, love should begin showing up in our actions.
And sometimes those actions look pretty ordinary.
Maybe you don’t have a 3D printer.
I certainly wouldn’t know what to do with one!
But you have something.
Maybe you’re good at fixing things.
Maybe you love to cook.
Maybe you have a gift for music, or teaching, or making people laugh when they’ve had a terrible day.
Maybe you’re the person who knows how to listen without interrupting.
Or the one who always seems to notice when somebody needs a little encouragement.
You might not think those things are anything special.
But to the right person, at the right moment, they could mean more than you realize.
You see, Zach didn’t have to wait until he was older.
He didn’t have to become an engineer.
He didn’t have to have a lot of money.
He started with something that interested him.
And then he looked for a way to use it to help somebody else.
That’s what I want us to remember today.
God can use what’s already in your hands to meet a need that’s on somebody else’s heart.
And sometimes, the greatest gift isn’t the thing we make or the money we give.
It’s the love and thoughtfulness behind it.
It’s taking the time to notice what someone really needs.
It’s caring enough to make something personal.
Just like Zach did.
So today, take a moment and think about what God has given you.
Your abilities.
Your interests.
Your experiences.
Your time.
And ask Him a simple question.
“Lord, how can I use what You’ve given me to love somebody else?”
Because somewhere nearby, there may be someone who needs exactly what you have to offer.
And who knows?
What seems like an ordinary gift in your hands might become something extraordinary in theirs.
What has God already placed in my hands that I could use to make someone else’s life better?
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]]>The post The Sound of Two Coins appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>Philemon 1:6 — And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.
There are some gifts you can hear.
A big check landing in a church offering plate has a certain sound.
So does a pocketful of change when somebody drops it all at once.
But I want you to imagine a much quieter sound.
Clink.
Clink.
Just two little coins.
That’s all.
There’s a story in the Bible about a widow who walked into the temple one day while Jesus was watching people bring their offerings.
The wealthy were giving large amounts.
And then came this woman.
A widow.
Someone who likely knew what it meant to live with very little.
She stepped forward and dropped two small copper coins into the offering.
Clink. Clink.
No applause.
No big announcement.
Nothing that would have caused the crowd to stop and stare.
In fact, if you’d been standing nearby, you might not have noticed her at all.
But Jesus did.
And what He said next probably surprised everybody.
He called His disciples over and told them that this poor widow had given more than all the others.
Now, wait a minute.
More?
The wealthy people had given far larger amounts.
Her two coins were worth almost nothing.
But here’s what Jesus understood that everyone else seemed to miss.
He wasn’t measuring the size of her gift. He was seeing the sacrifice behind it.
The others had given out of their abundance.
But this woman had given everything she had to live on.
And suddenly, those two tiny coins didn’t seem so small anymore.
You know, I think there’s something about this story that challenges the way we look at generosity.
Because we tend to measure gifts by numbers.
How much was given?
How much was raised?
How big was the contribution?
But Jesus looked beyond the amount.
He saw the person.
He saw what the gift represented.
And He saw something nobody else could see.
Her heart.
Now, this story isn’t a command for everyone to empty their bank accounts or ignore their responsibilities.
But it does remind us that God sees generosity differently than we do.
And that’s where today’s Scripture comes in.
In Philemon, Paul prays that generosity flowing from faith will grow as believers recognize all the good things they have in Christ.
I love that.
Because generosity doesn’t begin with looking at what we have in our wallets.
It begins with remembering what we’ve already received from God.
Grace we could never earn.
Forgiveness we could never deserve.
A Savior who gave Himself for us.
And the promise that we belong to Him.
When we remember those gifts, something begins to change.
We stop thinking of generosity as a way to impress God.
And we begin to see it as a response to His goodness.
We give because we’ve been loved.
We share because we’ve been blessed.
We look for ways to help because Jesus has already given so much to us.
And sometimes, what we have to offer may seem small.
A few dollars.
A little time.
A simple act of kindness.
Something that might never get noticed by anyone else.
But don’t underestimate what God can do with a willing heart.
Because the widow’s two coins remind us that the value of a gift isn’t always something you can count.
Sometimes it’s found in the love behind it.
Sometimes it’s found in the trust it represents.
And sometimes it’s found in a quiet act of faith that nobody else even notices.
Nobody, that is, except Jesus.
So today, don’t spend your time comparing what you can give with what somebody else can give.
Instead, ask God to help you recognize all He’s already given you.
And then look for an opportunity to let that gratitude become generosity.
Because the gifts that matter most aren’t always the ones that make the biggest noise.
Sometimes they sound like this.
Clink.
Clink.
Am I measuring what I have to give by its size, or by the love and faith behind it?
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]]>The post Running Low, But Not Running Out appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>Psalm 34:10 — Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.
Have you ever looked at your bank account and thought, “Lord, I have absolutely no idea how this is going to work”?
The house payment is due.
The car payment is coming.
The grocery list keeps getting longer, but the money seems to be getting shorter.
And suddenly, tuna fish sandwiches are looking pretty good!
If you’ve ever been there, you know those are the moments when trusting God isn’t just a nice Christian phrase.
It’s something you desperately need.
Because faith feels a whole lot easier when the bills are paid and there’s money left in the bank.
But what about the seasons when there isn’t enough?
When you’re doing everything you know to do, and the numbers still don’t add up?
When you’re praying for provision, but you’re not sure where it’s going to come from?
That’s when Psalm 34:10 offers us a beautiful reminder.
“Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.”
Think about that.
Even lions, some of the strongest creatures in the wild, aren’t guaranteed a full stomach every day.
Their strength doesn’t mean they’ll never experience hunger.
And our faith doesn’t mean we’ll never experience hardship.
But here’s what I love about this verse.
Our circumstances may change, but God’s goodness doesn’t.
Now, that doesn’t mean God promises to fill our bank accounts or make every financial problem disappear.
Sometimes His provision comes through an unexpected opportunity.
Sometimes it’s through the kindness of another person.
And sometimes it’s the strength, wisdom, and peace we need to make it through a difficult season.
But whatever the situation, we can trust that God sees us, knows what we need, and hasn’t forgotten us.
And there’s something else I’ve been thinking about.
When we know God is our provider, we don’t have to let fear make every decision for us.
That changes how we think about generosity, too.
Because isn’t it easy to say, “I’ll be generous when I have a little more”?
When the bills are caught up.
When the savings account looks better.
When there’s something left over.
And listen, we absolutely need to be wise with what God has entrusted to us. Taking care of our families and meeting our responsibilities matters.
But generosity isn’t always about money.
Sometimes it’s sharing a meal.
Sometimes it’s offering your time.
Sometimes it’s giving someone a ride, making a phone call, or helping a neighbor who’s having an even harder day than you are.
And yes, sometimes, when we’re able, it’s sharing financially even when we don’t have an abundance.
Because generosity isn’t measured by how much we have. It’s revealed in how willing we are to love.
Maybe you’re in a lean season right now.
Maybe you’re staring at bills and wondering how everything is going to come together.
If that’s you, I want you to hear something today.
Having a need doesn’t mean you’ve failed at trusting God.
And struggling doesn’t mean He’s stopped taking care of you.
You can bring those worries to Him.
You can ask Him for help.
And you can trust Him one day at a time, even while you’re still waiting for answers.
But maybe you’re in a season where you have a little extra.
If so, ask God to show you someone who could use some encouragement or help.
You never know.
The very provision someone else is praying for might be something God has placed in your hands to share.
And whether you’re the one who needs help or the one who can offer it, remember this:
God’s goodness isn’t determined by the balance in your bank account.
So trust Him with what you need.
Thank Him for what you have.
And keep your heart open to what He might do through you.
Because even when life feels like there’s not enough, God’s goodness has not run out.
Am I allowing what I don’t have to overshadow my trust in the God who knows what I need?
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]]>The post Tree Climber Theology appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>Luke 15:4 — If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?
Have you ever noticed how quickly we can decide we know someone?
Maybe we’ve heard a story about them.
Maybe we know something they did years ago.
Or maybe we’ve just watched them make a few bad decisions, and we’ve already made up our minds about who they are.
It’s funny how easily a person’s reputation can become their entire identity in our eyes.
But aren’t you glad Jesus doesn’t see people that way?
There’s a story in the Bible about a man named Zacchaeus.
And let me tell you, Zacchaeus had a reputation.
He was a wealthy tax collector, and in those days, tax collectors weren’t exactly winning popularity contests.
They were known for taking advantage of people, and Zacchaeus certainly wasn’t someone the crowd was eager to welcome.
But one day, Jesus was passing through Jericho.
And Zacchaeus wanted to see Him.
There was just one little problem.
Zacchaeus was short.
And with all those people crowding around Jesus, he couldn’t see a thing.
So he did what any determined grown man would do.
He climbed a tree.
Now, can you imagine that?
Here’s this wealthy, important man perched up in a tree like a little kid, just hoping to catch a glimpse of Jesus.
I wonder what he was thinking up there.
Maybe he figured he’d watch Jesus pass by and then quietly climb back down.
After all, why would Jesus want anything to do with a man like him?
But then something happened Zacchaeus probably never expected.
Jesus stopped.
He looked up.
And He called Zacchaeus by name.
“Zacchaeus! Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
Now, notice what Jesus didn’t say.
He didn’t say, “Zacchaeus, straighten out your life first.”
He didn’t say, “Explain yourself.”
And He certainly didn’t say, “Once you’ve earned everybody’s approval, maybe we can talk.”
No.
Jesus simply called him down and invited Himself over.
Jesus saw the man everyone else had already decided they knew.
And that changes everything.
Because in Luke 15, Jesus tells us about a shepherd with a hundred sheep.
When one wanders away, the shepherd goes looking for it.
Not because that one sheep is worth more than the other ninety-nine.
But because the one that’s missing matters, too.
And isn’t that exactly what we see in Zacchaeus?
While the crowd saw a sinner, Jesus saw someone worth seeking.
While others grumbled that Jesus would spend time with a man like him, Jesus was already doing what He came to do.
Reaching the lost.
In fact, at the end of Zacchaeus’s story, Jesus says something that connects these two passages beautifully.
“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
And here’s what I love.
Jesus didn’t wait for Zacchaeus to get his act together before He approached him.
But that encounter didn’t leave Zacchaeus unchanged, either.
Zacchaeus responded with repentance and generosity. He promised to give half his wealth to the poor and repay those he had cheated four times over.
The man who had spent so much of his life taking from others was now ready to give.
Jesus didn’t overlook his sin. He offered him something powerful enough to change his life.
Grace.
And friend, I wonder how many people around us are a little like Zacchaeus.
People carrying reputations they can’t seem to escape.
People who’ve made mistakes and wonder if that’s all anyone will ever see.
People who feel like they have to watch from a distance because surely Jesus wouldn’t want anything to do with them.
But He does.
He knows their names.
He knows their stories.
And He hasn’t stopped seeking people who are lost.
So here’s a question I’ve been asking myself.
Am I seeing people the way the crowd saw Zacchaeus, or the way Jesus saw him?
Because it’s easy to notice someone’s failures.
It’s easy to remember their past.
It’s easy to decide who they are before we ever take the time to know them.
But love looks closer.
Grace makes room.
And sometimes, the most Christlike thing we can do is simply refuse to overlook someone everybody else has written off.
Maybe there’s someone in your world who needs that kind of love today.
Someone who needs to know their story isn’t finished.
Someone who needs to hear that their past doesn’t have to define their future.
Someone who’s waiting to be noticed.
So today, look around.
And maybe, just maybe, look up.
Because you never know who’s sitting in a tree, hoping someone will see them.
Who might Jesus be asking me to notice that everyone else has overlooked?
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]]>The post Ten Dollars Well Spent appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 — And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.
Lately, I’ve had several young people knocking on my door.
And no, they’re not trick-or-treaters.
They’re looking for work.
I know that might sound a little unusual these days, but I’ve actually been pretty impressed.
One young man offered to clean up my yard.
Another wanted to mow.
And one even asked if he could clean my trash cans!
Now, I’ve got to tell you, that one caught me off guard.
But I admired their willingness to work.
These weren’t kids just standing there asking me to hand them money.
They were offering to do something to earn it.
And while I wish I could have hired every one of them, I couldn’t.
But there was one young man who stood out.
I don’t know exactly what it was.
There was just something about him.
Something sincere.
And as I listened to him, I couldn’t help wondering what might be going on in his life.
Why was he knocking on doors?
What was he trying to earn money for?
Was there something he needed that I couldn’t see?
I didn’t know his whole story.
But I knew I wanted to help.
So I found a simple little job for him to do.
Nothing complicated.
Just something he could finish and feel good about.
And when he was done, I reached into my wallet.
I had ten dollars.
That was it.
Not twenty.
Not fifty.
Just ten dollars.
So that’s what I gave him.
And friend, you should have seen his face.
He smiled.
And I watched him stand just a little taller.
Now, I don’t know what that ten dollars meant to him.
Maybe it helped him buy something he needed.
Maybe it was money he was saving.
Or maybe it was simply the satisfaction of knowing he’d worked hard and earned something.
But I could tell that moment mattered.
And you know what?
It mattered to me, too.
Because sometimes what we give someone is worth more than what’s in our hand.
Sometimes it’s encouragement.
Sometimes it’s dignity.
Sometimes it’s the reminder that somebody sees them and believes they’re worth a little time and attention.
And I’ve been thinking about that young man ever since.
Especially when I read Paul’s prayer in 1 Thessalonians.
“May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow.”
I love that word.
Overflow.
Not just enough love for the people who are easy to love.
Not just enough kindness for our friends and family.
But so much love that it spills over into the lives of people we don’t even know.
People who show up unexpectedly.
People whose stories we haven’t heard.
People who may need something we have to give.
And notice something else about that verse.
Paul is asking the Lord to make our love grow.
Because the kind of love God calls us to isn’t something we have to manufacture all by ourselves.
It’s something He grows in us as we follow Him.
And sometimes, He grows it through the smallest moments.
Like a knock at the door.
A conversation with a stranger.
Or a ten-dollar bill.
You know, I think it’s easy to overlook those opportunities because they don’t seem very big.
We imagine generosity means having a lot of money.
Or making some enormous sacrifice.
Or doing something that changes somebody’s entire life.
But what if love starts somewhere much simpler?
What if it starts with noticing?
Noticing the person who’s struggling.
Noticing someone who’s trying.
Noticing that there might be more to somebody’s story than what we see on the surface.
And then being willing to do something about it.
Now, we can’t help everybody in every situation.
And we need wisdom about how and when we help.
But we can ask God to keep our hearts open.
To help us see people the way He sees them.
And to make us willing to share what we can.
Because here’s what I’ve discovered.
When we choose to show compassion, it doesn’t just affect the person receiving it.
It changes something in us, too.
Our hearts become a little softer.
Our eyes become a little more open.
And our love has a chance to grow.
That’s what I want.
I want to be someone whose love doesn’t stop with the people I already know.
I want it to reach the person at my door.
The stranger at the store.
The neighbor down the street.
Whoever God places in my path.
So today, maybe you won’t have a young person knocking on your door asking to clean your trash cans.
But I have a feeling somebody will cross your path who could use a little kindness.
And maybe God will give you an opportunity to help.
It might not cost much.
It might not take long.
And you may never know what happens afterward.
But don’t underestimate what God can do with a willing heart.
After all, sometimes love begins to overflow when we stop long enough to notice who’s standing right in front of us.
And maybe that’s where it starts.
With an open heart.
Open eyes.
And a willingness to open the door.
Who might God be placing right in front of me today, and am I willing to stop long enough to notice?
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]]>Psalm 146:8 — The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly.
Sometimes I wonder what it must have been like to be alive when Jesus walked the earth.
Can you imagine?
Actually seeing Him.
Hearing His voice.
Watching Him stop for someone everybody else had overlooked.
Seeing the compassion in His eyes as He reached out to someone who was hurting.
Wouldn’t that have been incredible?
But then I remember something.
Jesus hasn’t stopped reaching people.
And our friend Jacob knows something about that.
Jacob shared a story with us about one of the darkest nights of his life.
He had reached a place where the pain felt unbearable.
He was overwhelmed, exhausted, and convinced that his life didn’t matter anymore.
In fact, he had been thinking about ending it.
And that night, he found himself sitting alone in his car, wondering if anybody would even notice if he was gone.
Can you imagine feeling that forgotten?
That hopeless?
That alone?
The radio was playing in the background, but Jacob wasn’t really listening.
His mind was somewhere else.
Until suddenly, a song caught his attention.
It was Zach Williams singing “Fear Is a Liar.”
And something about those words broke through the darkness.
Jacob told us it felt like Jesus had climbed right into that car and sat down beside him.
That’s how he described it.
He couldn’t explain it any better than that.
He just knew that in a moment when he’d felt completely alone, he was being reminded that he wasn’t forgotten.
And the tears came.
He cried harder than he could remember crying.
But that night, instead of following through with what he’d been considering, Jacob made the decision to keep living.
And when he told us about it later, he said something I’ll never forget.
“That night didn’t end the way I planned. Thank God!”
Oh, friend.
Think about that.
A man who had reached a place where he couldn’t see a reason to keep going heard something that helped him hold on.
And it happened through a song playing on the radio.
Now, I don’t believe one song magically fixes everything someone is going through.
Pain that deep deserves compassion, support, and people who will walk alongside us as we heal.
But I do believe God can use a song, a Scripture, a conversation, or an unexpected moment of kindness to remind someone that their story isn’t over.
And that’s what I think about when I read Psalm 146.
“The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.”
He lifts up those who are weighed down.
I love that picture.
Because sometimes life gets so heavy that we don’t know how to carry it anymore.
Grief.
Depression.
Fear.
Disappointment.
Things we never imagined we’d have to face.
And sometimes, when we’ve been carrying those burdens long enough, we start believing the lie that nobody sees us.
Nobody understands.
Nobody cares.
But that’s not the heart of Jesus.
When He walked this earth, He moved toward hurting people.
He didn’t turn away from their pain.
He saw them.
He listened.
He cared.
And He still does.
Maybe that’s why Jacob’s story stays with me.
Because when he describes that moment in his car, he doesn’t talk about hearing a great radio station or even a great song.
He talks about feeling the presence of Jesus.
And that brings me back to the question I started with.
What would it have been like to see Jesus?
To hear His voice?
To experience His compassion firsthand?
Well, we may not be able to stand beside Him on a dusty road in Galilee.
But we can still experience His love.
Through His Word.
Through prayer.
Through the people He places in our lives.
And sometimes, through an unexpected song that reaches us right when we need it.
Friend, I don’t know what you’re carrying today.
Maybe you’re walking through something so painful that you haven’t even found the words to tell somebody.
Maybe you’ve been smiling for everyone else while quietly falling apart inside.
Or maybe you know someone who’s hurting, and you don’t know how to help.
Please remember this.
You were never meant to carry your darkest moments alone.
Bring your pain to Jesus.
And let somebody you trust know what you’re going through.
There are people who care about you and want to help you take the next step.
Because your life matters.
Your story matters.
And even when you can’t see a way forward, there is still hope.
Jacob’s story reminds me that sometimes the most important moment isn’t when everything suddenly gets better.
It’s when someone finds enough hope to take one more step.
And maybe that’s what you need today.
Not every answer.
Not a perfect tomorrow.
Just enough hope for the next step.
The same Jesus who saw the hurting and lifted up the brokenhearted is still reaching people today.
Even in the places where life feels like it’s fallen apart.
Because Jesus is still reaching people in the rubble.
Who might need me to be a reminder today that Jesus sees them, loves them, and hasn’t forgotten their story?
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]]>The post The Story You’ll Never Hear appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>Hebrews 13:16 — Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
I read something this week that gave me so much hope.
Every year, Americans give hundreds of billions of dollars to help people in need.
And I know that’s a big number.
But you know what I kept thinking about?
Not the money.
The people.
The people who decided to give something away when they didn’t have to.
The people who looked beyond their own needs and saw somebody else’s.
And the people who chose to make a difference in the life of someone they might never meet.
Because behind every dollar given, there’s a person who made a decision.
I have something I can share.
And somewhere on the other side of that decision, there’s often another person with a story.
Maybe it’s a mom wondering how she’s going to put groceries on the table.
A family facing medical bills they never expected.
A child who needs a safe place to go.
Or someone who’s been carrying so much for so long that one simple act of kindness reminds them they haven’t been forgotten.
That’s what I love about generosity.
What we give away can become exactly what somebody else needs.
And sometimes, we’ll never even know it.
We’ll never hear the story.
We’ll never see the tears of relief.
We’ll never know whose burden got a little lighter because we chose to help.
But God knows.
And that’s what makes Hebrews 13:16 so meaningful to me.
“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
I love that Scripture calls these acts of generosity sacrifices.
Because giving isn’t always easy.
Sometimes it means doing without something ourselves.
Sometimes it means rearranging our schedules.
Sometimes it means sharing what we have when we could easily find a reason to hold on to it.
And sometimes it means giving without knowing exactly how our gift will make a difference.
But God sees those choices.
He sees the heart behind them.
And Scripture tells us that doing good and sharing what we have are pleasing to Him.
Think about that for a moment.
Something as simple as helping a neighbor, giving to a ministry, bringing someone a meal, or quietly meeting a need can be an act of worship.
Not because the gift is enormous.
Not because anyone notices.
But because it comes from a heart willing to love.
And friend, I think that’s one of the beautiful ways God works through His people.
He takes what we’re willing to share and uses it to bring encouragement, comfort, and hope into someone else’s life.
We may never know how far that kindness reaches.
We may never hear what happened next.
But that doesn’t mean nothing happened.
Just because you don’t get to hear the story doesn’t mean there isn’t one.
So today, I want to encourage you to look at what God has placed in your hands.
Maybe you have money you can share.
Maybe you have time.
Maybe you have a skill, a meal, an encouraging word, or an opportunity to help someone who’s struggling.
Whatever it is, don’t underestimate what God can do through a willing heart.
Because somewhere, somebody may need exactly what you’re able to give.
And the beautiful thing is, you don’t have to know their name to make a difference.
You may never know their story. But God does.
What if the gift I give today becomes the answer to a prayer I’ll never hear?
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]]>The post Hope at Register Three appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>Ephesians 5:2 — Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
The checkout total just kept climbing.
One number became another.
And another.
Until the woman standing at the grocery store register realized something.
She didn’t have enough money.
So she started doing what nobody ever wants to do.
Taking groceries off the counter.
One item at a time.
Can you imagine how that must have felt?
Standing there with people behind you, the cashier waiting, and everyone watching as you try to decide what you can live without.
Maybe the cereal goes back.
Maybe the extra milk.
Maybe something you’d promised your kids.
And with every item she removed, the embarrassment grew.
Until suddenly, she heard a voice behind her.
“No, put it all back. God told me to cover it for you.”
She turned around.
And there was a complete stranger.
Someone she’d never met.
Someone who had been standing there watching her struggle.
And instead of looking away, that stranger stepped forward and paid for her groceries.
Now, I don’t know about you, but if that happened to me, I’d probably cry.
Have you been to the grocery store lately?
Goodness gracious! Groceries cost an arm and a leg these days!
But here’s what I love about this story.
When that woman talked about what happened, it wasn’t just the groceries she remembered.
Of course she was thankful for the money.
Of course it was a tremendous relief.
But what stayed with her was something deeper.
For the first time in a long time, she felt seen.
Someone had noticed her.
Someone had cared enough to stop.
And in a moment when she felt embarrassed, overwhelmed, and probably pretty alone, a stranger reminded her that she mattered.
And through that simple act of kindness, she was reminded that God hadn’t forgotten her, either.
You know, sometimes I think we imagine God working only through enormous, spectacular things.
Parting seas.
Moving mountains.
Miracles that leave everybody standing there with their mouths wide open.
And yes, God can do extraordinary things.
But sometimes, His love reaches somebody through something as ordinary as a grocery store checkout line.
A stranger who notices.
A generous heart.
A simple decision to help.
And suddenly, somebody who felt invisible doesn’t feel so invisible anymore.
That’s what I think about when I read Ephesians 5:2.
“Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.”
I love that phrase.
Live a life filled with love.
Not just talk about love.
Not just believe love is important.
Actually live it.
And Paul tells us exactly whose example we’re supposed to follow.
Jesus.
Jesus didn’t love us from a distance.
He came near.
He saw people others overlooked.
He welcomed the outcast, cared for the hurting, and gave His very life for us.
His love was sacrificial.
And while we could never repay or equal what Jesus did for us, we can follow His example by choosing to love people in ways that cost us something.
Sometimes that means our money.
Sometimes it means our time.
Sometimes it means putting aside our own plans long enough to help somebody else.
And sometimes it simply means paying attention when everybody else is too busy to notice.
That’s what that stranger did in the grocery store.
She saw a need.
And she didn’t just walk past it.
She gave something of herself.
And I just love that.
Because generosity says, “You matter to me.” And love says, “You haven’t been overlooked.”
Friend, I wonder how many people around us are quietly hoping somebody will notice.
Maybe it’s the single mom trying to stretch her paycheck.
The older gentleman who doesn’t have anyone to talk to.
The coworker who smiles every morning but is carrying something heavy.
Or the person sitting a few rows away from you at church who just needs somebody to ask how they’re really doing.
You may not be able to pay for a cart full of groceries.
And that’s okay.
Because love doesn’t always come with a price tag.
Sometimes it’s a meal.
A phone call.
An encouraging word.
A little patience.
Or a few minutes of your undivided attention.
And no, you may not be able to change somebody’s entire life.
But you might be able to change their day.
You might remind them they’re not alone.
And you might help them see a little more clearly just how much God loves them.
So today, don’t spend all your time waiting for the seas to part or the mountains to move.
Just look around.
Ask God to give you eyes to see the people He’s placed in your path.
And when you see an opportunity to love somebody, take it.
Because sometimes the most powerful way to share the love of Jesus isn’t through something big or spectacular.
It’s through a simple act of kindness that tells someone…
“I see you. You matter. And you haven’t been forgotten.”
After all, sometimes hope begins with something as simple as being noticed.
Who might God be asking me to notice today, and how can I show them His love in a tangible way?
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]]>The post More Than a Nice Thought appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>Hebrews 10:24 — Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
Emily Bissell once said, “Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind.”
I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.
Because you know what?
We can have good intentions all day long.
We can talk about kindness.
We can believe in generosity.
We can think all the right thoughts and say all the right things.
And still leave somebody standing all alone.
I mean, how many times have you thought about calling someone, but never actually picked up the phone?
Or noticed somebody having a hard day and thought, I really should check on them.
But then life got busy.
Something else came up.
And before you knew it, the moment had passed.
I think we’ve all been there.
But when I look at the life of Jesus, something stands out to me.
Jesus didn’t just talk about love. He moved toward people with it.
He noticed the ones everybody else overlooked.
He touched people others wouldn’t go near.
He stopped for the hurting.
He fed the hungry.
He made room for people who had been pushed aside.
His love wasn’t just something He talked about.
It was something people experienced.
And ultimately, He demonstrated the depth of that love by giving His life for us.
That’s a lot to think about as we move through another ordinary day, isn’t it?
Because most of us won’t be called to do something extraordinary today.
We’ll go to work.
Take care of our families.
Run errands.
Answer emails.
Do the same things we did yesterday.
But somewhere in the middle of all that ordinary life, there will probably be an opportunity to love somebody well.
Maybe it’s making that phone call you’ve been putting off.
Maybe it’s encouraging a coworker who hasn’t seemed quite like themselves lately.
Maybe it’s sitting with someone who’s lonely.
Or noticing the person everybody else seems to walk right past.
And here’s where Hebrews 10:24 challenges me.
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.”
I love that.
Let us think of ways.
In other words, don’t just wait for kindness to happen by accident.
Be intentional about it.
Pay attention.
Look for opportunities.
Think about what someone else might need and how you could help.
And don’t miss the other part of that verse.
We’re supposed to motivate one another.
That means the way we love people can encourage them to love somebody else.
Have you ever watched someone do something really kind and thought, You know what? I want to be more like that.
Maybe someone paid for a stranger’s meal.
Maybe you watched a friend quietly help somebody who was struggling.
Or maybe somebody showed up for you when you needed them most.
And their kindness stayed with you.
It made you want to do something for someone else.
That’s what happens when love gets moving.
One act of kindness encourages another.
One person chooses to care, and somebody else is inspired to do the same.
And suddenly, what started as one small decision reaches further than anybody expected.
Friend, the world doesn’t have a shortage of people who think kindness is a good idea.
What we need are people willing to put those good thoughts into motion.
People who don’t just say, “Somebody ought to do something.”
People who are willing to say, “Maybe that somebody is me.”
And here’s the beautiful thing.
You don’t have to have a lot of money.
You don’t have to have a perfect schedule.
And you certainly don’t have to wait until you’ve figured out some grand gesture.
You just have to be willing to notice someone and take the next step.
Because sometimes love looks like a meal.
Sometimes it looks like a text message.
Sometimes it’s a hug, a listening ear, or a few minutes of your time.
And sometimes the smallest act of love becomes the very thing that encourages somebody else to keep going.
So before today gets away from you, I want to challenge you.
Don’t just think about being kind.
Don’t just hope somebody knows you care.
And don’t assume somebody else will take care of it.
Consider one person.
Someone who could use a little encouragement.
Someone who needs to know they haven’t been forgotten.
Someone God has placed in your path.
Think about what love might look like for them today.
And then?
Do something.
Who have I been thinking about encouraging, and what can I actually do for them today?
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]]>Psalms 112:4-5 — Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.
My mom had something I like to call the “Hundred-Dollar Handshake.”
And let me tell you, she was good at it.
I remember watching her do this at church when I was growing up.
Now, you’ve got to understand. Twenty-five or thirty years ago, a hundred-dollar bill was a pretty big deal.
I mean, that’s not money you just casually handed somebody on your way out of Sunday school.
At least, that’s what I thought.
But Mom?
Oh, she had a different way of looking at things.
We’d be standing around after church, talking to people, when I’d see her spot somebody across the room.
And then she’d reach into her purse.
And I’d think, Oh, here she goes again.
She’d pull out a hundred-dollar bill, fold it up in her hand, and make her way across the room.
She’d give that person a hug.
Whisper something in their ear.
Slip that money into their hand.
And then she’d just walk away.
No announcement.
No big production.
No waiting around for someone to thank her.
Just a hug, a handshake, and a hundred dollars.
And there I was, watching the whole thing, thinking…
Mom! Why are you giving away all our money? Don’t you know I need new cleats?
I’m serious!
I thought we were poor!
And the funny thing is, we didn’t have a whole lot of money to spare.
But Mom knew something I hadn’t figured out yet.
You don’t have to have a lot to live generously.
She wasn’t waiting until we had more money.
She wasn’t waiting until every need in our own house had been met and there was plenty left over.
She simply paid attention.
If she saw someone who needed encouragement, she encouraged them.
If someone needed help, she found a way to help.
And sometimes, that help came folded inside a hundred-dollar handshake.
Looking back, I realize something I didn’t understand as a kid.
Mom wasn’t just giving away money.
She was letting people know they mattered.
She saw them.
She noticed their struggles.
And instead of walking past and hoping somebody else would do something, she chose to be that somebody.
That’s what I think about when I read Psalm 112.
It describes people who trust God and whose lives are marked by generosity, compassion, and righteousness.
People who don’t just talk about loving others.
They actually do something about it.
And that’s what my mom modeled for me.
Now, I don’t want you to think she gave because she expected God to make her rich.
That wasn’t it.
She gave because she trusted Him.
And she believed that what she had wasn’t just for her.
It could be used to bless somebody else.
You know, when I was little, I measured what we had by what we could afford.
Did we have enough for new shoes?
Could we buy the things I wanted?
Why was Mom handing out hundred-dollar bills when I needed cleats?
But now that I’m older, I see our life a little differently.
We may not have had a lot of extra money.
But we were rich in the things that mattered.
Rich in compassion.
Rich in relationships.
Rich in the joy of helping somebody else.
And rich in the example of a woman who taught me that generosity isn’t just about what you give.
It’s about whether you’re paying attention.
And friend, I wonder who might be waiting for someone like that in your life today.
Maybe there’s a single mom who’s overwhelmed.
A neighbor who’s lonely.
A coworker who’s having a really hard week.
Or somebody at church who’s smiling on the outside but quietly carrying more than you know.
You might not have a hundred dollars to slip into their hand.
And that’s okay.
Because not every act of generosity comes with a dollar sign.
Sometimes it’s buying somebody lunch.
Sometimes it’s making a phone call.
Sometimes it’s sitting down long enough to really listen.
Sometimes it’s offering a ride, bringing a meal, or simply reminding someone that they haven’t been forgotten.
The most generous thing you give someone today might not come out of your wallet. It might come out of your heart.
So here’s my encouragement.
Start your own version of the Hundred-Dollar Handshake.
Look around.
Pay attention.
Ask God to help you notice the people He places in your path.
And when you see a need you can meet, don’t always wait for somebody else to do it.
Be generous with what you have.
Because years from now, somebody might not remember exactly what you gave them.
But they’ll remember that you saw them.
They’ll remember that you cared.
And they just might pass that kindness on to somebody else.
My mom probably never imagined that all those little handshakes would become one of the greatest lessons she ever taught me.
But here I am, all these years later, still talking about them.
And I’ve finally figured out something.
Mom wasn’t giving away our riches. She was showing me what made us rich.
Who might God be asking me to notice today, and what do I already have that I could give?
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]]>The post Before the Answer Came appeared first on 88.7 The Cross.
]]>Psalm 56:3 — But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.
The waiting was the hardest part.
That’s what Kristine told us when she called the radio station.
A year earlier, she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer.
And now, here she was again.
Sitting in a doctor’s office because she’d had a cough that just wouldn’t go away.
A whole month of coughing.
And if you’ve ever walked through a cancer diagnosis, you know how quickly your mind can go to the worst possible place.
What if it’s back?
What if it’s in my lungs?
What if I have to go through all of this again?
The doctor ordered an X-ray.
And then came those words nobody likes to hear.
We’ll call you with the results.
So Kristine walked out to her car.
She climbed inside, closed the door, and sat there.
Waiting.
Bracing herself for a phone call that could change everything.
You know those moments, don’t you?
When your mind is racing, your heart is pounding, and you can’t do a single thing to make the answer come any faster.
You just have to wait.
And sometimes, waiting can feel like the loneliest place in the world.
But Kristine wasn’t alone.
As she sat there in her car, the radio was playing.
And then she heard Lauren Daigle singing “You Say.”
No, wait. It was another song.
“Be Okay.”
And as she listened to those words of reassurance, the tears began to fall.
She told us later that in that moment, the song felt like more than music.
It felt like God was gently reminding her of something she’d almost forgotten in the middle of her fear.
I’m still here.
Not I promise the test will come back clear.
Not You’ll never have to face another difficult diagnosis.
Just a reminder that whatever that phone call brought, she would not be facing it alone.
About twenty minutes later, her phone rang.
It was the doctor’s office.
There was no sign of cancer.
Can you imagine the relief?
After all that fear, all those terrible possibilities running through her mind, she finally had an answer.
And it was good news.
But when Kristine called to tell us her story, there was something else she wanted us to understand.
Something that mattered even before the results came back.
God had been there the whole time.
He was there in the doctor’s office.
He was there when she walked to her car.
He was there when she sat behind the steering wheel, afraid of what the next phone call might bring.
And He was there during those twenty long minutes when she didn’t know what was coming next.
I think that’s what makes Psalm 56:3 so powerful.
David wrote, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”
Did you notice what he didn’t say?
He didn’t say, When everything works out, I’ll trust You.
Or When I finally get the answer I want, I’ll trust You.
He said, “When I am afraid.”
Right there.
In the middle of the uncertainty.
Before he knew how things would turn out.
That’s when he chose to trust God.
And friend, maybe that’s where you are today.
Maybe you’re waiting for test results.
Maybe you’re waiting for a phone call, a job opportunity, an answer about your marriage, or news about someone you love.
Maybe your mind has already imagined a hundred different endings, and most of them aren’t good.
I wish I could tell you that every phone call will bring the news you’re hoping for.
I can’t.
Sometimes the answer is wonderful.
Sometimes it’s heartbreaking.
And sometimes the waiting lasts a whole lot longer than twenty minutes.
But here’s what I can tell you.
God doesn’t wait for the answer to arrive before He shows up.
He’s with you while you’re waiting.
While you’re wondering.
While you’re trying to hold yourself together.
And even when you’re too afraid to know what to pray.
You don’t have to have the next twenty minutes figured out.
You don’t have to know how the story ends.
You can simply take the next breath, bring your fear to God, and remember that He is there.
Because sometimes the greatest comfort isn’t knowing what’s going to happen.
It’s knowing Who is with you before it does.
So if you’re waiting on an answer today, let me leave you with the words David prayed.
“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”
Not after the answer comes.
Not when the fear finally disappears.
Right now.
Because God is already there.
Can I trust that God is with me right now, even before I know how this story ends?
You’re gonna be okay
You’re, you’re gonna be okay
Oh, the sun will keep on risin’ in that old familiar way
And every little thing is gonna be okay
You’re gonna be alright
Darlin’, you’re, you’re gonna be alright
‘Cause the stars’ll keep on shinin’ through the darkest night
And you can know you’re gonna be alright
Lift your eyes to the hills
Remember where your help comes from
Lift your eyes to the hills
You’ll never face a valley alone
‘Cause even when your heart is breakin’
And you’ve gone and lost your way
You’re, you’re gonna be okay
You’re gonna be okay
I know that you’re, you’re gonna be okay
Not a care in this whole world can take that truth away
You’re, you’re gonna be okay
You’re gonna be alright
Darlin’, you’re, you’re gonna be alright
At the end of all our breath, when we’re beckoned on to the light
Love’ll meet you there, you’re gonna be alright
Oh, the end of all our breath is the beginning of new life
You’re, you’re gonna be alright
Songwriters: Ellie Holcomb / Lauren Ashley Daigle
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]]>Psalm 143:10 — Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.
Growing up, there was one thing I was especially good at forcing.
Relationships.
From the time I was thirteen years old until I married my husband, I can probably count on one hand the months I wasn’t dating someone.
And looking back, I can tell you something.
That wasn’t because I had relationships all figured out.
Quite the opposite.
I was terrified of being alone.
And when you’re afraid of losing someone, you can start doing just about anything to keep them.
I tried to control situations.
I held on to relationships that weren’t healthy.
I let fear make decisions that should’ve been made with wisdom.
And I spent so much time worrying about whether someone would stay that I rarely stopped to ask whether the relationship was actually good for me.
My mind was constantly running through the same questions.
What if he leaves?
What if he finds someone better?
What if I end up alone?
Friend, let me tell you.
That is exhausting with a capital E.
Because when you’re constantly trying to hold everything together, you never really get to rest.
Looking back now, I can see something I couldn’t see then.
I was so busy trying to make my plans work that I wasn’t asking God what His plans might be.
I wanted control.
I wanted certainty.
I wanted everything to turn out exactly the way I’d imagined.
And that reminds me of two very different kings in the Bible.
Saul and David.
Saul was Israel’s first king. But when he repeatedly chose his own way over God’s instructions, the Lord rejected him as king.
And instead of humbly accepting God’s direction, Saul became consumed with protecting his position.
He even pursued David, the man God had chosen to succeed him.
David, on the other hand, spent years waiting for the kingdom God had promised him.
He had opportunities to take matters into his own hands, but he refused to kill Saul to claim the throne.
Now, David wasn’t perfect.
He made plenty of mistakes along the way.
But listen to the prayer he prayed in Psalm 143.
“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.”
I love that.
Teach me to do Your will.
Not God, bless whatever I’ve already decided to do.
Not Lord, make this work because I want it so badly.
But teach me what You want, and help me walk in it.
What a difference that makes.
And I wonder how many of us are exhausting ourselves trying to hold on to something God is asking us to surrender.
Maybe for you, it’s a relationship.
Maybe it’s a job you’ve been chasing.
An opportunity you’re afraid someone else will get.
A plan for your family.
Or a future you’ve pictured so clearly that you can’t imagine anything different.
And there’s nothing wrong with having hopes and dreams.
But there is a difference between working faithfully toward something and trying to control every detail because we’re afraid of what might happen if we don’t.
I know that difference because I’ve lived it.
For years, I thought holding on tighter would make me feel secure.
But it only made me more afraid.
Because the tighter I tried to hold everything, the more terrified I became of losing it.
And here’s what I’m learning.
Trusting God doesn’t mean sitting back and doing nothing.
It means seeking His wisdom, taking the steps He’s given us to take, and being willing to surrender the outcome.
It means recognizing that a closed door isn’t always a failure.
And an open door isn’t automatically an invitation from God.
Sometimes we have to slow down long enough to ask Him which direction He wants us to go.
That’s why David’s prayer is becoming one I want to pray more often.
Lord, teach me to do Your will.
Not just when it’s easy.
Not just when His plans look like mine.
But even when I don’t understand where He’s leading.
Friend, maybe there’s something you’ve been holding so tightly that your hands are tired.
Maybe you’ve been fighting to make something happen because you’re terrified of what it would mean if it didn’t.
Can I encourage you today?
Open your hands.
Bring that relationship, that dream, that opportunity, or that uncertainty before God.
Ask Him to show you what faithfulness looks like right now.
And trust Him enough to follow, even when the path looks different from the one you planned.
Because I’ve discovered something after all those years of trying to control my own story.
Peace doesn’t come from finally getting everything to go my way. It comes from learning to trust the One who knows the way.
I don’t have to force every door.
I don’t have to control every outcome.
And I don’t have to live with clenched fists anymore.
I can give God my plans.
I can give Him my fears.
And I can trust Him with what happens next.
Because His hands are safer than mine.
What am I holding so tightly that I need to open my hands and trust God with it?
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