Category Archives: Faith

Faith is what spurs us to reach higher, stretch further, dig deeper, and press our natural boundaries in hopes that we can exceed all expectations.

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Discovering Joy in the Journey

What I love about the ring of a new year is the hope that’s swirling in anticipation of a do-over. All those leftover disappointments from last year hit the reset button.

It’s uplifting to be around people who believe they can begin again.

However, by the time this post is published, statistics say one in four people will have already abandoned their mission for the year. And unfortunately, these numbers show it will be the same goal that’s been spoken and broken at least ten different times now.

Over the years, I’ve picked numbers and words, scarier dreams and SMART goals. Some are successful, while others get tangled up in small setbacks before Spring. Interestingly enough, 60% of all new year’s resolutions will be dumped by June.

Has this already happened to you?

Perhaps you started the year flying high on your hopes that these coming weeks would be your best ones yet, but no sooner had the party favors been put away, your goals plateaued leaving you on autopilot for a repeat of last year.

The devil is constantly trying to run us off the promised land God has for us.

Pastor Steven Furtick with Elevation Church says this, “resolve cannot change what routine created. In other words, the faith to step out is worthless without the faithfulness to stick it out.”

Powerful. Let those words marinate in your mind awhile. It took me a couple days to soak this in.

journey to get thereThere are so many nuggets to draw out in Mr. Furtick’s sentences, but what it says to me in this moment is that reaching a goal is less about the final destination and more about the journey to get there.

New mantra: To rejoice in established routines I walk out today as they develop the faithful habits I need for the following months. This will lead to the goals I plan to conquer that eventually fulfill the dreams God has for my future.

If the mind isn’t satisfied and celebrating in the incremental advances in the moment, we will lose sight of why this goal is tangible and meaningful today.

The end is only a conclusion to the story; the real adventure is in the peaks and valleys. If we’re not grateful for where we are, we won’t appreciate goals when we reach them.

Beware! The devil is constantly trying to run us off the promised land God has for us. There is no room for regret in a life full of God’s good things, so turn over these stones of setbacks and allow them to become the wisdom you need for tomorrow.

Jerry Jenkins, author of nearly 200 books and most notably known for writing “The Left Behind” series and Billy Graham’s autobiography, has a great take on goals and success.

“My father had long counseled me that the popularity of goal setting as a means to success was good only to the extent of the definition of success. “Be the best you can be at what you’ve been called to do,” he said. “And you’ll be more of a success than the person who is the best in the world at it but is not working to his potential.”

So my aim became to obey and let the results fall where they may.”

Remind yourself that God’s promises will come to pass and you have been gifted to carry them out. Give yourself permission to try again, and then pick up that God-given assignment and start, no matter what month we’re in. Drop the pressure to perform and be confident that you already have what it takes to carry out His work. Give Him your best and the rest will be blessed.

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Cultivating Calm Among the Christmas Chaos

Whoooosh!

A cold breeze blows by and bites the skin with a bitter, rushing reminder; it’s the season of cluttered calendars followed by scrambling steps just trying to keep up.

There’s a stream of shoppers scurrying with frantic concern to check off a list that is only growing longer.

The inbox and mailbox multiply with messages by the minute; invites, greetings and the lure to splurge on one last spending spree.

Anything slow-moving or stopping is a buoy to weave around.

Pressing the peddle just to keep up, this speed increases now by the second, beyond limits that are warning to slow down; signs of a sneeze and sniffle, or worse, the numbing compassion for an unshaved man sitting on the corner with his newspapers in hand trying to make a dollar for the day.

At Christmas, it feels like there are no seconds to spare to silence a restless soul.

The beats of my heart tick with urgency to cross off a competing list for attention and tock with a wrestling soul caught up in distracting demands. My prayers grow heavy and deep; the tears wet with sorrow that I’m not just living in the world anymore, but have become the world.

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 131:1 NIV

How can we cultivate a calm, quiet, peaceful soul that lives at rest in the swirl of insanity that encompasses Christmas? King David figured it out.

Make peace the desire of your heart.

When life gets busy, it’s easy for our emotions to get trapped in a timetable tornado plotted out in people, parties, and plans. Recognize the hurricane of hurriedness and ask yourself, How is my soul? Am I at rest? Do I have peace? Is there a quiet heart here? Earnestly pray for this peace.

Worship where you are.

Do you want a quiet Christmas spirit? The starting place is to get into position. To find sanity and clarity for his soul, King David set the world aside and worshipped the majesty of God.

The hand of Peace quiets the restless heart. His breath calms an aching spirit. He is the sure and steadfast anchor in swirling soul, a hope that can pierce the innermost place. His arms of peace wrap around every pain and rein in the racing thoughts.

In His warm embrace, find a place with no agenda. Of all things in the universe, you are the object of His obsession and designed to crave time with the Maker. This is where contentment is kept. When we abandon the world’s fractured appointments and embrace His calm and quiet spirit, the companionship of our Creator quenches this thirst for rest and frees an enslaved soul.how to cultivate a quiet soul

Relinquish control.

I have a tendency in the midst of my turmoil to take matters into my own hands. I struggle with the pressure of pride, It’s up to me. I’ve got to do something about this. I’m going to get it done. I’ve got to work it out. I’ve got to handle it. I’ve got to take care of it.

The only safe and sane place to be is in surrender, yielding all control, ambitions, dreams, and desires to a God who stitched your soul and is still seated on the throne over creation. God, I trust that you have my best interest in mind. This is what peaceful, healthy living feels like on the inside.

Realize you’re not in control. You’re not in charge and ultimately, you’re not dictating your days. God has numbered the days. I may make my plans but the Lord directs my steps. Release the stress of trying to control the uncontrollable.

Keep Christ the center focus.

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 John 1:2

We did not earn God’s love, we were born into it. This relationship with God is not on worth, it’s by birth. Like a child in its mother’s arms, my soul is calm and quiet because I am content in who God is and the royal family image I am sewn in.

Sometimes the unsettling of a soul comes from living out of other people’s perception of who you should be, how your hours should be spent or even, how you want to be perceived by peers. But the truth is we cannot occupy ourselves with everything that offers itself to us. We are stewards of our own soul. We must set limits and the boundary lines that cultivate the calm and quiet soul.

Heavenly Father, Almighty God… You are my desire in the midst of all the craziness surrounding Christmas. Cradle my soul like a weaned child, so I can experience and enjoy the embrace of my Father. As I tackle the traffic, run my errands, and finish these last few days of work, soothe the ache of being rushed when I’d rather be still with you.

When the demands increase and the noise gets louder, may a collision with Christ in your soul change the world instead of the world altering you.

If you are struggling with the stress of this Christmas season, I pray you discover profound peace and the calm that quiets your spirit. May God spark a fire of unshakable joy in the small spaces salvaged for your stretched soul. May the Lord infuse clarity and sanity in this place. May He nurture the heart in you that is steadfast and sold out for His people. May your eyes stay open and your mind looking for ways to engage those hurting around you.

May we all be reminded often this holiday season to remain committed to connecting others with Jesus. May you live from a genuine, and authentic spirit, devoted to the design God dreamed of in you.

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The Risky Right Thing

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The next best thing is the wrong thing and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” That’s from Theodore Roosevelt.

Have you ever heard Roosevelt’s story before He moved into the White House?

His bride died after giving birth to their daughter… just hours after his mother, who lived in the same house, died of typhoid fever.

Historians say Roosevelt wrote a large ‘X’ over February 14, 1884 in his diary and then penned, “The light has gone out of my life.”

Though this pain wore at his heart for a season, I think it may have actually fueled his strength to persevere in unexpected circumstances.

Twelve years later, in 1898, Roosevelt was elected governor, and in 1900 vice president, and then upon McKinley’s assassination in 1901, at forty-two years old Theodore Roosevelt became the youngest president of the United States.

Be encouraged in your struggles and pain today that God has given you the ability to overcome. Do something with the choice you have. And if your decision brings even more hardship, step back and start again.

riskyThe more mistakes you make means the more chances you took. A life of chances is what creates courage to carry out success.

Take chances in your career.

Get ridiculously risky with love.

Embrace vulnerability and expose the raw truth.

Strength for future favor can come from your circumstance if you press through the pain and persevere.

Allow the unexpected to fuel a life without regrets. Do something.

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. 2 Thessalonians 3:5

…because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:3

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Dancing On Life Lessons

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucious

The falls in life usher new seasons that change the chromatic scale of a soul.

When my life feels tangled up with complicated cords, I jump. Four years ago, my work and relationship empire began to crumble. Under pressure, I plunged from the pain and got twisted up in an exhilarating free fall that had me parachuting into the world of dance.

Some lessons later, I was swinging away the blues with a new focus. In class, I stumbled over the feet of a confident partner who was a little cocky in his push and pull, which I enjoyed. We swiveled West Coast Swing into any space we could.

The leaves formed and fell as my dancing feet moved with the rhythm of life. And then, a new season came, swaying my course into a new city. Reluctantly, I boxed up another chapter.

Dust settled on the shine of those dancing shoes as unfortunate circumstances chiseled away at the emotional edges of walls I had built.

I clung to my brokenness, and stuffed my soul with the false security of familiarity.

And yet, God met me with mercy in those tears, as He unwrapped the wounds and purified the bleeding pain. He revealed fresh layers of faith and revived buried passions.

This year has been a journey of beginnings. So it should not surprise you that last week, I took a leap right into Lindy Hop; back into the world of dance.

In the sway of those old songs, I was reminded a good dancer is one who follows the tender touch communicating which way go. This is a lesson for me in life, as sometimes it can be a struggle to restrain my tendency to control things with others and with God. Truthfully, I discovered a greater freedom in following the gentle nudges and flick of a wrist that send me sailing left over right in a thrilling twist of surprise and pure joy.

A dance begins on trust; otherwise, partners will fumble and fall over footwork. Expressions with the hands and body inspire each other in speechless conversations. I feel a blanket of peace covering my mistakes because I know this partner is a step ahead of me with his arms held out to catch me in a fall.

dancing on life lessons

As you’ve been reading this, I hope you caught the reflection of God as your partner in the dance of life.

It can be difficult to close your eyes and concede control when you don’t know a companion, much less the dance. Yet, the only way to experience the thrill that comes with taking chances is to trust. Trust the One who is already ahead of you in the dance.

He will never let you go. Even when you’ve flung yourself so far away and gotten twisted up in the momentum of your mistakes, He’s always waiting to whirl you back in; He welcomes with open arms on the return.

When you place your confidence in the palm of His hand, this unspoken permission allows Him to gently shimmy you in the way to go. It also grants Him access to press into your steps to stop and steer the course before you spin out of control.

You may be like me, with a tendency to escape pain, the unknown, and sometimes things that seem too good to be true.

There is no escape from the grip of God’s grace, interwoven and wrapped around every fiber of our being. He goes with us into the dances we do around life’s hard stuff so that we can discover the deeper love from a Father who never walks away, no matter what we’ve done.

God leaves the pattern of His fingerprint on every experience we encounter. When we know the lines in His hand and let them sink deep into our hearts, the imprint of His image stamps our soul with the Spirit’s seamless whispers, ‘I love you, I love you’.

Press into Him and feel the beat of His heart. Get close enough to taste the breath escaping His lungs through His lips.

Pray. Study Him. Seek His attention.

Open your eyes and notice His personalized expressions of love and beauty surrounding you. His embrace is warm and tender, His heart is compassionate and kind. He is for you. The identity of your first love is waiting to be discovered. The King is asking you for this dance.

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The Gray In Black and White

Did you know that those who are deaf cannot understand ‘gray’ words?

Sign language only knows how to say something in black and white. It cannot reproduce vague, cluttered, flumbling sentences. If you are someone who tends to speak with rabbit trails down a muddy path, you’ll find a confused deaf person point up with one hand and form a “T” over the top with another, which translates as “get to the point”.

blurred lines, trishakeehn.comWish washy words can be used as a crutch to blur lines we’re hesitant to stand on. Afterall, isn’t that why we alter the crisply finished Word of God with a modern day, watered down version of stories? We gray the lines that were once black and white to soften the blow of a ‘yes’ and a ‘no’.

This pre-washed approach used to temper and tone down God’s message creates an average quality of Truth that can be found in books bound with a self help sticker.

The tightly woven words of God, like a great pair of jeans, are finished in such a way that prevent fraying, fading or raveling and don’t require altering.

Another thought. I wonder if sometimes we’re so deaf to God’s words and are secretly signing back to Him with our frustration and stress, “get to the point, get to the point”.

Kristin Neff, author of the book “Self Compassion”, used the terms “coffin of conventionality” as she referred to a complacent lifestyle.

When I tune into the changes happening around me, I wonder, have I fallen into this grave too? Or do I rush these sweet moments of singleness with my stripped down, snappy prayers that sound more like, get-to-the-point, God? Oh, forgive me Father, for my fleeting feelings that leave me content one moment and headlong hurried in another.

In all honesty, there’s a laundry list of areas where I am tempted to gray the lines from the black and white boundaries painted on the canvas of my heart, just to loosen up the spectrum a bit.

Where are those places you blur the black and white of what you know you should do? Are you slightly sighing in your setbacks, pointing up to the sky with a striking crossbar temper that says, “get to the point, God”?

We have such a merciful God. He is meeting us here, on this platform of questions and I pray He nudges you in those places that need some ironing out.

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Future Advocate

Your past and present place in life is just the beginning. It cannot confine or keep you from the prosperity and riches God has in store for you. Believe that and expect undeserved favor to fall in arenas your feet have never been.

Slopping my feet through the puddles as I made my way to an entrance of the high school, I shook my head, ‘what am I doing here? I don’t know what it takes to parent at 15-year old boy?’ Shaking hands with his teachers, sitting face to face with lawyers and ‘powers that be’, we passed around papers and made decisions on how to help this guy succeed.

As a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children, this volunteer opportunity offers me a chance to redirect the path of neglected kids.

With his head hung low, a few dreadlocks fell over the child’s face as he found a seat in the back of the room. I thought to myself, ‘what an intimidating place for a teen to take, listening to a bunch of adults planning out the course of his life.’

He’s a wonderful writer. On home visits, he digs through the masterpieces to share some treasured transcriptions with me. As the teachers tried to push tutors and extra testing to improve his grades, something clicked in me as writer too.
“Hey ‘C’, what if you used your rhyming and writing skills to learn biology material and math equations? Could you use poetry to help you remember stuff?”

His head lifted and his eyes lit up. God sparked a new fire.

I concluded that my past and present place in life (by not being a parent) cannot hold me back from what God has for my future.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20

… Let the Lord be magnified, Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. Psalm 35:27

… I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others]. Genesis 12:2

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Lay Me Down

Jesus changes things. The cross is living proof.

What was once a symbol of shame, guilt and disgrace has been transformed into a sign of love, faith and hope with Jesus on it. Today the cross is an emblem of His promise.

This dream-driven, career-consumed culture encourages me to ‘find myself’, follow my passions and enjoy the success. Some of my pleasures have worn off quickly. Others have taken years of chasing flashing fantasies until the heart awakened to find these pursuits could not fill the emptiness.

surrenderWhen I stop stuffing my life, independence caves to the reality that the world preaches moments of happiness, based on happenings. If I truly want to save my life, I need to lose it.

There, on a path in search of the Savior alone, I experience the remarkable peace offered through the hand of Jesus.

With outstretched arms and worn out knees, the Spirit shatters a sorrowful soul that’s been chasing the shadows I call success.

Maybe the truth is that what I really wanted was presence. His presence. Presence of others. To be present.

potterWhile opportunities are around every corner, undeserved favor can only be found in the Potter’s perfect plan. Tucked behind the mercy of a Wonderful Maker is purpose for the crumbling clump of clay I’ve been tirelessly tossing at every whimsy.

When I’m willing to deny myself, I show the world, “Jesus is King”.

There’s the part in Exodus when God told Moses to throw down his staff. That staff represented a way of life and identity for a shepherd. In fact, God later used the same staff to perform miracles and save a nation. But before I go there, let me share this discovery:

Whatever I’m willing to release to God will be the very places I receive deliverance into the promised land.

The promised land is that place I consider ‘successful’ today. In my career. In my relationships. In my health.

When I throw down my ‘way of life’ – the possessions, position of power and performance – and surrender it to God’s will, I find freedom! That’s the change that Jesus offers me.

The willingness to lay down my life is how God breaks the bondage that ties me to this world. This allows God to transform the heart and raise it up for His work. When Moses gave his staff – his identity and career- to God, the Almighty used what was given to Him to also transform and deliver others out of slavery.

Cards on the table here. I have some things that need pruning to reflect what matters most in my life.

I have been elbowing my way through the weeds of selfish living in a single life.

While I have a deep desire to reflect the selflessness of Christ, by being present with people and God the Father, I struggle sometimes with scaling the rungs on a career ladder.

The difficulty for me that this place of single-life living actually gives permission to have a laser-like, me-centered focus. The world encourages single people, like me, to embrace success and dreams because of the freedom from things that often get blamed for holding achievement back.

I think about Jesus. Single. The Son of Man was about His Father’s business.

This is the life I was meant to live. This is the legacy I was created to carry.

About a month ago, I heard a statement that stuck, “success doesn’t come from striving”, from Amy Groeschel, an amazing woman of God and wife of Lifechurch.tv pastor Craig Groeschel.

I believe I’m already living His plan, mostly unaware and confused, because the world stresses a different definition of success.

So now I want to ask you, what is important in your life? How does that align with what Jesus says should be most important?

What are you investing your time in? Is there anything in your life that Jesus is asking you to give up? What would happen if you laid it down and allowed God to have His way with your future?

As I lay down my ‘staff’, with all the struggles, stress and strife tied with the world’s vision of success, I am picking up overwhelming joy, unfathomable peace and the light burden of Christ that I was meant to live.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:30).

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The Outpouring Mercy In Our Pain

We stand on the dusty road of our circumstances, and experience tells us the clouds will roll in soon and we’ll be left exhausted, knee deep in the mud. The humanity of it all is that we will find whatever we are looking for. Yet, the mercy of God’s hand reaches down to shield our hearts from the calculated pain, and offers something better for each of us than we could ever imagine for ourselves.

dusty road, trishakeehn

 

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Facing Fear and the Truth

Three years ago, when I turned 30 (for the first time), my heart skipped a billion beats in anticipation of the glorious days this era would bring.

This is when life begins.

It is the monumental moment when a 20-something mistake-maker finally grows into a mature and sophisticated version of herself, with less baby fat.

The first few moments were great! But in the following months, everything came crumbling down. My job. Relationship. Friendships.

And my health. A brisk walk was no longer burning off that pumpkin spice latte! I failed to factor an aging body into my fantasy of a ripe, slightly older age.

With my imagination zapped by this rather rude reality, another nightmare ravaged my picturesque vision of 30… Adult acne.

I’m talking about cystic craters too deep for even over-the-counter creams and pill-popping prescriptions to zap.

Disturbed by my appearance, I caked on clearasil and tried facials, doctors, and dermatologists. Helplessly, the barrage of blemishes continued to plague my life.

If you’re a man reading this, it may mean nothing. If you’re a woman, you probably feel my pain.

Society makes it worse with its infatuation of a selfie-centered culture. Sure, I can keep my camera at bay, but friends and family are a different story. Everyone wants a picture. Smile. Cheese. Snap. It’s done before you know it.

Two years went by and my face was still a mess. I opted to see skin ‘aesthetician’. She suggested a procedure that would extract cysts caught beneath the surface of skin. A fine needle injected several skin layers deep, heats to the temperature of lava. Painful? That’s an understatement.

The nurse gave this disclaimer when she finished the hour long session: What you’re about to see will heal in about a month or two.

IMG_20121201_205516My heart hiccuped at “a month or two”. Where was that vital note an hour ago?

Blood flow stopped when I saw the reflection.

Embarrassment. Humiliation. Sadness. Any little bit of self esteem I was holding onto, all flushed out the moment that mirror reflected hideous wounds on my face.

My mind conceded in defeat. How could I face job interviews looking like this? How could I be seen in public?

For fear a depression could lead to that dark place I had been just a year before, I bought a one-way ticket home to heal.

It was December. My folks were happy there was timeline on my stay. However, my heart grew heavy as every distant relative cringed at first sight of the scabs. The infamous family gathering Q & A’s ensued, reminding me that I still had no job, no house and no plan.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Proverbs 17:22

Under the exhausting, emotional pressure, my fake confidence finally collapsed in tears. Discreetly, I took my meltdown to the bathroom. Never have I seen a room with so many mirrors. Gigantic reflections all staring back at me and projecting the very image I now hated.

Standing face to face with the fear, I saw another reflection. A deep-rooted bitterness. Anger. Pride. Defeat.

This scarred tragedy on the surface was transparent to the emotional crisis going on underneath.

The outside concerns distracted my reflection of an inside condition.

As I peered past my skin and saw my soul, my  mind understood the deep rooted pain buried beneath. This is when my focus shifted.

My knees met the ground with prayers for a sickness others couldn’t see. For restitution. For restoration. For peace.

Suffering can produce unspeakable intimacy with our Creator. Never more than in the furnace of my affliction have I experienced the profound presence of God.

My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Job 42:5

The fire refined jagged edges and impure desires. In my weakness of pain and suffering, God purified and polished a radiant bride of Christ.

…I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. Isaiah 48:10

My mistakes still blemish the beauty of His design, but suffering produced character and growth (James 1:2-4). God used these hardships to mature my faith and develop a resilient spirit.

He can redeem pain in our lives. We serve a God and Savior who knows suffering.

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Through this suffering, the transformation of my mind has blossomed into a beautiful daughter, mirroring her Father’s image. Though I know suffering will still come in seasons, my heart is awakened and wrapped up in His love, basking in the glorious gift of His presence today.

You may be reading this in the midst of your own suffering. Perhaps a lot of things have come against you and it seems like the more you pray, the worse it gets. You might be doing the right thing, yet the wrong thing is happening. It would be easier to throw in the towel now.

Look closer. Stand steady. Rest in His Truth. You’ve come too far to stop.

Whenever life gets difficult and the lies bombard your mind, that’s the time to dig in your heels. Put on a new attitude because you are closer to real freedom and victory.

Doing the right thing in the midst of our pain and suffering when it feels so wrong, is what grows us in deeper places and stays with us longer than what’s on the surface.

Instead of being bitter and discouraged, look in the mirror and see through the surface. Keep standing, keep praying, keep hoping and stay in faith even as the intensity turns up!

Jesus, my Healer and Deliverer, You have seen the things I’ve been through. You know what I’ve had to endure. And I trust You. I see the places you have taken me from and I am encouraged by Your promises that this is not my destination. You are working behind the scenes.

I have full confidence my current suffering is refining and growing my intimacy with You, Heavenly Father, as perseverance leads me in the path to victory. I keep my faith and trust in You and expect to see Your mighty hand in Jesus’ name! Amen.

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Be Content, The Rain Will Come

Are you looking for a new job because your current 9-5 is unsatisfying? Wanting a bigger house, a new city or major vacation? In search of Mr./Mrs. Wonderful?

WebDry seasons come and go. When the rain is pours, we pray for the weather to lift. When deserts get too dry, we beg for a flood. Our minds dictate constant change as a solution to the problem; a new job, a fresh relationship, sometimes just singleness. We admire bigger, and better, and are in perpetual search for a purpose.

Contentment is the key.

In life, it’s easy to get so focused on our dreams and goals that we tune out everything else. We can get to the point where we’re not going to be happy until we see ‘something’ happen.

If we have to have ‘something’ in order to be happy, our lives are out of balance. When a lack of ‘progress’ with our goals and dreams start to frustrate us, we lose our peace and don’t enjoy life. It’s a clear sign that we’re holding on too tightly.

What’s the solution? Release it. Freedom comes when you turn it over to the only One who can lift it, change it or sustain you through it. The Maker knows your desires and what’s best based on a future you cannot see. Choose to trust Him and His timing.

There is a season for everything. We were not designed to run a race every day of our lives. We need rest. Peace. Rejuvenation.

Many hours I have wasted ‘hunting’ for my blessings and realized it’s unnecessary when I serve an Almighty who lavishly gives on time, many times without explanation.

Being content for me means, even while my heart desires a husband and children, I will remain content with being single until God brings my Boaz.

Though my workplace denied a raise, I will continue giving my best and stay with the company.

While my home feels too small and the car leaks coolant and lacks air conditioning, I shall remain content with where God has me until doors open and He pours out His blessing in those areas.

My contentment comes from knowing the rain will come on time.

contentmentBe careful not to confuse contentment with being comfortable. The satisfaction in being content comes from trusting a change is on the way. It’s not necessarily a change in your circumstance. It could be a change in your heart.

Ask Him for a change of heart.

Instead of being bored when work is less demanding, shift the focus of your priorities and put more time into other areas. Health. Family. Professional development. Future plans. Discovering a new purpose. Helping someone else. Volunteering.

Focus on getting close to God. No, getting closer to God.

“…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” -Paul, Philippians 4:11

When we learn to be content whatever the circumstances, it takes away the power of the enemy. It takes away his ability to frustrate us. Not only that, but by our actions, we are showing our faith in God.

When you choose to trust His timing, you can live in peace, be filled with joy, and rest in Him knowing that He has good things in store for your future.

The rain will come and when it does, you won’t regret this time of focusing on other priorities in life and preparing to be the best you. Find freedom in contentment and rest in His everlasting peace.

Father, I trust You. I release frustration over the dreams and desires in my heart because You know what’s best for me. I choose to trust Your timing knowing that You are faithful. I will bless You in all things in Jesus’ name. Amen.