I’m shaking things up a bit this week. Okay, God’s shaking things up. I’m just trying not to get in His way.
I’ve had a dream come true. I belong to a group called COMPEL, an online community that equips people who want to hone their writing. Last September-ish, a piece I wrote about my dad was chosen to be sent to half a million people around the world in a future Proverbs 31 daily email devotional.
It was sent out today.
I cried when I opened my email and saw it.
My dad, who suffered a stroke in June, is still in an assisted living center. My step-mom goes over there every day, all day. She is the world’s best cheerleader and truly thriving in her new role as professional encourager during his therapy sessions.
There is beauty that has come from this tragedy, but some days I find myself choked in grief that my dad won’t get to go to my daughter’s first track meet or my sons’ baseball games.
But even as I feel my eyes flood, I am simultaneously in awe that God would use this situation to shower me with His blessings of joy — like winning a writing contest totally out of the blue– and teaching me lessons in patience and self-control at the same time.
Our God is so big. I pray that you see that in your life today.
I thought it would be fun to use part of the “Truth for Today” from the Proverbs 31 devotional for this week’s memory verse. Here it is: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” James 1:19b (NIV)
If you have the time, you can read the whole devotional here. Or start each day with a devotional from Proverbs 31 by subscribing on the P31 website.
May God bless you and keep you and may He help us all hold our tongues once in a while. Amen!
