It’s often said, “You’ve either been through a trial, are going through a trial, or are headed for a trial.” I’m not sure who first said it, but life sure has a way of validating the statement, doesn’t it? Pandemic, anyone? Add to that a thousand physical, emotional, and spiritual battles along the way, and we realize that to live is to face trials. Pandemic or not. Doesn't it make you long for a time when you can retire on a beach and cast your trials into the ocean? But by that … [Read more...]
On Caring for Yourself without Rolling Your Eyes
Self-Care. Stop right there. Did you just roll your eyes? I did. Or at least I used to. “Self care” sounded like a personality assessment, painted toe nails, and coffee with an elaborate drawing in the foamed milk. It seemed less than helpful to me. I mean, as believers in Jesus, aren’t we supposed to spend ourselves on behalf of the poor (Isaiah 58:10)? And shouldn’t we to consider others as better than ourselves (Phillipians 2:3)? And don’t we work heartily as though we’re working for … [Read more...]
Where to Find Relief from a Noisy Election Cycle
The first election cycle I remember paying attention to is only memorable to me because of the fear I had as I watched the results roll in. The votes were tipped toward the candidate that wasn’t “our guy.” And “we” lost. I had listened to radio broadcast, news reports, and the adults in my life talk about what kind of world we’d live in if “our guy” lost. And when “our guy” did lose, I half expected to wake up a political exile. I know the people around me didn't mean to be fear mongers. … [Read more...]
An Easy Burden?
It’s one of my favorite verses. It even appears at the end of everything you read here. Sometimes it seems a little funny to quote the whole verse though because its context is colored with an unfamiliar agricultural metaphor. What on earth is a yoke? In modern terms, it was a farm implement. The apparatus that bound two animals together in their work of pulling the plow. While the stronger animal bore the bulk of the weight, a smaller, younger animal learned from him. He learned the … [Read more...]
One Way to Rest from the Weight of Worry
Once upon a time when I was a young mom, three ugly but invisible ingredients converged on me right in the middle of my kitchen. Isolation, worry, and failure to live up to my own expectations. They all collided and stirred up a toxic cocktail I never wanted to drink. I’d never felt anything like it before. My head knew it was unreasonable, but my grown-up pep talk did nothing to settle my nausea, calm my breathing, or strengthen my legs. With my kids eating lunch at the table, I collapsed … [Read more...]
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