Have you ever woken up from a bad dream that left you unable to sleep? Perhaps our bad dreams are more than our imagination. Maybe the enemy is hurling lies and insults at our subconscious mind.
Sometimes, I wonder how God could ever use me. I have a sinful past. And even though I am a Christian now, I still make mistakes. I’m an average woman, wife, and mom. I am not a public speaker. I don’t have any formal writing or Biblical training. “Who am I to think I could help further God’s kingdom?”
Have you ever messed up and felt unforgivable? Sadly, I have. When my daughter was twelve, I walked into the house with my arms full of groceries and tripped over her backpack, nearly falling. Rather than simply asking her to put it away, I lost my temper and barked at her about being more respectful. As the words flew from my mouth, I noticed the new friend she’d invited over and the look of horror on her face, and I was reminded of David when he wrote Psalm 34.
Whenever I’ve made mistakes, I’ve felt unworthy of God’s love and wanted to run from Him due to my shame. But when I read Psalm 34, I find genuine encouragement because it demonstrates God’s grace. It shows God is with us, helping, healing, and delivering us even when we are at our worst. All that is needed is a humble, repentant heart seeking God.
Is there a difference between knowing who God says you are and acting like that person? I once thought there must be some magical way to get God’s truth of my identity from my head to my heart. There must be a trick to actually “receiving” His gift of love and feeling the freedom His word promises.
Recently, I saw a beautiful plaque on Etsy reading, “Tears are prayers too. They travel to God when we can’t speak.” Then the creator listed Psalm 56:8. But when I looked up the verse, it read: “You have taken account of my miseries; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?” (Psalm 56:8, NASB) So, I wondered if this interpretation of the verse was correct. Are tears prayers?
Have you ever felt your emotions were too intense? Perhaps someone has even implied you are “too much”: you are too emotional, sensitive, or dramatic. If so, then you aren’t alone. Some people just feel more deeply than others. But is this really a bad thing?
I sustained a broken vertebra in a car accident and had been in a brace for more than 14 weeks when the doctors had told me it would only be 9 – 12 weeks at most. I wasn’t healing as fast as I was supposed to. So, friends at bible study kindly laid hands on me and prayed for my healing. But I wondered, will God really heal me? What If Healing Me Is Not Part of His Plan?
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” This is advice we should all heed. Or should we? There was a point in my life when I thought if I just tried harder, I would stop letting God down. I knew that He forgave me when I sought forgiveness. But I was convinced that because I kept making the same mistakes again and again, I was a huge disappointment to God.
Sometimes, we all just need a little reminder. I was losing my mind and taking it out on the poor security alarm repairman when he gave me a half-smile and pointed towards me, indicating I should look down. That’s when I realized I was wearing my “Be A Nice Human” T-shirt. So, I immediately shut my mouth, burst into tears, then apologized profusely. The kind repairman handed me a Kleenex and said, “It’s OK.” I try to remember to always offer kindness because you never know what someone else is going through.
Women in today’s culture wear many hats. We cook, clean, and care for the family’s needs, all while balancing a career, ministry, or volunteer work. Some say women are genetically predisposed to caregiving. Others would say it’s because we are socialized from the time we are born. But regardless of why this is the case, women are under a lot of stress. In fact, we should wear a cape instead of our many hats. It’s no wonder self-care has become such a hot topic in today’s culture.
