Tag: Devotional

To the Person Saying Goodbye

To those who are facing emotional goodbyes.

Dear Hopeful,

Perhaps this season brings you relief. It’s been a long year, a tiring year. A year that’s asked so much of you, and may have felt like it offered little in return for all your sacrifices and heartache.

Or maybe you are hoping that this isn’t goodbye. These last few months may have offered you a time to rest and find inspiration again. You don’t want to lose what you have here, yet it feels like life is slipping through your fingers.

This may be goodbye to a season of life, a relationship, or something tangible that’s either held you back or given you courage. Regardless of whether or not you want to say goodbye, stepping away from something familiar is difficult.

Give yourself grace.

Grace for the unexpected tears.

Grace for the laughter when it doesn’t feel appropriate.

Grace for the stumbles and mistakes.

Grace for when you don’t even know how to feel anymore.

You are not weak for needing time to process. Working through your feelings is the only way to find peace and move forward.

Goodbyes are inevitable, but so are new beginnings. Allow yourself to be excited for the future, no matter what unknowns lie ahead.

No matter what, don’t give up hoping. Life will get better, even if “better” simply means finding peace and being grateful even through hardships.

You are loved. ❤

Sincerely,

Hannah

Let Yourself Feel Joy

Do you avoid hoping for fear of disappointment?

It’s so easy to allow fear to steal away the best moments of our lives.

Fear may come in the form of rationality or jadedness. Perhaps we just “know” that things never stay good for long. And what do we expect, in this broken world?

But if we never allow ourselves to feel joy, then what are we living for?

You may feel stronger by not getting your hopes up. By saying that things always end up in disappointment. By not being surprised when hard times come.

But what if that isn’t strength? What if that’s giving into fear?

Fear of not being in control of your life. Fear of not truly knowing how long good things will last.

We can’t experience joy until we fully accept that we aren’t in control.

It’s a hard truth to come to grips with, especially in the face of so many tragedies, both in our personal lives and in the world. The ache of disappointment. The heartbreak of rejection. But holding onto a false sense of security only hurts us.

And most of all, it robs us of the beauty life can bring.

So, how can we fully experience joy?

By making the most of the little things. By taking each day as it comes. By not judging yourself too hard when you feel yourself regressing or not living up to the impossible standards society demands of us.

It’s okay if you don’t feel happy today. But you don’t have to be happy to feel grateful. Grateful that the sun still rose today. Grateful for the people who are always there for you. Grateful for a moment to rest.

Expect disappointment, and that’s what you’ll get. But hope for something more? Then you’ll surely have a higher chance of finding joy.

The truest source of joy comes from Jesus, who never changes. His plans are far greater than anything we could ever imagine. While we may be disappointed in the moment, Jesus promises that our lives aren’t wasted. He will restore our joy. ❤

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

The Freedom of Being Wrong

What if being wrong can bring us closer to God?

People hate being wrong.

I’m sure that’s pretty obvious, but the issue is that our society doesn’t seem to see this as a problem. Yet it is because our pride separates us from loving each other and God.

While we’d like to believe that no one can be wrong, the world wouldn’t work if that were true. There is only one who is always right, and that would be Jesus.

It’s to our benefit that Jesus is always right, especially because we are often wrong. Thanks to Jesus knowing best, we can live in peace and comfort because we are forgiven and taken care of. We can be reminded that we are loved and valued, even when others don’t treat us that way, because only Jesus’ opinion of us matters.

But yet our sinful desires often tell us that it would be better if we were right. Yet we don’t know the future. We don’t know the impact our decisions will make. We don’t know whether or not something will actually help us. We would be helpless without God’s help.

When we pretend like we are right all the time, we are harming three important relationships:

  1. Our relationship with God
  2. Our relationship with others
  3. Our relationship with ourselves

We act like we are above God (hint: we aren’t) when we pretend that we know more than He does. Like we, mere specks, could possibly have a better plan than the Creator of the Universe.

When we think we are always right, we never take ownership for our mistakes. That causes others to feel hurt and confused by our actions. We will quickly lose important relationships that way, and surely people won’t feel the love of God from us.

And when we believe we are always right, we give ourselves a false sense of security, when the truth is, we know very little. So when we finally recognize that we’ve made a mistake, we feel like failures, utterly useless and worthless.

But when we recognize that we are wrong sometimes, then when we do make a mistake, we can be proactive in repenting and be reminded that we don’t have to feel ashamed because we are covered in God’s grace.

So what’s the best way to handle this problem? Not picking out other people’s faults, but focusing on how to change your own outlook. Not living in shame, but praising God for the ways He is working within your life to make you the best person you can possibly be.

Remember, accepting being wrong is actually a gift. It frees you from having the expectation of always needing to be right.

You are loved and cherished no matter what ❤

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

1 John 2:15-17

A Simple Prayer

Do you struggle with finding time for rest?

When I was young, I struggled with falling asleep. By struggled, I mean it was a serious battle every night to shut my fearful thoughts off long enough to close my eyes and let the heavy breathing set in.

As I’ve gotten older, this has improved, though I still struggle with falling asleep after a particularly stimulating day.

Perhaps you can relate to this particular problem, or on a broader scale, you have had trouble finding time to truly pause and rest. In our busy world, we are bombarded with demands and a million things to hold our attention.

But God promises us rest.

When I was young, I would ask my mom for help with falling asleep. She would launch into a lengthy prayer, listing off every possible person we might know who could use prayer. Sometimes, that would be enough to distract my thoughts to the point of falling asleep.

But now, I’ve gotten into the habit of refocusing my thoughts, rather than finding distraction, and centering them on God. A simple prayer, asking for rest, is all it takes to get that rest.

It may not come in the form you imagined. I have a friend who got sick and had to cancel her plans, which was very frustrating for her, but then it turned out she needed that week to rest up for the stressful month ahead.

Rest can come in many forms, such as:

  • God giving you the courage to set a boundary with someone
  • Cancelled plans
  • Having a barrier come up that opens up a chance to take a break
  • A few moments of quiet every night
  • Finding a listening ear in a friend you didn’t expect
  • Going out into nature to feel God’s presence
  • And many, many more! I would never want to limit God’s creativity.

Today, if you are feeling burned out, simply ask God for rest. Take this as a sign to take care of yourself, which is best done in nourishing your soul through rest and time with God. You are not weak for needing a break. ❤

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:28-29

Appreciating Each Other

A pressing reminder when we are tempted to take others for granted.

For many, a story is a story by the way everything gets wrapped up all nice and pretty, like a Christmas present. The characters are happy by the end, fully changed, incapable of any further harm. We are satisfied.

But in life, we don’t often get closure, do we? We say goodbye without even knowing it. We walk past someone for the last time without a second thought. We think we are friends until we’re not.

Recently, I’ve been reminded of the bitter truth that we never know how long we’re going to have with someone.

Why would God allow that?

Honestly, I don’t know. In the wake of a sudden loss, an unexpected diagnosis, and/or division among those once close, it can be hard to make sense of God’s greater plan within all of it.

My best guess is that we are more motivated to be kind and grateful to those in our lives when we remember that we aren’t in control of how long we’ll have them around.

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis remarks that, by being made in the image of God, the next closest thing to be with God Himself is when we are among other humans. Now did that put a spin on the way I saw the people who annoy me!

We aren’t perfect and we shouldn’t beat ourselves up over being irritated at people or needing alone time. But we should always hold these things close to our hearts when we interact with people.

We really don’t know when the last time will be. We don’t know the full story. We just know that God has placed His creation in our lives for a time, and we can choose to be blessed by them.

Today, I challenge us both to look at the people in our lives with new appreciation. When was the last time you told your loved ones how much they mean to you? Have you seen the people in your life as a gift, rather than a burden?

Going further, to the people who you don’t agree with or rub you the wrong way, how can you still appreciate them? You might think you want them out of your life, and that time may come, but perhaps there is a reason why they are here now.

You are loved and treasured, no matter if others recognize it or not. If no one has taken the time to appreciate you today, I will. You are God’s special creation, designed for incredible things. It is not to late for you to heal and flourish. ❤

Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.

Acts 17:29

What Does it Really Mean to Follow Jesus?

Following Jesus isn’t about achieving “goodness”, but what if that’s a beautiful thing?

Perhaps if you grew up in a Christian home or attending Sunday School, you were taught that being a Christian meant asking Jesus into your heart.

And that’s true. But that’s not all of it.

Following Jesus isn’t about whether or not you miss a church service (or haven’t even found a church home yet). It isn’t about which pastors you agree with, whether or not you tithe, what your political views are, or how often you pray.

It all comes down to one simple question.

Who or what do you orient your life around?

And if the answer is anything but Jesus, it seems like you may be following something else instead.

Because if you put Jesus at the center of your life, your decision making, and your way of interacting with others, then everything will change. It will be evident that something greater than you is at work.

Now, this doesn’t mean you have to go around preaching the Bible to every single person you meet. It isn’t the stereotypical image of being a “good Christian”. In fact, I don’t believe there’s really any “good Christian”; that just sets up an unachievable image that turns people away.

I believe what matters is that we try our best and don’t give up on our relationship with God.

I’ll confess that I struggle at keeping Jesus at the center of my life. I often want my plans or dreams to come into fruition and then have the faith element happen later. But that’s not how faith works. Faith comes out of not knowing how things will work out, but believing that God is faithful regardless.

So how can we keep Jesus at the center of our lives without making it performative or have the act of “being a Christian” take over the true essence of embodying God’s love?

Do things that bring you closer to Jesus that don’t require an audience.

Read the Bible on your own, not to master a passage, but to envelope yourself in God’s promises.

Pray by yourself at a time when you know you won’t be disturbed.

Immerse yourself in God’s creation, appreciating God’s eye for beauty.

Don’t go out of your way to preach the Bible to others, but instead experience who God is and do your best to imitate that.

Most of all, be open to when God is speaking to you. See who God leads you to, what opportunities would best allow you to shine God’s light, and when is it time to refuel yourself in God’s peace and rest.

Following Jesus isn’t a simple checklist that can be completed in a lifetime. The truth is, no one can complete it because none of us can perfectly embody Jesus’ characteristics.

It’s more of a process, a true relationship. And I’ll guarantee, it’s the best relationship for you to invest in. ❤

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:8-10

Exchanging Disappointment for Joy

Does disappointment cause you to doubt God’s purpose for your life?

This weekend, I was supposed to go on a retreat about finding God’s presence.

I was so ready for the retreat, too. Mostly just wanting an escape from the humdrum of normal life, burned out by my responsibilities, and eager for a change in scenery. Every day that I was tired or weary, I reminded myself that I’d have a break soon enough.

So then, when it got cancelled, I was puzzled by what God was doing. Surprisingly, I was less disappointed than I had anticipated, which may have been God’s clue that He still had plans for me this weekend.

The things I had longed for were inspiration, rest, appreciation for God’s creation, and connection with others.

And instead of bringing me to a conference center, God gave me inspiration through a movie night with family. He gave me rest by allowing me to have generous bosses who still let me have the weekend off. He gave me appreciation for His creation through the gorgeous sunset I experienced while driving home last night.

And most of all, God showed me how interwoven His presence is within our relationships with others.

I thought I had to take a break from people in order to experience God, but instead I spent all day yesterday going from one person to the next.

But the difference between that and my everyday encounters was that I went into those interactions with a willing heart. And that changed everything.

There is truly a season for everything. A season to reflect with God alone, and a season to extend the love God has given us to others. And maybe those two things can come together to create something even more beautiful.

Going broader than simply this weekend, I’ve been in a season where many of my expectations have been dashed. I’ve wondered where my dreams and desires fit into God’s greater plan for me. But this weekend, I’ve discovered something new.

It isn’t always about God’s plan or my plan or any sort of plan. It’s about taking things one step at a time and experiencing God’s presence through it all.

It’s about waiting for God with an open heart. It’s about connecting with others from a place of love and appreciation, as well as setting boundaries when we know we are agreeing to things out of obligation. It’s about opening the Bible without expecting a new game plan, and rather soaking in time with God.

Today, I hope you can exchange your disappointment for joy.

Things may not look the way you had hoped, but this is an opportunity for you to trust God more than ever. He will be with you through it all. ❤

 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.

Luke 24:49

When It Feels Like God Can’t Hear You

Encouragement for when your prayers feel useless.

Silence.

You prayed and you begged and you wept until your eyes were puffy and your throat was sore.

Or maybe it was all in your head. Pounding words, pleading for a break, for a second chance, for a sign. Praying until your head ached, overloaded and overwhelmed.

Perhaps it was a simple prayer. Off-handed, just to see if God’s up there, somewhere.

No answer.

Things didn’t work out, you didn’t get a sign, and your life sucks just as much as it did yesterday.

Maybe…God didn’t hear you.

Or maybe God just doesn’t care.

That’s what the enemy likes to tell us, anyway. That God is incapable of something like listen or respond. But God hears every single prayer.

Maybe that makes it worse. Maybe knowing that God hears every prayer and things still aren’t working out causes your heart to grow heavy. Why would a God who cares allow your life to be ruined?

I have a new question for you: What if your life isn’t ruined?

As humans, we love filling in gaps, guessing what happens next. We plan our lives out to the end, expecting–or at least hoping–for things to go our way. And with God on our side, what could go wrong?

So many times in my life, I’ve felt God leading me towards a new path to take, and I expected God’s blessing to come in the form of everything working out the way I anticipated.

And then things didn’t work out. Relationships fell apart, mistakes were made, and hearts were broken.

Where was God in all of that?

Right there. Right next to me, just like God’s right next to you.

It is through these moments that I’m reminded of a hard truth.

Sometimes, God leads us into situations that are difficult. Just because a situation is difficult, doesn’t mean that God didn’t direct us there.

But we can find peace knowing that God won’t take us through those seasons without a purpose. To help us grow, to spread His light, and ultimately to bring us closer to Him.

So what is the point of praying if God has His own way of working everything out?

Prayer is more than asking God for things or trying to make a situation turn out a certain way. Prayer is a way of showing God that we trust Him through everything, no matter the outcome.

Prayer is our way of connecting to God.

Just let that sink in a moment. We have the opportunity to talk to the Divine, and we often allow momentary disappointment take away from the surreality of the truth.

God wants to talk to us. Yes, God also listens, and He hears every prayer. But going into prayer time with the mindset that God has something to say to you will change everything.

The next time you feel like God isn’t listening to you, ask God to show you what He wants you to get out of the circumstance you’re in.

Maybe He wants to grant you His overwhelming peace and comfort. Maybe He’s showing you how strong you are when you trust Him. Or maybe you are going through this in order to get to an even greater result.

Never underestimate the power of God.

But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

Exodus 9:16

Promises to Remember

For the hard days ❤

Today’s just been one of those days. The kind that wraps you up in its stickiness until you feel like you’re suffocating, barely able to remember days when you felt free. When you felt fully alive.

On days like today, it’s important to remember that this will not last forever.

You may feel stuck, as if nothing could get better. But you aren’t stuck. You are growing, right where you are. And that’s a beautiful thing.

Think back to the last time you felt this way. Perhaps not yesterday, but maybe a year ago, or even five years ago.

You may not have thought you could make it to today, but you did. And I’m so glad you did.

When it feels like nothing is going right, hold onto the promises of God.

He will never leave you, nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Even if everyone else walks away, you will never be alone.

You as precious and perfect in His sight (1 Corinthians 1:8).

A bad test score, a discouraging word, or even a painful mistake can’t separate you from God’s love.

He will use you to do amazing things for the greater good (Romans 8:28).

Your life matters. You were created for a reason. Even if the small things you do each day don’t feel significant, they truly mean the world to someone else. Most of all, God sees you and honors the way you choose to listen to Him.

So today may have been just a rotten, nasty, terrible day. Or maybe it was a day when you fully embraced God’s promises and felt lifted up.

Either way, there will always be tomorrow. Another chance for God’s grace. Another opportunity to make someone smile. Another day that God loves you and wants you to really believe it.

You belong here. Never forget that. ❤

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Don’t Be a Mean Enemy

Why should we listen to Jesus’ commandment to love our enemies?

It’s easy to be nice to people who are nice to us.

But every enemy was once a friend, or at least in a proximity close enough to you to have hurt on either side from the falling out.

I’m sure you’ve seen this most often when a couple breaks up and starts posting nasty things about each other online. Soon, you begin to wonder what they even saw in each other in the first place! Or when two close friends or family members break ties, then it’s as though you can’t speak of them again.

So what happens when it isn’t so easy to be nice anymore?

Our culture would tell us to get them back or, at the very least, snub them. They need to PAY for what they did!

But I’d like to offer a new piece of advice, or really a not-so-new piece of advice that Jesus first gave that goes against our human nature.

Let’s love our enemies and pray for those who hurt us (Matthew 5:43-44).

But why? Why should we listen to such a hard commandment?

Here are a few reasons that help me when I struggle (which is often) with being kind to difficult (and even hurtful) people in my life.

We don’t know what’s going on for real.

When we are angry at someone, it’s easy to assume the worst. But the truth is, a lot of times falling outs or unkind words aren’t really about us. They are about something else that is fogging up the other person’s vision that could be hurting them or making them lash out. This isn’t an excuse for mean behavior, but it does remind us to extend them grace.

We may have a part to play in the situation.

Now, this certainly isn’t to victim blame. There are many times when we are hurt by someone who is trying to execute power over us and it isn’t our fault when we are wounded by them.

This advice is for when you don’t want to take responsibility for a difficult relationship even though you may not have been the easiest person either. We enjoy blaming others when we know deep down that there’s something in us that needs fixing too.

But the best path to healing is forgiveness. Having enough grace and humility to admit our mistakes and not let them define us, and also extending that mercy to others.

We have been forgiven for far more than we could ever forgive someone else.

It’s important to remember who is telling us to love our enemies: Jesus. Every time we sin, we hurt Jesus, acting like an enemy to Him.

But Jesus loves us anyway and paid the ultimate price to be in relationship with us. He knows what it’s like to forgive something so painful, a true betrayal, and still love anyway.

Whenever we get the chance to forgive someone, it’s an opportunity to grow closer to Jesus and feel grateful for His sacrifice.

We look rather ridiculous holding a grudge.

Sorry to be direct, but it’s true, isn’t it? We all roll our eyes when someone goes on and on about their issues with someone, and yet we are just as inclined to act the same way. I know I have, and likely will again in the future.

But there’s always time for a fresh start. Even just the effort of being more considerate with your words and actions towards someone you don’t like will make it harder to be unkind to them in the future. Allow yourself to process the pain and anger without acting in impulse.

Then you’ll never have a regret, and you just might find yourself with a friend again 🙂

But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Luke 6:27-28