This has been a year of trials and difficulties. I don’t know if Job said this or the Morton Salt company, but “When it Rains, it Pours.” It has been a year of continuous pouring of difficulties/trials. We have walked with the Lord through these trials, and He has been so faithful. Just know there have been many blessings as well and God has always had His hand on our lives.
Well, about the sixth major difficulty/trial came this past November, and it gripped me with fear. I have experienced fear, but not to this depth. I felt like we were drowning. In reality, I knew that wasn’t the case, but I couldn’t shake this fear. I was extremely emotional, angry at those who messed up our lives, and very worried about our future. I believe I was holding on to the things of the world for my security, and it was causing me such fear and anxiety. I was talking to the Lord about our circumstances, but I wasn’t really letting Him have them. My husband, on the other hand, was/is concerned but at peace. He is an inspiration to me.
I have wrestled with decisions, what we should do next, and thinking I have to have all the answers. I don’t have to have all the answers; I just have to take it one day at a time. The Lord has turned my focus from circumstances to Him. He has reminded me of one of my favorite verses, 2 Corinthians 12:10: “My grace is sufficient for you, [Melinda,] for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
I receive my strength each day from His word (which is so, so good). I found this note in my Bible as I was reading in the Psalm, and it has been a great encouragement as well: “A person who spends time with God will see his adversity as an opportunity to re-experience God’s faithfulness. Go towards God, not away!”
Thank You, Lord, for Your faithfulness, patience, and love.
Take a moment or two to think about your last bad day. A day when expectations were crushed. Perhaps someone you loved treated you with disdain. A day where you may have endured an undeserved consequence. A sudden loss of a dream or a loved one. Or a day where you got precisely what your imperfect actions deserved, yet the regret and sorrow made the day painful. Whatever caused the bad day, chances are high that they do not compare to what Jesus endured for us over 2,000 years ago.
The Apostle Peter wrote the verses above around 65 AD. Yet, on four separate occasions, he quotes the words from the prophet Isaiah, written 700 years before Jesus hung on the cross. Isaiah chapter 53 speaks of a suffering servant who carried our burdens, was crushed for our sins, and rejected by those he created. Jesus became the suffering servant and fulfilled these words on the day we call Good Friday.
So why would we call one of the worst days in history good? We can confidently call today good because Jesus did something for us that we could never have endured ourselves on Good Friday. Instead of being crushed for our sins, He was. Instead of suffering the weighty consequences of our actions, by His wounds, we are healed. Instead of being lost after running away from God, He came to find us.
So now, go back to your bad day. Think about the shame, the pain, the suffering, and on this Good Friday, give the bad to God. He paid for it all on the cross, and that’s what makes today good.
I’ve heard this verse many times, but only recently have I felt its depth. The Lord, maker of all of Heaven and Earth, is guiding, leading, protecting, and comforting us. I could always get behind being refreshed, comforted, and protected, but I felt the guiding and leading part would be safer in my own hands.
Like many people, my childhood was filled with chaos and complicated family dynamics. Starting at age three, I’d travel back and forth from my moms to my dad’s house with my older sister. As my parents each eventually remarried, it became even more complicated. Blended families carry their own inherent complexities, but mine also experienced substance abuse, mental health crises, and violence. Seeking a sense of control, I took on the role of defender and stabilizer for my family. I was praised for being “easy,” so a fierce independence formed within me.
Because of my stepdad’s obedience in bringing us all to church, I had an encounter with Jesus at age seven and began to see the goodness of God. Still, growing up, I would only bring God in as if He were an independent contractor in my life instead of the creator of it. I wanted the benefits of a shepherd without the reliance upon Him.
Entering adulthood, I realized that the self-sufficiency, which I thought marked my freedom, was keeping me in bondage all along. Only when I humbly submitted to being shepherded by God did I then feel the fullness of His comfort and renewing of my soul. In fact, what’s even better is that it was never about us. It’s about bringing glory to our grace-filled Father through our obedience. He directs our steps and provides in abundance. It is safe to relinquish control to our Good Shepherd.
Grace is defined as unmerited favor. In other words, we got better than we deserved.
I grew up in a Christ-centered home and gave my life to Christ at age nine during a revival service. I attended church regularly and did a pretty good job of living life according to God’s principles. When I turned 18 and went off to college, then later joined the military, I decided to start living my life my way. I placed God on a shelf so I could live my life on my terms. My focus was on doing things my way and not His.
After several years of this, I realized that doing things my way and not according to God’s principles doesn’t work and only makes me miserable.
I asked for God’s forgiveness, and He took me back. I am so thankful that He restored me with His grace and put me back on track where I belong. I pray that I can look to Him daily so I can continue to live my life His way and not mine.
As a young, zealous follower of Christ, I often found myself frustrated with the Israelites in the Old Testament. So many times, they questioned God and turned away from Him completely. After everything they saw, how could they ever doubt?
And then I became a mother. Quite literally overnight, I was responsible for the safety, upbringing, and spiritual formation of a new life. My days were dedicated to cloth diapering, nursing, and every other crunchy new mom fad I could find. Though there was so much joy and gratitude for my children, guilt, shame, and comparison started to leech onto me. The girl I was before was gone. Where she saw only possibility and adventure, the new woman saw risk and uncertainty.
While I was definitely uncertain about how to be a mother, I was most uncertain about God’s goodness. I felt abandoned and in the wilderness. I felt desperate. Often, when people get desperate, they do one of two things: cling tighter to what they know is true or start blaming. I did the latter. I blamed God for all the things that I thought had gone wrong. And mostly, I doubted that God had good things for me. In this season, I very much identified with the Israelites.
Amazingly, over time, through prayer, community, and seeking God’s heart, a new woman emerged. I was no longer young, naive, and a little arrogant. And I also wasn’t doubtful and insecure (most of the time). I had been made new. I am still being made new. I am not sure it ever stops this side of Heaven. Praise God for that because I like the woman He is shaping me into. I am grateful for a God who sees us, knows us, and knows who He would like us to become.
Life before grace felt like an unending cycle of guilt, shame, and failure. I lived under the heavy weight of alcoholism — a relentless burden that kept me chained to habits and patterns I couldn’t break. No matter how hard I tried to free myself, the chains only seemed to grow tighter. But then, grace stepped in, and everything changed.
Sin wasn’t merely about the wrong things I did but the deeper reality of separation from God. I sought fulfillment in the wrong places — in alcohol, drugs, and even in trying to be “good enough” by my own strength. These pursuits left me emptier than before, and my efforts to escape the cycle only highlighted how powerless I was. I was painfully aware of my shortcomings and felt trapped in a pit of my own making.
Then came the turning point: understanding the grace of Jesus.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “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.” These words ignited a light in my darkness. I realized that my freedom didn’t depend on my efforts but on Jesus’ finished work on the cross. When I surrendered to Jesus, I experienced the power of His grace — not just as a concept but as a transforming reality. The chains of sin that had held me captive for so long began to fall away.
Through the Holy Spirit, I’ve been given the strength to walk in newness of life. In practical terms, this freedom has reshaped my daily life. I no longer strive for perfection to earn God’s love; I rest in the truth that I am already loved. My relationships are healthier because they’re no longer built on selfishness or insecurity. When I stumble, I don’t fall back into despair—I turn to Jesus, who continually extends His grace.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, I want to encourage you that there is hope. Freedom is possible, and Jesus is the way to that freedom. He has given me 41 years of sobriety, and I know He can do the same for anyone who surrenders to Him.
One of the greatest things I see regarding the way Jesus endured the pain and suffering He experienced on the cross was His ability to maintain His focus on something that gave Him joy.
There will never be a problem or predicament I face that will compare to the agony and anguish that Jesus withstood.
I am without excuse if I complain, grumble or resist any situation God allows to occur in my life. God’s discipline in my life happens so that He can transform me from living life man’s way to living life His way.
I pray that He will help me maintain my focus on Him whenever I face any form of adversity, no matter how difficult it may seem.
On September 5, 2013, John 15:13 was made personal to me when my husband received a kidney transplant from a friend of ours. Our friend laid down his life for our family so that our kids could have more time with their dad and I could have more time with my soulmate. It was a miraculous and surreal moment as God instantly healed my husband. It was also very strange to receive a gift of that magnitude. It left me feeling somewhat helpless and a bit inadequate. Even to this day, I think from time to time, how could I repay him? What could I do? But there is absolutely nothing I can do but receive.
There is a man who did something even greater than our friend Matt, and His name is Jesus. Jesus endured the cross on my behalf so that I could live a full life telling others about Him. He even calls me His friend.
Joseph M. Scriven knew what it meant to be a friend of Jesus when he wrote the poem that later became a hymn called, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” While the whole song ministers to my heart, these lyrics pierce the deepest parts:
“Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness, Take it to the Lord in prayer.”
Lord, thank You for being our friend and for paying the ultimate sacrifice.
All my young life, I never felt that I was very good with words. I felt uneducated and often struggled with my words getting tangled and tongue-tied. I was often told by those around me that I would never be a public speaker or a teacher. As I grew older and trusted in the Lord, He often put me in situations to pray with others and publicly tell my story of salvation. It was terrifying, and I always tried to talk myself out of it. I would tell myself I was not good enough and certainly not well-spoken. I would often avoid speaking situations because of my fears.
The Lord continuously led me to Scripture about trusting in Him. He showed me that my fears were not warranted and that He had given me the gift of hospitality. In fact, He showed me that I had had it all my life. I started to pray, “Lord, may my words be your words,” right before any opportunity requiring me to speak. He blessed me with a career in nursing. It was amazing and so fulfilling to have found my spiritual gifts that the Lord had shown me. I loved it and was very good at it.
Later in life, God provided an opportunity for my husband and I to become leaders of our prayer team at church and share our testimonies publicly. Talk about being out of my comfort zone!! Of course, every opportunity turned into exactly what the Lord had planned. Because I now trust the Lord with everything in my life, I am no longer worried about these things and know that when He gives me these opportunities, I am to be obedient and trust in Him.
As a perfectionist and the oldest daughter, I grew up believing the lie that I needed to be perfect and constantly do things for God to be accepted and loved. I knew that I was a child of God, but I could not imagine that He would have time for me or that I could ever do enough to be truly loved by Him.
I found my worth in what teachers, friend’s parents, pastors, and mentors said about me — it seemed easier than relying on what God said because then I would have to face my own pride. Of course, this eventually became exhausting, and I was tired of it. I was tired of “being perfect,” and I was tired of not being truthful to everyone around me. Instead of dealing with the root of this issue, though, I distracted myself with a relationship that was not honoring the Lord.
After a few months, moving to college, finding Cypress Creek Church, and joining Crosstalk, the Holy Spirit prepared my heart and prompted my parents to finally intervene. We had a conversation that would forever change the way I view agape love. They told me that whether I chose to walk away from that relationship or stay in it, they would love me no matter what.
At that moment, I felt a sigh of relief from the tension I hadn’t even realized I was holding in. I was reminded by the Lord, through my parents, that even though I am a sinner, Christ died for me and loves me. In that moment, all my head knowledge of God became heart knowledge of God. I still struggle with pride, anxiety, and perfectionism, BUT God constantly reminds me who He is and who I am because of Him — a redeemed daughter of the Highest King.
