Some notes from Jason’s posts. Some are newer than others, but the wisdom carries forward.
Recently, I hit a little snag financially. My mortgage went up unexpectedly, I had to cut some hours at work to finish grad school, desperately needed new tires, had starter issues with my car, needed a new headlight, etc.—all during tax season. There was no way I was going to be able to do it all.
I prayed about it a few times last week, but they weren’t those long, deep, focused prayers. Just the simple conversations you have with God as you get into your car or sit down for coffee.
The ones that go like this: “I don’t know how it’s gonna work out, but I trust you. You’ve been faithful before, and I believe you’ll be faithful again.
Fast forward a few days. I’ve been counseling someone for almost a year pro-bono because her insurance wouldn’t payout. We tried everything possible over the past several months to process the claims with no success. Well, I got my check at the end of the week, and it included compensation for 32 sessions. THIRTY-TWO! The insurance PAID. THEM. ALL.
Moral of the story: God doesn’t just hear your prayers. He hears your thoughts and sees your need before it even exists. He’s tuned in even when you aren’t broadcasting. He sees you. He hears you. He is with you. Everything is going to be okay.
BONUS: My mortgage went up due to an error, so it will actually end up being a few dollars less than it was before the increase. I took my car to Auto Zone to get the headlight replaced. As the tech went in to replace it, it lit right back up (not kidding).
It’s hard to understand the debilitating effects of depression unless you’ve experienced them yourself. The weight that beams down on you like the sun on your back. The negative thoughts that pelt you like freezing rain. The crippling darkness that presses in from every side. That gut-wrenching emptiness haunts you when you don’t know what will fill it. I’ve been there a few times in my life.
I hear clients talk about it. I have friends who know it well. Maybe it’s you. Its power is vast, and its reach is wide. I’m not here for church cliches because—honestly—I think they do more harm than good sometimes.
But I will encourage you with something I 100% believe: even in the densest darkness, there is One whose light shines like the dawn. And that light is always present in the darkness. It is refreshing. It brings healing. It restores hope. It overcomes.
“If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there, your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.” Psalms 139:8-10
- We are currently raising a generation of young people whose primary social interaction source is through a screen. Ask me again why anxiety, depression, and teen suicide rates are rising.
- When we start mapping Christianity to our interpretation of truth, we have a religion unto ourselves. Truth is absolute; it doesn’t need a commentator.
- A belief is only an assumption until it is tested, which is why we must go on our own journey of discovery to find out what we believe. Until then, we are just living out someone else’s beliefs.
- Be careful that your politics don’t become your religion. You may find yourself worshipping your own opinion.
- Protect your peace. If you don’t, no one will.
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