God, in His kindness, has a way of gently reminding me that none of those other things were ever meant to carry the weight of my soul…. even though I sometimes act like it.

Only He can do that.  Only HE can be my ‘portion’ that lasts forever.

I’m asking God to help us taste and see Him, rather than the season we find ourselves in. I’m asking that He would help us anchor our hope in His goodness and not our ever-changing expectations. I’m asking him to help us remember that long-lasting sweetness doesn’t come from our own circumstances, but rather comes only from Christ.

So the next time a peach lies to you…. let it instead become a sermon to your soul: God’s goodness is sweeter than any season and steadier than any expectation.  Choose to savor Him.

This season of my life has felt a lot like pruning.

I’ve experienced things I never saw coming.
I've had disappointments I didn’t expect, and hurts I wouldn’t have chosen.

If I'm completely honest, there have been situations that have left me staring at God thinking, “I really thought we were growing something different here.”

Anyone else feel like that?

Here's the thing that makes pruning especially confusing for me….

God doesn’t only prune dead things.
Sometimes He prunes fruitful things.

God doesn’t wait for us to be unbreakable to use us. He shines through us because of the cracks. His power shows up right in the middle of our mess, our brokenness, our own inability to super glue our lives back together.

And that means I can stop trying to be “Beth, the perfectly put-together Christian girl.”

Truth is, I don’t want to be her anyway. She sounds exhausted and weary.

If I’m really honest, I think I want to be “Beth, the broken lamp.”

If I’m honest I have a really hard time sitting still.  I love to ‘do’ and to feel like I’ve made a difference with the time in my day.  I try hard to fill up every second with intentional conversations, accomplishing kingdom goals, or planning for what’s next.  I really struggle to stop, sit, and rest knowing all that is still to do, or all that could be done. 

Not too long ago I found myself running on fumes, and because of the life-giving support of some godly friendships around me, my heart was lifted and my arms were held up so that I could be obedient to God’s call on my life.  That’s what a good friend does.  She ‘lifts up your arms’ by encouraging you and speaking truth to you, knowing that God has more for you.  She understands that sometimes you need her as much as she needs you, and in those battle seasons, she’s ready to stand with you, supporting you in your desire to be obedient to His call on your life.

Perhaps God sent His angelic messengers to these shepherds because He knew they wouldn’t miss Him. 

The people in Bethlehem were so BUSY, and many of them were even doing good things, but because they were so busy it would have been easy for them to miss a grand display or to pass it off as something less important. In contrast, the shepherds would have been hungry to hear from him. These shepherds were laser focused and amazed when the angels appeared to them, because these shepherds were positioned to Savor the Wonder around them.

If we want to be like those four friends in Mark 2, friend….it means we have to move. We have to make space. We have to be willing to tear the roof off if that’s what it takes to get someone to Jesus.

And to do that, we’ve got to keep our eyes on Him. Not on our seat, our preferences, or our routines—but on Jesus.

What if we lived with the same kind of passion and urgency that we had for the biggest days of our lives? What if we saw every interaction—at work, at the grocery store, in the car line—as an opportunity to share God’s love? What if we saw Valentine’s Day as a way to showcase the greatest love of all with everyone we encountered.

I don’t want to be a girl that whines and complains to those around me about what I don’t have, or what I think I need, but instead I want to be the girl that immediately takes my needs to the Lord in prayer, trusting and believing He’s got me covered and has a plan to take care of me…and I bet you want to be that girl, too.

Sometimes I think we buy into the belief that when we live right within God’s purpose and plan for our lives we will be protected from the hard things in life. Can I share some truth with you this morning?  That’s never actually ever promised in scripture.  Jesus didn’t ever promise us that life would be easy, or that He would protect us and save us from experiencing hard things.   In fact, sometimes, I believe, that he uses these hard times, these refining times, these crushing times, to mold us and make us into the leader he wants us to be. 

I wonder…are you searching for Hope or needing Joy today?  Do you feel forgotten or pushed aside, or maybe you’re just wondering where Jesus is in the midst of your situation? If so, are you seeking Him with all of your heart, today? 

I believe God has a plan for all of us that is much bigger and better than we could ever imagine, but often His plans often require that we have courage to be obedient and step forward in faith.  Imagine if we all stopped being fearful, but rather chose to walk courageously as we embraced all of the ways He has called us to reach this world.

Are you allowing your heart to be split by all the things this world is throwing at you, or are you fixated and completely focused on the great love that only comes from Jesus?  Valentine’s Day can be a really hard day if we’re looking for someone to fill up our ‘love tank’ because only God offers the kind of love that is steadfast, unchanging, and always available.  

Jesus didn’t choose Peter to follow Him because Peter was perfect.  He didn’t choose him because he never made a mistake, or never messed up.  He didn’t choose Peter because needed a rock to cling to when life got hard.  He chose Peter because he wanted Peter.