Ministries
As the school year winds down, emotions tend to run high. Teachers feel the pressure of unfinished lessons. Students are overwhelmed with final assignments and performances. Parents are trying to hold it all together while juggling plans, events, and everyday life. It’s a lot.
In the middle of all this noise and motion, we’re reminded of something powerful: the God of the universe is near. He’s not distant or detached. He’s right here, inviting us to pause and take refuge in Him—to receive His love, His peace, His rest.
In Acts 17, Paul speaks to the Greeks and says they should “seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘in him we live and move and have our being.’”
That’s stunning, isn’t it? He’s not far from us. But so often, we live like He is. We push through the chaos on our own, trying to muster the strength to finish strong. We try to take control of all our circumstances including our relationships. Stress and anxiety begin to escalate.
But what if we slowed down enough to “feel our way toward Him”? What if we lived like He was truly near? Imagine the difference it would make—not just in us, but in the ways we respond to life around us, and in what we model for our children.
So, how do we “feel our way toward Him” in the midst of the chaos? I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that in my own life, when I start my day with quiet reflection of who He is, including consciously emptying myself of myself and filling up with Him instead, I DO feel my way towards him and somehow it’s easier to walk in His abundant love and peace, and find the rest I desperately need.
God has given us the gift of eternal life. Why not pause at the beginning of each day and give Him the GIFT OF TIME? By our sacrifice we feel like we are giving Him something, but we begin to see – by taking that small step, He is actually waiting to give us the greatest gift…himself!
Each morning, as I wait for my French press coffee to steep, I turn over my 5-minute hourglass and start the timer. As I watch the sand flow from the top to the bottom, I remember how the Lord created me; how he already knows my thoughts, struggles, and dreams. He loves me more than the sand of the sea and longs for me to unite my heart with His and include Him in my day.
As the symbolism of myself empties (from the top), and as the sand fills up in the bottom part of the glass (our firm foundation), I ask for the Lord’s strength and sustenance. I pray for “a mind of Christ” for the day.
For 5 minutes, I use scripture, a phrase, or even just specific words that keep me focused on Christ and this practice of emptying and filling.
Lately, I’ve been repeating:
My heart is surrendered… to you God.
My mind is fixed…on you God.
My soul is quiet…before you God.
Whatever controls the worship of your heart controls your choices, emotions, and actions. Through this practice you are directing and affirming “the worship of your heart”.
If you aren’t in a habit of starting your day with quiet reflection, consciously letting go of your own desires and asking Him to fill you with His, please give it try. You won’t regret it! By doing this you are slowly and quietly allowing the Lord to reshape and reform you in His image. You are also laying Faithful Foundations and building a spiritual heritage that will last!
