We may be thinking, ”But God didn’t give me a choice! I never wanted to be in this storm.” That brings up an important distinction. Sometimes we don’t choose our circumstances, but we can still choose our response to them…

God says, ”You can stay with Me or you can go out on your own. You can have blessings or consequences. You can stay dry or get wet.”

Choose for yourselves this day whom you may serve. -Joshua 24:15

REFLECT: What seems like a no in your life right now? In what ways could it actually be a yes you didn’t expect? Think of a time when what looked like a no was really a yes in God’s plan?

God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. -Psalm 66:19

Sometimes all we can hear is the rain pounding against our hearts, and the steady beat sounds like no, no, no, no. Yet if we listen closer, there is another sound. It’s the heartbeat of our Heavenly Father. And it’s always yes, yes, yes, yes….

There’s only one Mother. That’s for sure. No one else could EVER fill your shoes. Even now that I am grown, there are certain times when only my mother will do. I’ve discovered over the years that no matter how independent I am, I’ll never outgrow my need for your smile, your hug, and your warmhearted ways. I will always need you, always love your and always be grateful for the wonderful woman your are-MY MOTHER! Happy Mother’s Day!!!!

He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. -Psalm 107:29

Lord, thank You for transforming loss into gain in ways I don’t even fully understand. There are still some very tender losses in my life where I’ve not yet discovered the gains, so I pray You will continue to bring healing to my life and heart. In Jesus Name…Amen.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. -Matthew 5:4

Christ’s death brought us life. The last will be first. When we give, we receive. It’s a strange, mixed-up system that makes no sense to our human hearts. It is, however, a promise we can cling to on the days when our hearts need hope.

In God’s economy, even what looks like loss can become gain…

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Lord, I have many questions without answers. I want to know why storms happen in life. But even more than that, I want to know your heart. Anyone feel like that today…this prayer is for YOU?? Even if my questions are never answered on this side of eternity, I will still love and trust You. In Jesus Name, Amen.

REFLECT: What questions have you been asking God that He hasn’t answered yet? What are you afraid will happen if you stop asking ”why”? Think of a time in your life when you didn’t understand the ”why” but saw God’s hand in the midst of it all.

The moment we can finally trade our ”why” for a ”Who,” the rest of our journey changes…

At some point, we all come to the place where we’re asked to open our hands, release our questions, and embrace the One whose ways we do not understand but whose heart we know….

People want a God who doesn’t allow suffering. Or want a God who lets all our dreams come true, who erases death, who heals all hurts and who does it on your time not his. But that’s not the God we serve. Somehow we have to release those expectations and decide that, despite it all, He is good, He loves us, and we love Him.