Poem 6 of 30 by Christine Tracy

Truth that Overcomes

I sit in a tree top

Looking upon life

My life

Wondering about 

The little girl

Who daydreamed.

Of faraway places

Journeys

and adventures

Safely in the hands of

Family and a Papa she knew

But couldn't see.

"Too sensitive" she was labeled.

"Perfectionist" she was called.

"I wonder where she goes?" 

Said her teacher, frustrated,

Failing to capture her attention in class.

And then, the girl's heart changed,

And she believed the lies.

She would never reach her goal, her dream.

She would fail. Never be quite good enough.

But God.

Now she knows truth.

Her failures led to regrouping, restarting.

Perfectionism led nowhere.

But, instead, the word "excellence" 

Meant her efforts were enough.

Did she do the best she knew how?

Yes.

She did her best - far from perfect.

And that was enough.

That was excellent.

She was enough.

Learning to love herself still.

Will she ever arrive?

Doubts! Unworthiness! No! Go!

Her Father calls her "beloved daughter."

He sees her gold - what He placed in her.

His promises come true in the waiting.

He works ALL for her greater good.

She can rest - yet unknowing - in that.

Jumping the Gun

Did you ever make a decision on what you thought you heard from God, only to find resistance or even failure? Did you ever get ahead of God's purposes and then take the wrong turn? I have. We all have. What does it mean to wait on God? Why is it important? How do we know if He is leading?

God promises to be with us always. He loves when we pray and when we listen to His voice. He speaks in many ways, sometimes through other people. Staying close, being patient, and waiting on Him seem best, yet sometimes, he's nudging and we're not noticing. Sometimes He speaks and we misinterpret.

More often than we'd like to admit, we take a risk and step out in the wrong direction. Does he honor that? Yes. He wastes nothing. Romans 8:28 reminds us that all things (ALL THINGS) work together for good. You may delay what He meant for today - but that doesn't mean you have the power to prevent it.

God delights in us and lights our path. He directs our steps. He is the divine strategist. We, his beloved children, cannot fail if He is in our plans.

God is proud of you. There is enough grace in each day to empower both your successes and to help you overcome your wrong turns.

Proverbs 16:9 - Within your heart you can make plans for your future, but the Lord chooses the steps you take to get there.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

www.christinetracy.com

The Goodness of God in the Land of the Living

The Bible talks a lot about the enemy falling into his own trap.

Combined with Romans 8:28, I think that could be what we are witnessing now.

How could God use this evil of a global pandemic and turn it around for good? Well, at least at the moment, He has quite a captive audience. Many are asking Him "What are you doing? What are you saying?"

I propose we take time to ask Him every day, starting now, those two questions - and then listen for the answers.

One inkling of an answer I feel I'm getting is: there is interest and excitement for the new way of doing church. God is reaching into living rooms and offices in so many ways through social media.

Another inkling is I feel God is instilling something new into his human creation - a brain upgrade.

One more inkling is, He is teaching us to give ourselves permission to rest, to lay low, to spend un-rushed time with those closest to us.

Do you have an inkling of what God might be doing?

Psalm 27:13 - I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

July 24 - Watch for Good to Come

The beautiful Fireweed is a wildflower
in Colorado that grows from
disturbed or damaged ground.

Did you know that God doesn’t waste anything? Our experiences, big and small, good and bad – He will use to bless us and bless others. Look back on your life. Can you see the good that came from a hard experience? If not, ask God to help you see. He is bringing good out of the difficulty you are having today. Broken relationships yield to better ones. Lost jobs make room for better ones. Even the loss of a loved one will help you realize how much you were able to love and how much you appreciate the ones still with you. And financial ruin can turn around and set you in a new direction that is more fun and more profitable in many ways. Trust the process. Even if you can't trust yet, God will still bring out the good.

Romans 8:28 - So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God's perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose. (The Passion Translation)

Romans 8:31 - If God has determined to stand with us, tell me, who then could ever stand against us? (TPT)

June 30 - Your Tapestry Will Help Someone

Just as a tapestry is made more beautiful because of its contrasting colors and textures, so our life is more beautiful as we age because of our experiences – both good and bad, easy and difficult. Look at your life so far. Do you see how your faith has grown? Do you see how you have been loved and protected? Nothing can give you that like experience can. Today you will encourage someone else and they will trust what you say because they see in you the beauty and truth that experience has given you.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Psalm 92:12-15 - The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, "The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."

Simply Receive All That He Wants to Give You!!!!

Just as the beautiful fireweed grows

from ground that has been disturbed;

so God turns our crises into victories.

It is a day for “re” words

Reconciliation, restoration, redemption, restitution, rebuilding, renewal, revelation.

Put your hands out and face them up to Heaven. Let God pour out His blessings today and “re” – ceive. He is “re”-positioning; and “re”-defining. The Creator is “re”-modeling you to help you withstand not just the pressures of your daily life, but the pleasures of the new and abundant life He has given you. Yes – receive!

See Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 29:11