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I have spent a good portion of my life running in the wrong direction.

I realized I have been running from things when it would have been better to be running toward things. Running from my past instead of toward my future. Running from hurt instead of toward love. Running from sin instead of toward grace.

There are many problems in this, but one of the biggest is when we are running from something, that is what we are focusing on. I am so busy looking over my shoulder, not looking where I am going, that I might just end up anywhere! And probably not somewhere I had thought I would end up.

Another big problem is that what we look at and focus on, we become. If I am constantly looking over my shoulder at my past, hurt and sin, I might continue to look like them. I would much rather turn my eyes toward my future that God has planned for me, the love He has for me, the grace He extends to me.

Someone running away from something is usually panting in fear, out of breath, out of shape because they haven’t planned on running, and are wearing out from the work it takes. In contrast, a person choosing the direction or goal they are running toward has usually taken the time to prepare. They have the correct footwear, they have prepared their body physically. They have prepared their mind. They have prepared their will by determination and self-discipline. This person is in shape and focused on a target.

Paul, in the Bible, knew all about this kind of running. He said he had disciplined his body in order to run the kind of race Jesus had called him to. He knew that he couldn’t look back at what he had been longer than was necessary to be completely repentant and grateful. After that it was time to press on to the prize that was before him: life in Christ.

This is the kind of running that I want to do. I want to train myself so that I keep spiritually and mentally fit. I don’t want to look behind me or run aimlessly. Most of all I want to run with joy toward the prize of a life with Jesus!

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable. Therefore I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight like I am beating the air. No, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” I Corinthians 9:24-27

Sometimes I feel less like a parent and more like my favorite fictional detective, Hercule Poirot.

Every day is filled with mysteries to solve: Did they really brush their teeth? Who left the wet towel on the carpet AGAIN? Whose turn is it to do the dishes? And on and on it goes.

As difficult or time consuming as these types of mysteries are, there are far more important questions that come up while raising children: Am I really teaching them anything? Are they becoming the people God designed them to be? Are they ever going to learn to be kind to their siblings???

I don’t think even Sherlock himself could figure out the answer to that last question! I guess the answer remains to be seen.

My most important role in this detective-parenting however, is discovering ways each day to point their hearts towards God. I need to be listening, watching and praying for the opportunities to have conversations about Jesus. It does take slowing down and looking for clues from my children about how they are feeling or what they are thinking about. But if I am paying attention, God creates those times for me, I just need to be willing to stop other things I might be doing and take advantage of them.

That is one thing I have been grateful for with sheltering-in-place, it has created more time for me to spend with my children. We have had opportunities to talk about more of God’s truths together. I have re-discovered how important it is to examine the wonders of God’s mysteries with my children as they share their hearts.

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29

Does your family have a favorite bowl? It’s the one that you have to use to mix up brownies or they just won’t taste quite right. Or the one that all the birthday cakes get made in. Maybe it’s Great-Grandma’s bowl for her special dessert that she always managed to be pulling piping-hot from the oven as you walked through her door?

At my house it is a dark blue mixing bowl. I simply don’t believe that I could make brownies in another bowl! My bowl is no longer perfect, it’s been around awhile. There is a chip on the side from when it was used to take scraps out to the chickens back in the day. The funny thing is that chip almost makes it more endearing to me.

My bowl has a history and a story–just like me. I also have been around awhile and have collected my share of “chips” and bumps. The awesome thing is that instead of them making me worthless, ready to be thrown out, they make me stronger and more resilient. I am so thankful that God does not need perfect vessels in His family. He takes me with all my imperfections and still uses me for His glory.

The even better news is that unlike the chip on my bowl, God can actually heal the hurts of my life. They don’t disappear, but instead transform into tools that He then uses to help someone else. If you are feeling like maybe you have just been around too long to be of value, or that you have too many imperfections for God to love you or use you, please remember that He is not looking for perfect people. Perfect people would be of no use to Him because they would not have a story to share and they certainly would not need Him!

So don’t be afraid to come to God with all your bumps and bruises and imperfections. He is just waiting to use you and your story in His bigger story, the one where in the end He conquers all and we are with Him forever!

“Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” II Corinthians 4:7-9

“Encouraging people to be filled with grace while pursuing their purpose.”

That was my vision and goal when I first started writing this blog and it is still my goal today. I am passionate about encouraging people, looking inside for their potential and drawing it out. I also believe more strongly than ever that we need to be filled with God’s grace to truly fulfill our purpose.

But what exactly is our purpose? The overarching answer for us as followers of Jesus is to glorify Him in everything we do. However, to narrow it down to our individual purpose takes some time and self-reflection. Some people seem to be born knowing their goal in life, for others of us it takes longer.

One tool I have used in my own life to figure out what I am passionate about is my calendar. If you take a look through your days and see where you are spending your time it might give you a clue to your purpose. Conversely, if you look through your calendar and cringe at most of the things scheduled there, you might need to make some changes!

Another way to look at it is to think about what gives you life, when do you feel the most free, happy or even rested. Remember, Jesus said His yoke is easy, so if we are fulfilling the unique purpose He designed us for it shouldn’t be absolutely draining or exhausting. A different way of asking this question would be, “When do I feel in the flow: God’s grace in and my purpose flowing out?”

A lot of times those closest to us know us better than we know ourselves. If you are really struggling to figure out your purpose, you could ask a trusted friend what they see in you. And of course the best thing of all would be to ask Jesus through the Holy Spirit to reveal His purposes for your life.

As we discover our purpose and begin by God’s grace to live into it, exciting things will begin to happen. God designed each of us to have a unique place in time and history and we are each a part of His plan. The world needs you!

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” Romans 12:6

Think what you may about Walmart, when you have eight kids it is a necessary evil. There are of course trade-offs to those low prices. The shelves at my local store tend to be sporadically stocked for one. But again when one is trying to feed and clothe a large number of children one cannot be too picky!

On a recent shopping trip, I had actually decided to buy some socks for myself. I knew just what style, color and brand I needed. However, when I got to the sock aisle it looked like the end times for socks. Bare racks, opened packages and torn tags met me. With little hope, I looked through the remaining packages. Then I noticed on the floor, a single sock of the exact kind I was looking for. Again, with not much hope, I approached a sales associate and asked if she happened to have the package with the other 19 socks in it. To my delight and surprise, she actually found an unopened package of the socks! I thanked her profusely and finished my other shopping.

At this point you might be asking yourself why on earth I am telling you all of this. Bear with me, as most of you know by now, these little things talk to me in deeper ways!

I began to think about why God couldn’t have just allowed me to walk up to the shelf, find my socks and be on my merry way. In that scenario He gets no credit at all. He also isn’t involved in my life very much that way either. However, in the a-sock-alypse story, He got to show off and show me how much He cares about every little detail of my life–even my socks!

The other part of my story entails the fact that I had to ask. Jesus is literally waiting for us to ask Him for things, just like I had to ask the salesperson. Most of us can get as far as seeing His promise for us just laying there like my little sock on the ground, but unfortunately that is about as far as we get. I know in my own life, for whatever reason I forget to go farther and ask for the promise. I literally walk away and leave it laying there and Jesus still waiting with the gift in His hands.

So there are two lessons I learned from my sock experience, one is how much God cares about every little detail of my life. He loves me down to my socks! And two, I need to ask for the promises He has given me and not just leave the good gifts behind. He loves you in this way too. He cares about every detail of your life and is just waiting to give you so many gifts as you trust in Him and follow Him.

“And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid.” Matthew 10:30-31a

“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding ‘Yes!’ And through Christ, our ‘Amen’ (which means ‘Yes’) ascends to God for His glory.” II Corinthians 1:20

So I think it might have been Jesus who first said, “No worries, mate!” At least that is how I read Matthew chapter 6 starting in verse 24.

At this point Jesus is up on a mountainside giving a sermon on all kinds of practical things for living. He has covered everything from loving your enemies to praying. Then He discusses a topic that most of us worry about a lot: money and provision.

Don’t Worry!

His answer to the problem? Don’t worry! Now I don’t know about you, but for me that is far easier said than done. The Strong’s definition of the word “worry,” says it means, “to divide into parts.” That paints a word picture doesn’t it? I know exactly what that feels like. When I allow worry to take over my thoughts I can literally feel like my brain is going in many different parts. The definition goes on to include distraction; also a preoccupation with things causing anxiety, stress and pressure! Again, all things I am familiar with, none of them fun.

So how does Jesus have the audacity to suggest we simply shouldn’t worry? He actually maps it out thoroughly in His sermon. He addresses our worries about how we will take care of ourselves in the areas of food and clothing. He gives the example of how God takes care of the birds by providing them food. He reminds us how much more valuable to God we are than birds. He talks of the flowers and how God clothes them so beautifully and promises us that God will clothe us too.

The “ouch” moment of His sermon for me, is when He points out that it is unbelievers who worry and struggle and chase after all these things such as food and clothing, but we as believers have a heavenly Father who knows we need all these things and promises to provide them. Jesus reminds us to first chase after God and He will take care of the rest. It is Jesus’ own confidence in His heavenly Father’s unending provision that allows Him to audaciously proclaim, “No worries!”

“For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.” Matthew 6:32-34