Author: Susan

In between – the place we find Jesus

In between things. I’m starting to settle into a bit of a routine at the moment. Though truth be told, right now, I’m feeling a bit distracted.

How much longer? How much longer do we continue in this in between place?

We’re in this place of almost, but not quite. We’ve left the place we were, but haven’t yet arrived where we’re going. How do we move through this part of the journey?

There’s a story in the Bible where Jesus talks to some of his followers. They’ve been fishing and they’re done for the day. But Jesus invites them to do the work one more time. To cast out their net. They had tried all night with no results. A gut reaction would be to simply say no, we’re done. But they don’t. They follow Jesus’ lead and find a boatload of fish. (See John 21:1-6)

Sometimes, when we get to the end of our rope, or in the disciples’ case, to the end of their net, that’s just the place Jesus wants to meet us.

Just a little further.

Sometimes when we run out of our own strength, we find the place where Jesus invites us to walk in His.

So if you feel you’re at the end of your rope in this season, you might just be where God can show up and shine through.

“Look to the Lord and his strength;
   seek his face always.” Psalm 105:4 NIV

Song: I’m holding on, Lord

How to simply pray when you’re not sure what to do

When I’m not sure what to do next, I can simply pray.

Confession

True confession. This has been a week and I wasn’t sure I would get this blog post written. I had some ideas on what to write, but never had a moment to capture the words. I was working on it last night, but then life happened. You know, when everything else takes precedence and you have to let go of your plans.

Praying

So I found myself praying this morning: Lord, what do I write? It had come to this. I didn’t have anything put together on my own so I had to pray about it.

The beauty of prayer

That’s the beauty of prayer. It helps us focus on Jesus, not on our problem. Sure my problem was still there. I was no further along on my blog post, but I was closer to Jesus. It felt like time had slowed down a bit. I still had a hectic morning. I still didn’t have many words written down, but everything felt just a little more calm. I was able to take a breath and pause, if not in activity, at least with the thoughts in my head.

I focused on Jesus

Once I focused on Jesus I felt like I had more time. I had time to write and send a card to someone. I had time to make pancakes, though I misjudged the amount of water I needed and had to make adjustments. But I wasn’t stressed out about it.

Prince of Peace

I think for me, prayer is about perspective. I have a resource when I’m not sure my own resourcefulness will carry me through. I can look toward the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) when my perspective is anything but peaceful.

Words from Jesus

And if you’re not sure how to start, listen to a few words from Jesus on prayer:

“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” Matthew 6:6 MSG

More thoughts on how to simply connect with Jesus:

Rest a moment with Jesus and find peace.

If pausing and resting doesn’t come easily, rest assured you’re in good company:

What can I do in this season of chaos? Be still.

In the middle – where to focus in the midst of change

When we feel unsettled in the middle of a journey, where can we focus as we navigate change? Find the one thing that hasn’t changed.

In the middle

We’re somewhere in the middle of this journey. It’s been long enough that we can’t quite remember how it used to be, or at least we don’t long for it as deeply. We are in the process of adapting, whether we realize it or not. Focusing on where we are and not where we’ve been is a bit of a survival skill.

Changing

Our patterns and habits are changing, affected by our current circumstances. We are changing. How we look at things is changing.

What’s missing?

In talking to a friend recently, I shared this analogy. It’s like we’ve gone camping and left half of the food at home. For the first few days we lament all the items we’re missing. Think of all the meals we could have made or snacks we could have eaten. Our focus is on what’s missing, what’s been left out.

Adapt

A few days into our trip we start to adjust, mostly out of necessity. We rummage through what we did bring with us. Maybe we create new combinations or simply make do with what we have available.  As we alter and modify our routine we start to settle into our existing environment or situation. We adapt.

Unsettled

We’re no longer fully focused on what’s behind us, but because we’re in the middle somewhere, we’re still a bit unsettled.

So now our picture starts to look like a big body of water between two shorelines. We can no longer see the shore we left, but we’re in the middle of the water somewhere, and can’t clearly see the shoreline in front of us. How do we navigate this part of the journey?

Changed

In my own life so much has changed. For one, I’m a worship leader and church isn’t meeting in the building. I still feel called to help lead people closer to Jesus, but instead of standing in front of a congregation in a church, I’m sharing music and words online.

Connect with Jesus

In this time of change, the one thing that hasn’t changed is taking time to connect with Jesus. In some ways it’s different from what it was before, but in other ways it’s the same.

Each morning before breakfast I try to sit down with a journal. I write down what’s on my mind, then open my mind and heart to what Jesus wants to speak into my life. Some days this time is focused and quiet. Other days it’s scattered.

At this point I’m not settled, but comfortable. I’ve adapted.

Constant and unchanging

And in this unsteady, ever-changing time, I stay focused on the One who is constant and unchanging.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”  Hebrews 13:8 NLT

Looking for ways to connect with Jesus? Maybe this post will help:

How to connect to the source of hope and peace

Want a refresher on how to hear from God?

How to hear from God – where to look