Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”
There are times in our life when we sometimes find the tiny stresses of everyday life slowly start eating away at our joy and our purpose. We can find ourselves in that place by not staying focused on the disciplines of the Christian faith. Just like the body, the soul also requires a daily workout. If we start consuming food and not keep up with exercise, slowly our clothes get a little tighter, our blood pressure elevates, and we find ourselves overly tired to face the day ahead. This does not happen overnight; it is a gradual occurrence. The same is true with our spirit. When we get lazy with our day to day walk and let other things take priority to the time we spend with God, we too find ourselves spiritually unfit. I recently found myself in that state of spiritual exhaustion. I was trying to do what I felt God had called me to do, but I found myself empty and lacking direction. I was ready to walk away from what I knew the Lord had called me to do. In attending the conference, everything once again became so clear to me. The conference has a way of bringing me back to what matters. My priorities got straightened out in a hurry. This is a place where there is no sugar coating. Life hits you square in the face. You soon are able to peel away all the pressures and see them for what they truly are. In reality, they just are not that important. I thought I had learned that lesson, but I now realize I might be a little slow to learn or maybe it is a lesson I need to be reminded of throughout my whole life. It is amazing to me that being surrounded by a group of women who are dealing with the death of a loved one, we can learn how to live more fully. I want my days left here on this earth to matter. I want to make a difference. I am asking the Lord to point me in His direction. I need to make the time I spend with Him my top priority. I not only will know what direction He is sending me in, but I also will have the strength to do what He has asked. I will search for Him each day in prayer and His word. I know there will be changes ahead and some will be scary for me. When I have voiced this fear of the unknown and my future, I always feel this voice come back at me that says, “You have trusted Me with Katie. Will you trust Me with your future?”
Lord, thank You so much for the little wake up calls you give us. May we pay attention to our choices we make each day.
– Michele
