Category: God’s grace

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Defenseless Driving

katietkennedy

Recently, I have been driving with my daughter, who has her learner’s permit. This is a new season for our family. As I walk around the car, moving from the driver’s seat to the passenger’s seat, I can feel my sense of control escaping me.

I sit in the passenger seat trying to give the best advice I can, as she nervously drives around. While I can give her instruction and guide her to stay centered in her lane, in reality, there is very little I can do if something major were to happen. Grabbing the wheel would probably only make things worse.

This reminds me of our faith journey. We usually envision ourselves in the driver’s seat of our life, and to some degree we are. If we decide to turn right and find there is a dead end ahead, God lets us make that wrong turn and learn from our mistakes.

God sets the course, the speed, and the hazards in our way. Sometimes we may feel in control of our vehicle, and other times we are reaching over from the passenger side trying to grab the wheel and turn it away from what God has planned. We are unsure and scared about His plans for us so we try to take over and gain a sense of control.

Other times, we sit back in the passenger seat and trust that God knows what He’s doing, and submit to the fact that He is actually in control of my life, not me. Those are blissful moments filled with peace and joy until the enemy interrupts those thoughts with doubts.

While I will continue fluctuating between feeling confident and apprehensive with my daughter’s driving abilities, we will do the same in our faith journey. Maybe one day we will learn to fully submit and relax into His plans for our lives. Until then, we will keep practicing faith by knowing His plans are good, reminding ourselves that He loves us, and He is always there with us no matter how many wrong turns we take.

“All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.” (Psalm 25:10)

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Selfless Sacrifice

katietkennedy

One fall afternoon, I waited in our local country market for sandwiches to be made for my girls. An older couple walked in and approached the counter. The woman behind the counter noticed the man’s veteran hat and thanked him for his service. The man’s response left me dumbfounded. He looked the woman in the eye and said, “You were worth it.”

His response was loving and heartfelt. The woman humbly muttered something about not being sure about that.

His response surprised me. I expected him to say something like, “You are welcome,” or “Oh, it was no big deal.” He didn’t. He turned a compliment for himself around and made it about her and her value.

This reminds me of our faith journey. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice. He accepted torture, mocking, and death because it was the Lord’s will for His life. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice, we don’t have to carry around the burden of our sin. As we express our gratitude, Jesus’ fulfillment of the Father’s will shows us we are worth it, just as the veteran in the store verbally modeled.

We don’t always feel worth it. Realistically, we don’t deserve what Jesus did for us, but He did it anyway. He did it because it was the Father’s will. His sacrifice provides us the ability to live freely in a world that could weigh us down with sin.

Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to offer us liberty from sin. True freedom is found in Christ alone. Let’s not forget the sacrifices that were offered on our behalf. Let’s show our gratitude by living with the freedom God intends for our life.

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Backpack Burdens

katietkennedy

My husband bought me a rucking backpack with a weight included. He will often do a rucking workout and thought it might be a good option for me.

I use the backpack on occasion during a workout. By the time I am finished, my shoulders are very sore no matter how tight I fasten the other buckles. I think it’s just a product of carrying additional weight on your back. When I remove the backpack there is a huge relief. My shoulders are delighted to have the surplus weight gone.

This reminds me of our faith journey. We often carry around burdens we are not meant to carry. We add weight that doesn’t need to be there. Where does this extra weight come from? Sin. Sin separates us from God. When we sin, we distance ourselves from God and add extra pounds to that backpack by feeling unworthy, ashamed, guilty, or too full of pride to admit our mistake. All these weights are added by Satan, not our Heavenly Father.

God has not meant for us to hold this unneeded load. When we come to God humbly, repent, and cast our burdens on Him, He receives them. He unloads them from our back. Jesus carries the weight of our sins, worries, or anything weighing us down. He knows we are not made to handle that heaviness. He loves us too much. This is why God sent Jesus down to die for our sins so we wouldn’t have to live afflicted with our burdens.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

Find peace in the words of Romans 8:38. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Cast off those burdens and live in the freedom God intends for you.

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Finishing the Book

katietkennedy

My husband gave me a fiction book to read during Christmas break. He finished it and passed it along. He warned me it was intense, but was important for me to read.

When it comes to selecting the books I read, I’m extremely choosy. I try to guard my heart and mind with the things I consume. When it comes to books, I get very invested, and some books are too much for me to handle. This particular book isn’t an end-of-times book, yet it is. It tells a story of a very possible catastrophic event that could happen to our country and the struggles we would face in the aftermath.

After I read the first three chapters, I gave him the book back and said I can’t do it. It was putting me into a fear cycle. Jonathan gave me a brief summary and shared the ending, who lives and who does not. After finding out the major losses, I was better equipped to finish the book. I knew the ending.

This reminds me of our faith journey. Just like I needed to know the ending of the book, we get to know the ending of our world. God was kind enough to give us the conclusion. Spoiler alert. God wins!

While we can become overwhelmed with the evil in our current day, God has won the war. We know, that if we forge ahead, take the narrow road, and persevere till the end, we can feast at the table with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 8:11)

While we all get discouraged at the state of our current world, we must keep in mind God is in control. Keep your eyes on Him, and keep running your race.

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

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Zestful Zinnias

katietkennedy

I was discussing flowers one day with a friend who is more knowledgeable about floral care than I am. I was bemoaning how the deer had snipped off all my sunflowers, yet left the flowers immediately in from of them.

She asked me what kind they were. I showed her a picture and she told me they were zinnias. She said if I trim the flowers when they bloom, more will come, lots more. I thought this odd because in my experience that’s not how the other flowers had worked. I decided to try it and sure enough, she was right.

I cut flowers to enjoy in my home and more grew back. The best part about these flowers is the deer left them alone. Zinnias also attract beautiful butterflies.

This reminds me of our faith journey. When we trim the sin in our lives, it allows God to help us bloom in other areas. When we eliminate sin or idols we draw closer to Him. If we repent of the things we do wrong, He washes us clean and makes us new in Him.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

We are never going to be sinless, but the more we prune and trim sin from our lives, the more space we give God to help us grow. Sin infects our lives, using up valuable resources. If it stays there untouched, or worse continues to grow, it will wreak havoc. It will remain and grow bigger until we become aware and take action against it, with God’s help.

On our own, it’s very hard to eliminate a sinful habit or indulgence. Have you ever tried and failed? I have plenty of times. When I go humbly to my loving Father and ask for His help, that is when I am able to mortify the sin.

The result of trimming my zinnias leads to a colorful array in my kitchen. Whereas, defeating our sin guides us closer to the Lord, and the peace and joy that follow.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

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Breathtaking Beauty

katietkennedy

Many people travel to the beach during the summer. The sun and sand and ocean are extremely restorative. 

When you reflect on your vacation, you usually remember the positive things; your feet in the sand, the laughs you shared with family, the yummy food you consumed, strolling along the shore, or jumping waves with your kids. 

What you don’t focus on, or maybe we block out, is the hours upon hours you spend shopping for food, packing, and loading and unloading the car. You don’t dwell on the twenty trips you made walking up and down the stairs carrying bins of supplies and suitcases. We don’t think about the sweat you poured out while packing the car in 90+ degree heat. We don’t focus on these things because the time by the water overshadows the rest. The days of relaxation are worth the work. 

This reminds me of our faith journey. Being a Christian is hard. It’s not easy, recall the ‘narrow gate.’ We have years of trials and challenges. All the while learning to be a servant of Christ, to mortify our sins and worldly desires daily.

When we are packing up the car and the kids are fighting and we’re hot and exhausted and we haven’t even left, I wonder if it’s even worth it. Is the trouble worth the trip? Once I’m there, see the view, and listen to the sounds of the waves, I remember, yes it is. The destination is worth the journey.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

So, as you endeavor through the days and wonder if all the preparations, work, and effort are worth it; consider arriving at the feet of your Heavenly Father, and the rest and restoration He provides, not just then in that moment but for all moments for the rest of your moments, for eternity.

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Puppy Passion

katietkennedy

We recently got a new puppy and named him Blue. Our three daughters adore him. My husband and I have also grown quite fond of him. Blue doesn’t deserve this love. In fact, he’s destructive and bites everyone non-stop. His actions don’t merit our unconditional love for him. Yet, we give it to him anyway.

Blue rips holes in our shirts, unties our shoes, and steals our sneakers. A few minutes after he is naughty we come to tell him how adorable he is. He can hardly do wrong in our eyes.

This reminds me of our faith journey. We can be like this puppy at times. We know what we are supposed to do but still choose to make poor decisions. We mess up all the time. We forget to praise the Lord. We don’t show gratitude and we lack trust and obedience. For all of our mess-ups, God is still waiting for us to come back to Him.

It’s amazing if you think about it. We sin over and over again. We only need to come humbly to our Father and ask for forgiveness. My family’s love for Blue doesn’t change based on his behavior. Neither does God’s love for us.

We hide from God embarrassed of our mistakes. God wants us to come to Him. Sin separates us from God when we let it. Don’t let pride or anything come in between you and our amazing Father. Repent and turn toward Him.

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Clean Slate

katietkennedy

One afternoon I was tinkering with my phone. For a long time, I haven’t been able to add my husband to any calendar events. With a new school year starting, I was determined to resolve the problem. After getting some help from someone way more technologically savvy than myself, the problem was fixed. The only downside was all of my calendar entries had been removed.

I had a clean slate. Literally, nothing was on there. I kept waiting for myself to freak out, but I never did. It was oddly freeing. I actually sat there and relished the brief moment. I wasn’t ready to load up the calendar again. I knew, that as soon as I entered the fall activities and the school schedule, my clean slate would be gone.

This reminds me of our faith journey. We get a clean slate every day, all we have to do is ask for it from our Heavenly Father. He washes us clean as we repent. Just like my calendar had a fresh start, we get that same new beginning, just by asking.

God wants us to bring our sin to Him. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

We are all in the same boat. We all mess up. God already knows what we’ve done. Thankfully we have an amazing Father who wants to free us of our burdens. Let Him.

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Savoring the Smile

katietkennedy

We’ve had a lot of dental work done lately. Lots of lost teeth, spacers being put in, molds being made, braces, etc. This is probably why teeth are on my mind.

My kid’s joke I should have been a dentist, or a dental hygenist. I find all teeth-related things fascinating, especially when my kids have an adult tooth trying to emerge into its new home. My kids get annoyed when I keep asking them to open their mouths so I can see how the new teeth are coming in. It’s amazing to me how one day you can see a tiny little white spec, then weeks or months later, an adult tooth or moler is in its resting place. How is that possible? How do they know where to go and how fast to travel down the path? Watching this process happen is enthralling. God is amazing in how he designed us.

How could teeth possibly remind me of our faith journey? Well, they arrive slowly yet surely. They move in such small increments we can’t visibility see them. We only see movement in days, weeks, and sometimes months. Isn’t that like our faith journey? God slowly works to sanctify us, one act of repentance and forgiveness at a time. He slowly molds and changes our hearts. He doesn’t work quickly, but rather over the long run. You can’t judge the changes in your heart daily, you need to look at the long view. Only then can you identify how He has been working in your life.

When you look at an x-ray, you can see the teeth that are not visible from a human eye, the ones coming down the track. You can’t rush them, they come in at their own pace. Even with modern medicine, a dentist or orthodontist doesn’t have a way to fast-track the process.

God does not rush our sanctification process. His timing is perfect and divine. We may wish He would hit the fast forward button but it’s to our benefit He doesn’t. He will teach us what we need to learn in His timing, not ours.

When He calls us home, hopefully we have a beautiful set of adult teeth all perfectly in their spot. Ok enough with the dental analogies. Our goal is to become more Christ-like on earth. To grow and develop in the areas He wants us to. We won’t ever achieve perfection like Jesus, but we can still grow and be strengthened in Him.

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Mortifying the Mint

katietkennedy

One beautiful spring day, I was planting flowers in pots. My eleven-year-old daughter came outside and joined me. We finished planting all the pots and decided to tackle the beds which needed to be weeded. Someone who lived in our house prior must have planted mint and it has taken over. Every year we try to exterminate the mint, but it proceeds to come back.

My daughter and I headed over to the beds and started pulling the mint up. You can pull it out, but underneath there are more roots you must find. Mint sends out runners that spread above and just below the ground. It quickly takes over an area. We discovered groups of it growing up into other flowers. We spent about an hour pulling up piles of mint. My daughter commented on how fun it was. Thankfully the roots come up easy and it’s very rewarding to make a lot of progress quickly.

This reminds me of our faith journey. Mint is like our sin. It will continue to spread and reappear until we mortify it. We must keep digging and digging until we find the roots, pull them up and dispose of them.

Pulling up the mint from our beds was tedious, tiring, and overwhelming at times. However, it was worth the effort. I can now gaze at the flower beds and appreciate how pronounced the flowers are without the mint resting aside them.

Unless we truly mortify our sin, it will continue to reappear and cause havoc inside us, spreading to areas of our lives we didn’t intend it to impact.

Thankfully we have a loving Father who can help us and is there to forgive us. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)