The Other Side

License: Public Domain

For the past few weeks, I’ve been writing at Gloria Dei about the Land Between—when what used to be normal in our lives has changed, and what the future will be is unknown.

Today, I’m there talking about when we reach the other side of the Land Between. Whether it’s sooner or later, eventually, life settles down, and we can look back at where we’ve been and what we’ve gone through.

The question is…

When you look back from the other side of the Land Between, what do you see?

Is your relationship with God stronger than it was before? Or, have you realized that somewhere along the way, you stopped turning to God?

The Land Between is a perfect time for transformational growth to occur, and one of two things will happen—we will move toward God or away from Him.

Join me at Gloria Dei to read my post The Other Side. What do you see when you look back on your journey through the Land Between?

In Christ,

Laura 

Linking with The Weekend Brew and Heart It on Sunday, Use It on Monday

Looking Back at God’s Provision

Photo credit: Greenfleet Forester, May 2013

I’m over at Gloria Dei today talking about how our trust in God to provide is strengthened by looking back at how He has provided for us in the past.

Here’s the beginning of my post…

Have you ever noticed it’s sometimes difficult to see God’s provision until after the fact?

After we walk through the valley or make it to the other side of the land between, that’s when it’s easier to look back and see where God was at work. But while we’re in the exhausting day-to-day of the land between, it can be harder to see the ways God provides for us.

We know what we’re looking for. We already have in mind what we need or want God to do, and when we don’t see it, it’s easy to assume He’s not doing anything.

Continue reading…

When you look back, is there a time in your life when you didn’t recognize God’s provision then, but you see it now?

In Christ,

Laura 

Linking up with WholeHearted Wednesdays, Faith Filled Friday, The Weekend Brew, Hear It on Sunday, Use It on Monday, and Soli Deo Gloria.

Sometimes You Just Have to Let the “Mom Things” Go

It was 36 degrees outside this morning when I dropped my daughter off at the school bus.

Without a coat.

Or gloves.

I was choosing my battles.

As I pulled my coat out of the closet, I asked her again, “Sure you don’t want to wear a coat?”

“No, I’m good,” she replied, as if we were talking about the weather.

Oh, wait, we were. I suggested she open the front door and step outside. As she did, I followed. I shivered, but she was undeterred.

“Won’t you be cold on the bus?” I asked.

She reminded me she was wearing a Columbia fleece jacket over a t-shirt, and that the heat in the bus would be “blasting.”

She said she would be fine, but added, “Now, if you get a call from the school because I’m purple, then you can say ‘I told you so.’”

Um, okay. I didn’t bother to tell her that if I got that call, I wasn’t bringing her a coat. Because, really, does the school even call for things like that?

The possibility scrolled through my head.

“Mrs. Rath? This is the school calling. Your daughter is purple from being cold.”

“Thank you for calling. Please tell her, ‘I told you so.’”

Although I liked the sound of that conversation, it seemed unlikely, so I moved on.

“How about gloves?” I asked. Just gloves with no coat—that’s cool, right?

She didn’t go for it. So, with my coat zipped up, I headed out to the car…with my coat-less, glove-less daughter.

Did I mention she was also wearing capris?

I didn’t even go there. Because, well, she looked cute in her capris, Columbia jacket, and white tennis shoes.

So, I drove her to the school bus reminding myself that sometimes you just have to let these “mom things” go. Her time outside would be limited, and I wasn’t going to worry about it.

As we approached the bus, I asked, “Pull up to the bus, or around the corner?”

“Pull up to the bus. Then I don’t have to walk as far in the cold.”

Uh huh. Good idea.

In Christ,

Laura  

Linking up with Soli Deo Gloria, Sharing His Beauty, Winsome Wednesday, #TellHisStory, WholeHearted Wednesdays

Emotional Meltdowns

I’m over at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church today, where we’re talking about the Land Between. 

Walking through grief, whether it’s grief from a life change or from dreams never realized, takes an emotional toll on us. We have complaints and questions for God, and over time, we end up in an emotional breakdown. 

The good news is, God invites us to bring all of it to Him.

The Land Between…life has been interrupted. What was normal is gone, and the future is unclear. Even in our grief, we must adjust to a time of transition and uncertainty.

We grieve over death, but we also experience sorrow and regret when there is a loss of a relationship (breakup or divorce), an unwanted change in lifestyle (loss of finances or home), or a change in family structure (child grows up and moves away).

Even when we know the change is coming, we grieve for the past. But there can also be regret over what might never be.

We may feel sadness or anger when what we hoped for in life doesn’t appear to be in God’s plans, and our dreams go unfulfilled…especially if we thought the dream was God’s plan.

Frustrated, discouraged, maybe even feeling lost in life, we have complaints and questions for God.

God, I thought this was Your plan for my life. Now what?!?

Really, God? One more thing?!? I can’t take any it more!

I’m barely staying afloat here, God. Where are You?!?

I miss ______. Why did You have to take ______ (him/her/it) away?

After a while, we are emotionally drained with nothing left to give.

Emotional meltdowns are not new to God….

Continue reading…

I hope you’ll follow me over to the Gloria Dei blog to read my post in its entirety.

When have you experienced an emotional meltdown, and were you able to honestly share it with God?

In Christ,

Laura   

Linking up with The Weekend Brew, Faith Filled Friday, and Hear It on Sunday, Use It on Monday