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When the Christian Community Hurts You: 6 Steps Toward Healing
Not long ago, a friend told me that she’d been wounded by a friend within her Christian community. She told me that after being hurt so deeply, she was never going back to church. I understood because I had endured the same experience a few years earlier. I was hurt, and I wanted nothing more than to step away. There is a time to step away from an unhealthy Christian community, but it’s important to realize that all people are broken. When we’re hurt by the church or other Christians, it’s vital to remind ourselves that no one is perfect. We’re all on journeys toward maturity, and hurting people hurt…
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How to Surrender to God When Life Is Hard and Your Calling Feels Hidden
A subtle clacking sound echoes from the black clock on the wall, and I stare into the ashen hues of winter outside. I sit by the window awaiting the roaring engine of the school bus. My calling feels humble, quiet, and hidden in this season, and I’m wondering just how to surrender to God in these hard days of mothering little ones. Opening my Bible in search of encouragement, I find Jesus talking to a wealthy young man. Jesus says to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me”(Matthew 19:21).…
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How to Find Hope in Life When Your Heart Is Broken
We’re sorting through her little backpack when I hear the words echo from the TV in the living room. Another shooting. Fatalities. Children running for safety with their arms stretched in the air. I ask it in the whisper of a softly breathed prayer: Lord, show us how to find hope in life as we live in this broken world. When will it stop? When will the brokenness of the world give way to light and healing? How to Find Hope in Life We’re all facing the consequences of living in a fallen world. We all face dark days and troubled times. I think about this as I set the homework…
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Finding God when Prayers Go Unanswered
We’d reached the frayed edges of autumn, where flurries told us winter had come, and yet the calendar told us the winter solstice was not yet upon us. I wasn’t really thinking about seeking God when prayers go unanswered as I jogged down our quiet country road. I pushed my aching body down the road in my weekend routine of a long jog down the dusty roads, and the black dog with pointing ears came at me so hard I screamed in an angry and primal way. I wondered if our long chain of unfortunate events might culminate with an attack from a defensive German shepherd. I questioned whether I…
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For When You’re Disappointed by God
I climb onto the elliptical as a new day dawns, and I have no motivation to follow through with my usual routine. I’m feeling disappointed by God, and I’m not sure I feel like going through the motions today. I don’t feel like working hard, sweating, or watching a motivational message about God and all of his goodness. Maybe it’s the lack of energy lately. Maybe it’s the early morning cries from the little boy’s room that drew me from sleep three hours earlier than usual. Or maybe it’s the disappointment. Lately, I’ve been disappointed by a shattered dream. Everything I had planned for and hoped for has been thrown…