When You Feel Small

Sometimes God calls us to do big things.

Like love the unlovable. Chase after our dreams. Believe the impossible.

But sometimes daring to do big things is scary. Very scary. Heart palpitation scary. Even when we’re trying to be brave.

And that’s when we can start to feel small. Miniscule. And completely inadequate for the task ahead of us.

I’m convinced that feeling small and inadequate is no sin. In fact, it’s simply us facing the facts. Because in all honesty, and in the grand scheme of things, we are small. And often our best efforts are feebly inadequate.

I’m thinking that is how Joshua felt. He had big shoes to fill. After the death of Moses, He was the Israelite’s new leader, and in spite of his training and the fact that God placed Him in that position, He apparently still struggled with fear. (Which makes me feel better somehow.)

But God knew Joshua’s struggle. And He knows ours. He understands when we feel small.

And that is why God said to Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous; be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Let that sink in for a moment.

When we feel small, God is with us. And that is how we can be strong, vigorous, and very courageous.

The truth is, when we feel small, God is still big. And He is right there with us.

He is bigger than our misgivings, our fears, and our conflicted hearts. And He never leaves us.

Never.

If we will dare to trust Him completely and believe Him wholeheartedly, He will strengthen our hearts and equip us, through His awesome presence, to do the big things.

Even on days when we feel woefully small.

Cultivating Gradtitude

It's the time of year when many of us are intentionally grateful. We reflect  on our many blessings and express our gratitude to God and to one another.

And that is good.

But what if we extended our gratitude and cultivated a grateful heart all year long?

It doesn't matter where we are in life, there is always something to be thankful for. If you're reading this, you can see, and vision is an incredible blessing. You also either own a computer or have access to one either through a family member, a friend, or perhaps a library. That's another blessing.

When my kids were young, as they headed off to bed I always encouraged them to thank God for something. Anything. It didn't matter what they chose to be thankful for, I was instilling in them the habit of gratitude.

It's so easy to take our blessings for granted, and I'm really making an effort to cultivate a heart of gratitude--one that doesn't stop counting all my blessings after the holidays are over. All it takes is the recognition of what we've been given, and to be honest, most of have more to be thankful for than 90% of the people on earth.

So, I'm cultivating gratitude by choosing to be aware of and thankful for my family, material blessings, and so much more. And I'm inviting you to join me. This Thanksgiving, let's begin the year-long habit of gratitude.

Happy, happy Thanksgiving, sweet friends.

When Letting Go Stings

I kept trying. Continued to think that somehow I could make it happen. I’d get inspired, make serious headway, and then Bam! life interrupted. A divine opportunity kept knocking at my door, and though I tried my hardest, I couldn't seem to even make it to the door, let alone get it to open.

Sometimes life throws us a curve ball  Our hopes and plans glimmer before us, and we long to grab them and run. Move forward. Make progress. But then the opposite happens, and we realize it’s just not working.

And that can sting.

Disappointment and confusion can trickle in. But if we are wise, we will take time to pray and reflect. Really, only God knows the big picture, and this is exactly when we need to hear His voice speak a calming and definitive word to our hearts.

• Sometimes we will hear PAUSE, this is not for now. This is a divine timing issue.

• Sometimes we will hear FIGHT, work harder and push forward. This is a growth in perseverance opportunity.

• Sometimes we will hear NO, this is not for you. This is the hardest, and it boils down to trusting God. Perhaps He is sparing us pain and distress. Maybe it’s just the wrong way/opportunity/thing for some other reason. Trust Him.

My answer (this time) is to pause. Though the opportunity is good and exciting, my plate is full and I sense God telling me to wait. As hard as that is for me, I also see the wisdom in following His leading.

Ultimately, though letting go is not always easy, when we trust that God is ordering our steps (see Psalm 37:23), and that our times are in His hands, (see Psalm 31:15), our hearts are comforted. 

The sting of letting go is covered by His grace and loving-kindness. --> Tweet This!

Whether you are sensing you should let something go or push forward, there is a measure of protection and grace when we remain enfolded in God’s will. And that, sweet friends, is priceless.

Front-Burner Prayer Women

You're busy. Stressed. Slightly overwhelmed.

And you have a prayer list as long as your arm that includes (but is not limited to): your husband, your kids, an ailing parent, your shrinking household budget, your sick pet, your best friend's job situation, politics and national and world events.

The last person you even think to pray for is...you.

Many of us are front-burner prayer women, praying for whatever is boiling over at the moment (and there's always something boiling over!). And all those somethings add up and demand our attention and our prayers.

So we put ourselves in last place.

We relegate ourselves to the back burner because we're nurturers. We're caretakers. And we wrongly assume we should only focus on praying for others, because praying for ourselves feels...selfish.

Sweet friends, I am here to tell you that if Jesus prayed for Himself, and King David prayed for himself, then we should, too. We can't afford not to cover ourselves with prayer on a regular basis. Let's humbly acknowledge that we cannot give away what we don't have; that we need a divine download of peace, joy, wisdom and strength to not only get through our days, but so we can soar through our days.

Prayer for ourselves is not selfish--it's absolutely necessary.

And that's where my new book, {insert an excited squeal here} Prayers for a Woman's Soul, (releasing January 1, 2013 by Harvest House Publishers) comes in.

It's a holy invitation for busy, overwhelmed women with long prayer lists to take time to pray--for themselves. This 52-week devotional covers topics that matter most to you. Like your mind. Your emotions. Perfectionism. Guilt. Your dreams. And so much more. It includes powerful personal stories and 365 topic-related, personalized Scripture verses.

Front-burner prayer women unite! And realize it's okay to pray for yourself. 

So go ahead and indulge. Be refreshed. And pamper your soul! (You are totally worth it!)

You can sign up to receive 5 days worth of FREE devotions at the top of my sidebar. Or you can pre-order my book by clicking HERE. You can also read more about the book by clicking on "Julie's Book" at the top of the page or by visiting My Author Page at Harvest House Publishers.