Note: This blog post is a bonus devotion celebrating the launch of Janet Hines’ new book Between the Valley and the Mountaintop: Glimpses of God in the Middle Places
The effects are wide spread and far reaching.
Way too often life brings challenge after challenge, leaving us feeling like we have no ability to choose what’s happening. Many years ago, in response to the comment by one of my kids, “yea, it’s Sunday, we have to go to church.” It lit up my soul as I responded in awe, “we don’t have to go to church, we get to go to church.” It is a privilege and an honor to be able to worship our living God.
Looking into circumstances in every day life, many times we feel we are robbed of our options and we are left feeling resentful and angry. In the last few years, I work hard at changing my outlook to these circumstances.
How would it change my outlook if I change my attitude? I do get to choose that. My response to the “things” that make me feel helpless and angry is to seek an opportunity that will rob the power of these circumstances. I want to replace their power with the power of my Lord and savior. There are many times I have really had to dig deep – deeper than ever before – to be able to find and give God the opportunity. I get to choose though. I am not helpless.
“Then they cried out to the Lord because of their problems. And he brought them out of their troubles. He made the storm as quiet as a whisper. The waves of the ocean calmed down. The people were glad when the ocean became calm. Then He guided them to the harbor they were looking for. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love. Let them give thanks for the miracles he does for his people.” Psalm 107:28-31 (NIrV)
And through this process, I find the peace Jesus talks about – the peace that passes all understanding.
This post is being hosted by my friend Ellen Chauvin. Join me over at her site to read the rest of the post.
Janet recently published her first book: Between the Valley & the Mountaintop, Glimpses of God in the Middle Places.
So much of life is spent in those “between” places. Janet has combined her love for photography and gift of noticing beauty in the journey into this dynamic devotional-style message. Janet transparently shares about how she saw glimpses of God in the triumphs, trials and everything in between.
Follow Janet’s story and her amazing photos on Facebook or Instagram.