Sharla, Author at Sharla Fritz

Sharla January 2, 2018

7 Ways to Make the Most of Your Word of the Year

I love new beginnings. They motivate me to start new habits and learn new things. That’s why at the beginning of a new year I pick a word to guide the next twelve months. One word to inspire the next 52 weeks. One word to direct the next 365 days.

I used to make a long list of resolutions on New Year’s Eve. Lose 10 pounds. Exercise 5 times a week. Organize all closets. But most of the time, the resolutions I made on January 1 were all but forgotten by January 31.

Choosing one word has been more successful. Instead of ten or twenty resolutions to remember, it’s only one word. Plus I find it helpful to have a single focus for the year. There are dozens of things I want to accomplish, hundreds of things I want to learn, a myriad of ways I hope to grow in my Christian faith, but I find I can’t do it all at the same time. Choosing one word gives me one area to focus on during the year. By the end of those twelve months, I hope that one thing will seep into my soul and that God will work that characteristic into my heart.

However, sometimes my word of the year has met the same fate as my old resolutions–forgotten. I have picked a word in January and promptly forgotten it by February.

But a few years ago, I decided to do things differently and be more proactive in using and studying my chosen word. That year I chose the word abide, but besides simply choosing that word, I purposely set out to know what abide meant. I meditated on the word and asked God to teach me and change me. I searched through Scripture and delved into Greek and English meanings.

7 Ways to Make the Most of Yourof the YearPIN

If you would like to get more out of your one word this year, here are a few suggestions:

Make your word visible. I made a mini-poster of the word abide using a photo I found online. I used the photo-editing site Canva to add the word to the photo. I then printed the mini-poster and hung it near my computer where I would see it often. Here is my mini-poster.
Find Scriptures. I did a word search on Bible Gateway (an incredibly helpful online Bible) and found Scriptures that contained the word abide. I picked one verse as a “theme verse” for the year: I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5
Memorize verses with your chosen word. I also decided to memorize a few verses with the word or concept of abide. Regularly reviewing these verses imprinted them on my soul. Meditating on them opened up my heart to listen to what the Holy Spirit had to teach me about abiding. Even if you don’t like memorizing, you can obtain the same effect by posting verses with your one word on your bathroom mirror or your refrigerator. Every time you see the Scriptures, read them and remember.
Discover the meaning of your word. To really understand the word abide, I looked up the meaning of the word on Dictionary.com. I also got more insights into the word by looking up the Greek word translated as abide in the New Testament on the site Blue Letter Bible. You can find out what I learned about abide here and here.

To receive three more ways to get more out of your one word this year, check out my 7 Ways to Make the Most of Your Word of the Year Workbook. Click the button below to view and download. You will not only gain access to more suggestions but a helpful ten-page workbook that outlines all seven methods. It gives you space to study your word and room to record your insights.

Get Workbook!

Next step: Start with this prayer: Lord Jesus, work in my heart. Open my mind to what You want to work in my soul this year. Help me to choose a word that will guide me on the path You want me to walk. Teach me and transform me in the coming months. In Your name I pray, Amen.

Sharla November 28, 2017

3 Ways Abiding in Christ Can Change Your Life: Remaining

What does abiding in Christ mean? First, it means connecting. Second, it means keeping. Third, it means remaining.

When my husband graduated from seminary, his first call as a pastor was to a church in Missoula, Montana. He had asked for placement in the northeastern part of the United States. So naturally, the powers that be thought Montana would be perfect.

When we first arrived in the city, we immediately wanted to leave. We knew no one. Our family was all in the Midwest or the Northeast. We were lonely and disillusioned. But God asked us to stay–to remain.

This word–remain–helps me understand the concept of abiding in Christ. Lately, I’ve been studying the word abide: What does it mean to abide? What does abiding look like in real life? How can abiding change me?

One of the English meanings of the word abide is “to dwell or reside” as in “I abide in a quaint but remote mountain village.” When you abide somewhere you live there. You stay there. You remain there.

To abide is to remain.

South African pastor Andrew Murray wrote:

It is faith in what Christ is, more than anything else, that will keep you abiding in Him…there is nothing wanting but just my consent to be what He has made me, to remain where He has placed me. I am in Christ.

To remain is to accept who I am in Christ–to not try to be something I’m not.

To remain is to be content where I am–to not fight the place or position God has placed me in.

To remain is to trust God’s goodness, His timing, and His plans for my life.

3 WaysAbiding in ChristCan Change Your LifeRemaining

Remaining sounds easy. And it is–if you like where you are.

But when the place God has placed you is filled with difficulty–you simply want to move on.

When we first moved to Missoula, Montana we wanted to leave. We did not want to stay. The heartache of loneliness made us want to move on.

But eventually, we grew to love Missoula. Its setting in the Rocky Mountains is stunning. The people of our church were welcoming. The ministry was rewarding.

Remaining was not easy, but in the end, it was worth it.

As I continue to study what it means to abide in Christ, I am learning that it means to remain where He has placed me. To accept His plan for my life.

This changes my life. If I make the decision to abide, I don’t spend my energy trying to move ahead of God’s will. I don’t constantly struggle against my place or position in life. Instead, I focus on what God wants me to do where I am right now. I remain in His love, drawing on His strength to produce fruit where He has placed me.

To abide is to remain.

Next step: Is remaining easy or difficult for you right now? Ask the Father to give you the strength to remain and produce fruit where you are–whatever your place or station in life.

Filed Under: Contentment, Spiritual Disciplines Tagged With: abide, soul care

Sharla November 14, 2017

3 Ways Abiding in Christ Can Change You: Keeping

I have three grandsons. They are all born to the same parents and they all live in the same household. Yet they each have a distinct personality.

One of the ways they differ is in their “cuddle factor.” One grandson prefers to be loved from afar. You need to grab a hug and then let him go. Even as a toddler, he would often try to wriggle from my grasp. Another grandson loves to be held. He is generous with hugs and loves to snuggle during storybook time. The third grandson is somewhere in the middle. He will tolerate hugs, but not too many.

In my own spiritual life, I sometimes act like each of these grandsons. Let me explain.

During my study of the word “abide” I began with John 15:5:

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

I learned that the Greek word translated abide in that verse is the word meno. I was surprised that one of the meanings of meno is “to be held, kept, continually.”

In my previous blog post on abiding, I talked about how my focus has often been on producing fruit instead of abiding. I have concentrated on doing “important” things for God, instead of staying connected to Christ.

But the meaning of the Greek word for abide informs me that not only can I not produce fruit on my own, I cannot even abide in my own strength. To abide is not to hang on tight, but “to be held.” To abide is not continually keep my grip on Christ, but “to be kept.”

What’s the difference?

I am not the one doing the holding or the keeping. Jesus is.

South African pastor Andrew Murray puts it this way in his book Abiding in Christ:

The soul has but to yield itself to Him, to be still and rest in the confidence that His love has undertaken and that His faithfulness will perform the work of keeping it safe in the shelter of His bosom.

and

Abiding in Jesus is nothing but the giving up of oneself to be ruled and taught and led, and so resting in the arms of Everlasting Love.

I have to admit that I am often not very good at this abiding thing. I am often much more like the grandson who resists being held. It seems too passive–too static. Give me a four-point plan and I’m ready to take action. But to sit still and listen to the Lord? To admit I can’t do it by myself? That’s hard to embrace. (Pun intended.)

I’m asking God to help me be more like the grandson that loves to be held. To teach me to rest in His love. To give me the strength to give myself up to “be ruled and taught and led.”

Abiding is keeping. But it is not my keeping. It is God’s keeping, protecting, and holding my soul. My job is to not wriggle away from His grasp. To not resist His hold on my life.

Next step: Write a prayer thanking God for His strong and loving hold on your life. Ask Him to teach you to abide in that love and to not wriggle away from His grasp.

Check out my other posts on abiding in Christ: Connecting and Remaining.

Filed Under: Spiritual Disciplines Tagged With: abide, soul care

Sharla November 7, 2017

3 Ways Abiding in Christ Can Change Your Life: Connecting

Abiding in Christ.

Every year I choose one word to focus on. One word to guide the next twelve months.

At the beginning of 2017, I chose “abide.” I hoped that studying and meditating on that word would help me understand it better. I kept asking, “What does that word mean, exactly?” “How do I abide?” “How does abiding help my relationship with Jesus?” “How can it affect my daily life?”

Although I am still learning, still growing, I am going to share what I have learned so far. I am going to tell three ways abiding in Christ changed my life. This post will concentrate on connecting.

When I began the study of abiding, one of the things I did was to memorize verses with the word “abide.” The first verse I memorized was John 15:5:

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

As I meditated on this verse, I realized that I often focus on bearing fruit–working for God’s kingdom, making a difference in the world. But if I’m trying hard to produce fruit on my own, it won’t work. Jesus tells me, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” I’m trying to squeeze out some awesome grapes (aka “amazing accomplishments”), but I end up exhausted and frustrated.

3 WaysAbiding in ChristCan Change Your Life

Then I recognized the fact that bearing fruit is not really my job. My role is to simply abide in Christ. And if I abide, fruit comes naturally.

Think about it. What if the branch said to the vine, “I’m working really hard right now to produce some fantastic grapes. All I need to do is read some more books on horticulture and get up before the sun and work till dark. It will be exhausting, but worth it. Vine, I don’t really need you, I just need to put in a little more effort.”

But the vine says, “It’s useless to try to produce fruit without Me. If you are not connected to me, you will not receive the water and nutrients that are necessary for growth and fruit. All you really need to do is stay connected to me. I will give you everything you need to produce amazing fruit if you just abide in me.”

So what does it mean to abide in Christ? We will explore that a little deeper in the upcoming posts, but to put it simply–to abide in Christ is to connect to Jesus. To keep my eyes on Him, trust Him for everything, and to rely on Him instead of my own abilities. It is to obey God’s commands because they are the instruction book for a fruitful and meaningful life. It is to sink my roots deep into His unconditional love and trust that what the Father wills is best.

This focus on abiding changed my life because it changed my attention from:

“How can I produce more?” or “How can I accomplish more?”

to:

“How can I connect to Jesus today?” and “How can I draw on His strength right now?

I shift my focus from what I can produce to what Jesus can accomplish. I turn my attention from doing to resting in His love.

So if you are exhausted by trying to squeeze out fruit–produce something impressive, accomplish something big–remember that’s not your job. Your role is to abide in the vine–Jesus–and then the fruit will come naturally.

Next step: Ask God to show you if you have been focusing more on producing or more on abiding. Write a prayer asking Him to help you learn to abide.

Check out my other posts on abiding in Christ: Keeping and Remaining.

Filed Under: Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Growth Tagged With: distracted, focus

Sharla October 3, 2017

4 Keys to Finding Enough: Recognize Your Broken Wanter

Why is contentment so difficult to attain? Why do we always want more? This post is part of a series on finding enough.

When my husband and I were first married, we moved all of our belongings into our first apartment by loading used furniture onto a borrowed snowmobile trailer. (Can you tell I’m from Wisconsin?) The next time we moved we needed a small U-Haul truck and the next time a bigger truck. Each time we moved we had acquired more things and needed a bigger truck to cart those belongings to a new home.

I don’t think we are the only ones. Our society excels in collecting things. We fill closets with clothes, shoes, and accessories. We stuff garages with cars, bikes, and tools. We pile up dinnerware in our cupboards and mementos in our basements. And if all those places get too full, we can drive down the street and rent a storage space. There is always room for more.

Except, do we really need more? Could it be that the accumulation of more is filling our homes but draining our energy? That the amassing of things is stuffing our closets but emptying our souls? Perhaps the popularity of stories about the Amish way of life and blogs about minimalism demonstrate that we’re sick of excess. We long for simplicity and yet we struggle with the question, “What is enough?”

Could it be that the amassing of things is stuffing our closets but emptying our souls? Share on X

Part of the problem is that ever since Adam and Eve gave into an appetite for forbidden fruit and a thirst to be like God, we have been stuck with broken wanters. A wanter that can make me crave a slice of decadent chocolate cheesecake even after I’ve had soup, salad, and an enormous platter of chicken marsala. A wanter that can make me long for those adorable red pumps in the shoe store window even though I have twenty-five pairs of shoes in the closet. Our broken wanters prevent us from attaining enough.

In fact, our wanters are so broken, that we sometimes we have difficulty in discerning our true desires. Damaged wanters are so prevalent that a new profession has sprung up. For only $300 an hour you can hire a wantologist—someone who will help you distinguish what you really want from what you only think you want. For instance, you might go to a wantology session with a wish for a promotion at work and leave with the realization that what you really want is to quit your job. Because of our broken wanters, we don’t know what will actually satisfy our souls. So, we continually search for the next bauble, the next promotion, the next relationship that we are sure will bring happiness.

Scripture tells us about our broken wanters:

Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires. Ephesians 4:22

Our old sinful natures are twisted and tainted by deceitful desires. Desires for things that we think will make us happy, but fail us every time. We fall for Satan’s lies that this item, this relationship, this money will satisfy.

Thankfully, we don’t have to be stuck with broken wanters. Psalm 37:4 tells us:

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

When the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts and we are able to find joy in the almighty Lord, He gives us desires of the heart. Desires for things that will truly satisfy our souls. Instead of seeking the next bauble or the next promotion we long for God’s peace, God’s love, God’s grace which are always free.

On our own, we are incapable of achieving enough. But one of the ways we can find contentment is to recognize our broken wanters and ask the Lord to give us authentic desires.

Next step: Make a list of things you currently long for. How many of these things are guaranteed to satisfy your soul? Ask God to give you desires for things that will truly satisfy your soul.

Filed Under: Bible Study, Contentment Tagged With: contentment, enough

Sharla September 26, 2017

Five Checkpoints for a Quality Day

I love resale shops. Some of my favorite clothes are from thrift-shops and resale boutiques. Often I find exactly the right color and fit in one of these stores, even when a hunt in typical retail shops turns up nothing.

However, resale shopping requires a keen eye for quality. Many of the clothes are wonderful buys, but there are also a lot of garments with stains, torn seams, and pilled fabrics. Sometimes I get so excited about a fashionable find that I forget to check all the details. Later, when I am about to wear the new sweater or skirt, I discover a flaw that makes it unusable. To help you avoid my mistakes, I offer this list.

Five Checkpoints of a Quality Garment

1. Is the garment clean, without stains?

2. Is the fabric in good shape? Or is faded, worn, or pilly?

3. Is the stitching tight and secure?

4. Are the buttons reinforced?

5. Does the garment have a wide, even hem?

The lessons from quality garments can apply to our lives as well. Often, I live life without paying attention to the details. I rush from appointment to appointment without the considering how to better spend my time.

The philosopher Plato wrote:

The unexamined life is not worth living.

So how should we examine our lives? What elements create a day well spent?

Drawing from the checkpoints of a quality garment, here are some features to look for in a day well spent:

Five Checkpoints of a Quality Day

1. Was the day cleaned? Did it include a time of confession and receiving God’s forgiveness?

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 NIV).

2. Were joy and laughter included in the fabric of the day?

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV)

3. Was the day stitched with love?

“Do everything in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14 NIV)

4. Was the day reinforced with God’s Word?

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

5. Was the day hemmed in prayer and thankfulness?

“By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.” (Psalm 42:8)

I pray that God will bless your days with love and laughter, with His grace and guidance. May you count your blessings and enjoy His fellowship!

Next step: Print up the checkpoints of a quality day and keep them by your bed. Do a quick check at the end of each day!

Filed Under: Spiritual Growth

Sharla September 19, 2017

Four Steps to a Less Frazzled Life

I love window shopping. Wandering through boutiques and shops, scoping out new styles and fashions is one of my favorite pastimes. I pause at store windows, looking at the mannequins dressed in the latest trends. I check out the fabrics, colors and cut of the clothes.

Inevitably, one particular outfit will catch my eye. And often what I like about the ensemble is the play of different textures and hues. Then I will look a little closer and realize that the mannequin is dressed in 87 tops!

Okay, I might be exaggerating.

But an example of a showcased outfit might be a camisole, t-shirt, a button-down shirt, and sweater. Three or four necklaces and a scarf complete the ensemble.

Too much!

I don’t dress like that, but sometimes I try to layer too much into my life. I pile on one activity after another. I direct the church choir, lead a ladies’ Bible study and volunteer. I try to keep up with the dusting, vacuuming and toilet-bowl swishing. In between I have lunch with friends, talk to my mom on the phone and try to spend time with my family.

Although the layering of fashions looks stylish on the boutique mannequin, the layering of activities usually leaves me looking frazzled.

In her book, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, author Joanna Weaver talks about how Mary found “the one thing needed”–intimacy with Jesus. When Jesus was visiting Mary and her sister Martha, Martha bustled around the kitchen, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. And Jesus said,

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. (Luke 10: 41-42)

When we try to do too many things, the one important thing often gets neglected.

Joanna Weaver offers some practical advice on how to practice “one-thing living.” She outlines four helpful steps:

1. Invite Jesus to rule and reign. Each morning ask Jesus to rule your day.
2. Ask God to reveal the next step. As you go through the day ask God to reveal the next thing you need to do. Don’t try to do it all at once.
3. Have faith that what needs to get done will get done. Trust God to show you each item that needs to be accomplished and trust that what didn’t get done can wait or will be done by someone else.
4. Be open to the Spirit’s leading. Our days may be interrupted by divine appointments.

Let’s try “one-thing living” this week. Jesus invites us to sit at His feet for a time. He offers to take all of our anxieties and frantic activity and if we will let Him. Take time from all you frazzled hustle and enjoy intimacy with the Savior.

Next step: Start your morning by inviting Jesus to rule your day. Pray over your calendar and ask Him what is the next thing you need to do. Accept His grace to complete the task.

Filed Under: Spiritual Growth Tagged With: distracted

Sharla September 12, 2017

4 Steps to Finding Your True Self

Have you lost the real you?

Frederick Buechner wrote in his book Telling Secrets:

We try to make ourselves into something that we hope the world will like better than it apparently did the selves we originally were. That is the story of all our lives, needless to say, and in the process of living out that story, the original, shimmering self gets buried so deep that most of us end up hardly living our of it at all. Instead, we live out all the other selves which we are constantly putting on and taking off like coats and hats against the world’s weather.

Do you find this to be true in your life as well?

Sometimes I find myself putting on a “coat and hat” in order to feel good about myself, and later a totally different set of clothes when the first set didn’t work. I keep trying on different outfits, none of them fitting exactly right. I begin to lose the real me. I cover up the “original, shimmering self” that God made me to be.

Ironically, Jesus tells me that the way to finding my true self is not to add new clothes to my life but to give my “self” away.

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? Luke 9:24-25

When we try to protect ourselves from difficulty, we may lose our true lives. When we try to fit into the world–acting as someone it would like a little better–I forfeit myself.

It seems counter-intuitive, but the best way to find my true self is to sacrifice my rights to myself. To lay my life in God’s hands so He can restore the shimmering self, the person I was meant to be.

Of course, this is easier said than done. My sinful self is always arguing with my authentic self that this will be too difficult, too scary, too painful. And truthfully, sacrificing my rights to myself is almost always challenging and agonizing. But when I have been able to quiet the sinful self and lay my life with its hopes and dreams in God’s hands, He has led me to joy, hope, and self-discovery.

So how can you find your authentic self?

Ask God for wisdom. Pray to our loving Father, asking Him to show you if you’ve been wearing a self that you hope the world likes better than the real you.
If you realize you’ve been wearing a “coat and hat” to please other people, ask the Holy Spirit to help you lay it down.
Receive God’s grace and forgiveness.
Place your life in God’s hands and realize He loves you just as you are.

Let’s abandon the “other selves” we are tempted to wear and shut out the arguments of our sinful self in order to find the “original, shimmering self” that God intended each of us to be.

Next step: Follow the steps above. Write out a prayer to the Father, thanking Him for His grace, love, and acceptance.

Filed Under: Spiritual Growth Tagged With: authenticity, sacrifice, Spiritual Makeover

Sharla July 18, 2017

Free eBook: 7 Words Your Soul Needs In A Waiting Season

That word is not one I want to hear.

The barista says, “Wait at that counter.” But I want my latte now.

The customer service person says, “Wait right here.” But I want my problem solved now.

God says, “Wait a while.” But I want my prayer answered now.

You too?

Even though wait is a word we usually detest, it seems it is one God often uses.

Think about it. How many times did God ask His people to wait in Scripture? Jonah waited three days in the belly of a fish. Esther waited a year to meet the king. The Israelites waited four decades to enter the Promised Land.

Maybe wait is an important word.

Although our hearts squirm at the sound of it and our souls try to wriggle away from its grasp, maybe it’s a word we need.

But, perhaps we need to reframe it. Look at it from a different angle. Hear it in a different context.

What if when God said, “Wait,” we heard one if its synonyms? What if it were pronounced “pause”?

Or “Expect“?

Or “Abide”?

Would it make a difference?

I think it does. Although the word wait almost always has negative connotations in our culture, I don’t think God necessarily intends waiting to be gloomy and punitive. Sometimes waiting is meant to be restorative. To give us a season of rest. To draw us closer to the Father. To help us abandon our own puny efforts and rely on the almighty power of God.

Isaiah 64:4 says:

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

This is so reassuring! As we wait, God acts!

If you want to learn more about this concept, check out my new eBook.

In it, you will discover seven words that can mean wait. Seven words that can give hope and purpose in the middle of delay. Seven words your soul needs in a waiting season.

It’s FREE! Just sign up in the box below for my Soul Rest newsletter and you will receive this devotional eBook with seven lessons on waiting, plus beautiful graphics of my favorite waiting Scriptures that you can print and frame.

Filed Under: Waiting on God

Sharla July 11, 2017

Why Suspense is a Necessary Element in Our Waiting Stories

Have you noticed that your favorite novels have the necessary element of suspense? that you like the book a little less when you can guess how the story ends from the very first chapter?

God is writing an excellent story for your life, and suspense is a necessary element. Because it’s during our waiting periods that God develops our patience, molds our character, and teaches us our most crucial life lessons.

I love to read. And in my favorite stories, the hardships the heroine experiences make her stronger or smarter. The obstacles in her way guide her to deeper relationships. Overcoming problems leads to unexpected rewards.

At the end of the book, you discover each plot twist had a purpose. Every ordeal finally makes sense.

The novels I like the least are the ones where the ending feels . . .unfinished. The protagonist strives to rise above her problems. She works to surmount the barriers in her way. And she almost succeeds. But in the end, nothing is resolved. After chapters and chapters of searching for the love of her life, the heroine of the story never finds him. Or the lawyer works to overcome big bad corporations but loses his law practice, and the battle must continue without him. Nothing makes sense.

While some literature may favor the more “realistic” ending, those plot conclusions make me want to throw the book at the wall. Reading a dissatisfying story seems like one big waste of time.

And maybe that is one reason we hate it when God asks to wait for an answer to prayer. We’re afraid the prolonged time spent in a suspenseful chapter of our lives will culminate in one big disappointment.

That’s when we need to remember that God is the author of our stories. Even though we can’t see how all the twists and turns in our plotline are going to work out, He can. Because God is at work in our lives, all of our hardships can strengthen our faith in Him. The obstacles in our lives can drive us to a deeper relationship with our loving Father. As the Spirit helps us overcome problems, we see the rewards of peace and contentment.

Waiting well means trusting that God is at work even in long chapters of uncertainty or heartache. The Lord can give purpose to our lives even in the middle of delay. God-given purpose comes in all shapes and sizes, and it is not granted solely to those with prominent positions or hefty bank accounts. We wait well when we are waiting for Christ, because it is only through the Messiah that any of us can have a happy ending to our story.

You might wish to write a predictable story for your life, but be confident that in every plot twist, God has a purpose. Every agonizing difficulty can be transformed in God’s hand. And while you’re still in this confusing middle-of-the-story time, remember: God is leaning in. He sees you as you wait. He hears your cries. He reassures you that He has the ending of your tale all worked out.

Every suspenseful plot element has purpose in your magnificent story.

Next step: Write a prayer thanking your Heavenly Father that He has a purpose for every plot twist in your life story. Ask Him for strength and peace as you wait.

This post is an excerpt from my new book Waiting: A Bible Study on Patience, Hope, and Trust.

Check it out! The book studies the lives of:

Sarah
Hannah
The Widow of Zarapheth
Esther
Anna
The Woman with a 12-year Hemorrhage
Martha
Ten Virgins

Through their examples, we find hope for the delays in our lives. We learn how to wait well.

Find the book on Amazon or CPH.org

Filed Under: Waiting on God Tagged With: waiting