When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whose he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”

John 19:26 ESV

Her son was bloodied. He was beaten. He was weak. An ugly crown twisted on His head, digging into his skin, as they mocked and screamed at Him. Her world was shattered, her baby broken.

We know the end of the story. We know the purpose for this pain. We know the victory soon to follow, but she didn’t. She was hurting and she was fearful, and He saw her.

In the middle of the most important moment of history, with the weight of the world’s sin on His shoulders, and nails in His hands, He saw the mother standing by His side alone and He chose to take care of her.

And He sees you, Mama.

He sees you in your moments of fear and pain.

He sees you when you are washing dishes at midnight with tears running down your face.

He sees you when you doubt your ability to take care of the children in you arms.

He sees you smile through the heart ache.

He sees you when you marriage is falling apart and you’re trying to hold it together.

He sees you in your weariness as you load another load of laundry, pick up another round of toys, take another child to school or practice, coach someone through their homework, and get everyone to bed on time.

He sees you when the anxiety makes your heart race or depression makes you question if they really need you.

He sees you when you struggle to juggle everything on your plate and feel like it’s all slipping from your grasp.

He sees you as you stare at bills on your table wondering where the money is going to come from.

He sees you when you’re too exhausted to keep going but make yourself keep moving anyway.

He sees you in your loneliness, in your agony, in your grief.

And He makes a way for you. He is not too busy to notice you on the sidelines of life. He is not too busy to provide what you need in that moment.

See those scars in His hands? They prove that He made a way for you. They declare His passionate, infinite love for you. He has earned the power over fear, anxiety, depression, pain, weariness, death, and doubt through His own blood.

He sees you, Mama. And He will take care of you.

I’ve heard it said one thousand times.

“You cannot pour from an empty cup.”

It is a phrase that carries wisdom and encourages us to find rest when needed. It is biblical, as God established a day of rest from the beginning. And I’ve tried to live my life with balance and by recognizing when I needed to breathe.

But all that changed when I became a mama. I’m at the very beginning of my motherhood journey and do not pretend to be any sort of expert but I have learned mamas don’t usually get breaks. I don’t say that to sound like a martyr. Being a mom has been the best thing and also hardest thing I’ve ever done.

It’s like your heart exists outside of your body. You feel every cry, every fall, every fear. You simultaneously love watching them learn and change while wishing they wouldn’t grow up. You wipe noses and bottoms. You kiss foreheads and scraped knees. You make sure they are fed while you snack on goldfish. You give good morning hugs and goodnight kisses everyday.

And you do it when you are tired, when you’re sick. You keep going when you’re hurting or struggling with your own things. You try to balance your kids, your spouse, your job, your home, your friends.

And sometimes you look down at the cup you are about to pour out of and it looks bone dry. You realize used the last few drops on the toddler tantrum this morning and you still need to keep pouring.

I’ve felt like this and I’m sure you have too. Staring at your children, the precious gifts that God has given you, it’s easy to wonder how you could possibly be enough. But I’m reminded of a mother is the Bible who felt the same way.

We read in 2 Kings 4 of a woman at her wits end. Her husband had died and she was left with nothing but her two sons, a jar of oil, and her husband’s debts. Her sons were going to be taken into slavery if she could not pay those debts, but when she looked around, she had nothing to give.

But Elisha, the man of God, tells her to collect as many jars as she can from her neighbors and to go home and to begin to fill those jars with the oil from the single jar she had. And so she did. And as she grabbed jar after jar, somehow she managed to have enough for the next and the next and the next, until there were no more jars to fill. She paid her debts and had enough to care for her children thanks to the miraculous provision from the God she served.

As a mama, there have been many days when I have looked at myself and said, “Lord, I don’t have what I need for this day, and what I do have is not going to be enough.” This week in particular, I have wondered how I can be enough for both my newborn and my toddler.

Some days I look at my own “jar of oil” and think there’s not even enough in their to fill one of my daughter’s jars. But one of my favorite things about serving the Lord is that He takes my empty cup and somehow when I tip it over, it manages to fill the precious hearts He has entrusted to me.

He takes my scraps and weakness on my hardest days and fills my cups so that I can fill theirs.

You are not alone, mama. He chose you to care for the little souls throwing spaghettios onto the floor, giving the sweetest snuggles, and making your home brighter and better. And He knows when you feel like you have nothing left to give them. He’s ready and waiting to fill your empty cup and give you the strength you need to raise them.

Keep pouring, mama. He will provide what you and those little ones need.

If you open up my cabinets, you will see what seems to be an endless supply of cups – specifically toddler cups. They come with and without straws and in a variety of colors. You would think I would never have a problem providing my daughter with a cup for her water or milk, but that is not always the case.

In my daughters eyes, each cup serves a purpose. It is either a cup for her water or a cup for her milk. It cannot be both. I may have 10 cups clean, but if they are water cups and she wants milk, you will find my scrubbing a milk cup clean. Because in her mind, there is no other option.

The other day, as I was making sure I had a milk cup ready for bedtime, I began to think about someone else who chose a cup that was made to serve one purpose.

In Matthew we find Jesus praying in preparation for the hardest battle He would ever face. And as He prays, He says a phrase that has replayed in my mind,

“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Matthew 26:39

Jesus held in His hands a cup that no one before or after Him had or ever would. This was not the cup that anyone would have a desire to drink from. It was full of the sins of every person that had or would enter into this world. It was full of the pain, the consequences, and the filth of their sin. It was a heavy cup, a bitter cup, a cup that only He could bear.

And He didn’t want it. He knew the pain that would come from drinking of that cup. He knew that He would endure the brutality of the cross after they whipped and mangled His body if He drank of that cup. He knew He would be forsaken by the Father as He was covered in the unrighteousness of our sin. He knew His disciples would run and the people would mock. He knew that the cross would be heavy as He stumbled bloody and beaten down the road. He knew what was coming if He drank of that cup.

But He also knew that there was no other way. He did not have a cabinet full of cups to choose from. There was one cup and He was the only one who could drink of it. He knew that without it, we would continue to be dead in our sins. He knew that if He did not take the cup, there was no redemption for humanity. He knew that we could not carry the burden of our sins before the Father.

So He did.

He carried them as they beat him and whipped Him. He carried them as the disciples abandoned Him and denied that they knew Him. He carried them as they forced Him to carry His cross and then nailed Him to it. And as the sun sank, and He breathed that last breath on the cross, He carried them in death. Every sin. He bore it.

It was a bitter cup. It was full of filth and pain and agony, and He drank it all.

I know that Easter is coming and that He rose victorious over sin, death, and pain, but today I want to remember that He chose the bitter cup for me.

And He chose it for you. If you are feeling forgotten, hopeless, empty, or abandoned this Easter, hear me. He chose the most painful death, the most lonely place, and the most bitter cup for you.

The Bible tells us that if we confess our sins, He will forgive us and cleanse our hearts and minds. The reason He can do this is because He chose the drink of the cup for you. He chose to make a way to redeem you, and to bring hope, love, and joy to the darkest parts of your heart.

He chose the cup because He chose you.

I do not envy the world that my girls are going to grow up in. It’s full of hatred, violence, and a disregard for truth and the One who created it.

As a young mother, I often wonder how I can raise women who will not be bullied by the harsh voices around them that tell them who they should be, what they should think, and how they should behave. How do I help them to grasp that God’s Word is the center for our truth instead of our emotions, the volatile world around us, or the culture that thrives on the “do whatever makes you happy” mantra?

It seems almost impossible. For every truth I can fill their minds with, the world will scream 100 lies at them. They will be told by world leaders, celebrities, friends, and even their own hearts at times that God’s truth is one of many options. They will be surrounded by temptations through so many avenues that I never had to face. Society will tell them that our feelings in the moment determine our identity instead of the eternal Word of God. They will live in a generation that faces depression, anxiety, and insecurity at a young age. And they will see a disregard for human life all around them. All of this is on top of the catastrophes, tragedies, and wars we hear about in the news daily.

Our children are growing up in a world my parents never knew and that I can barely comprehend myself.

How do I raise strong women of faith in such a world? This question has settled into my heart this week, and as I have prayed through it, I have felt this verse from Esther replay over in my mind.

“… on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them.”

Esther 9:1b

In Esther, God takes a day that was meant to defeat the Jews, and uses it to bring victory in their lives. He takes what was meant to destroy them and uses it to subdue their enemies.

And this is my prayer for my children – that God would take what is meant to destroy them and bring victory in their lives instead. I pray that when they are bombarded with lies, that it will push them to dig deeper into God’s truth instead of turn away. I pray that when they hear of events that make them fearful that they will learn about the Peace of God. I pray that when depression tries to work its way into their mind that they will experience the Joy of the Lord that gives us strength. I pray that the empty happiness that the world tries to offer will only make the abundant life that Christ offers that much more beautiful to them.

I pray that the plans of the enemy to use this time to turn a generation away from God would only serve to stir an awakening in their young hearts – that instead of rebellion, revival would be birthed. I cannot raise my children in the world I would wish for them, but I can raise them to rely on the One who chose them for this time.

They are not to be pitied, but to be prayed for. After all, a young shepherd boy named David could not have become giant slayer if Goliath and his army had not stood in complete defiance against God. Esther would never have learned the power of God to give her favor and save her people if Haman had not plotted a genocide of God’s people. We would not have seen the fourth man in the fire if the three Hebrew boys were not the only one’s who stood for God. God is in the business of taking the plans of the enemy and working them for our good (Rom. 8:28) and for His glory.

Fellow mamas, we are raising children who are meant to be giant-slayers. They are meant to go against the tide, to be used by God to turn the plans of the enemy around. Let’s do everything we can to prepare them for the task.

Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

1 Peter 3:11

Pursuit. This word is filled with implications. It brings to mind the image of chasing after something, running with all your might, pushing through any obstacles, out of breath and still pushing yourself harder.

It makes me think of fast paced scenes where one person is desperately trying to escape and another is hastily trying to catch up. And it sounds exhausting. It requires effort and time and energy.

It is the word that God chooses to use in 1 Peter 3:11 when speaking about peace. And I have learned the hard way that peace is not something that comes easily simply because you are a believer. The Peace of God, which God is willing to give, takes effort, energy, and time. It requires us to push some things out of the way, to keep our eyes focused on what matters, and to spend our time wisely.

I know this, personally. During my teenage years I began to struggle with depression and anxiety. Insecurities and lies from the world and the enemy had clouded my mind and my head was filled with them. There have been moments of victory over these struggles along with dark and painful moments as I succumbed to these feelings and thoughts since then. It is not something I have shared with many people, partly because it is not something I enjoy sharing, partly because I’ve been ashamed that I have continued to fight this same battle over and over.

You see, as a believer, I began to feel like a failure because I know the Word of God. I know the promises of His faithfulness. I know the joy that can only be found in Him. I have felt His presence restore my peace and hope in moments of darkness. But time and again, I have felt hopeless sitting on a church pew. I have felt alone surrounded by wonderful friends and like-minded believers. I have listened to sermons, sang the songs, and lifted my hands in worship while feeling defeated, broken, and unworthy.

How come I was in such turmoil? Why did I allow fears to cloud my mind and give me panic attacks? Why did I feel depressed for months on end when I knew the One who gives the ultimate joy?

Many times, I have asked God to give me total victory over these mind battles. I have felt like Paul, praying for the thorn in my flesh to be removed, only to find it still there come morning. And like Paul, I am having to learn to rely on His strength in my weakness.

But, I have also felt that I must make the effort to pursue peace. I must pursue it in my mind, my emotions, my words. I must pursue it for my home, my children, my marriage.

I must pursue it when life is smooth sailing and when life is difficult, because I need it in every moment. This has meant choosing to not take part in things that steal my peace and pushing aside the obstacles in my way. It does not mean each one was a sin, but that it was taking away from my ability to pursue after my Creator.

And while I am far from the finish line, what I am learning is that when I seek peace and the One who gives it diligently with my whole heart, the Prince of Peace meets me every time. He has met me in panic attacks when I felt so overwhelmed I could hardly breathe. He has met me in moments of darkness where my heart and emotions were telling me things I knew weren’t true. He has met me when tears flooded my eyes and loneliness flooded my heart. And each time, I have found Him to be enough.

And if you are struggling with battles in your mind that you feel like no one can understand, I want you to know that He is enough for you. I’m not telling you that you shouldn’t take medicine if that’s what you feel like you need. All I’m saying is the Prince of Peace is worth pursuing.

For though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly…

Psalm 138:6

The world around us appears to be spinning out of control. No matter what side we are on, what opinions we hold, or how effectively we believe that our current situation is being handled, the truth is that each of us are being affected in some way. For most of us, our day to day lives look completely different than they did a month ago. The things we took for granted, such as sitting down at a restaurant for dinner with family, wandering through the shopping mall with friends, and worshipping in the house of God with fellow believers, are no longer options. Instead, many of us find ourselves isolated, staring at the same walls day after day.

The security of familiarity is gone and with it questions come. What do you do when the things you relied on are no longer there? How do you handle working while simultaneously teaching your children? How do you pay the bills when you can’t work? How do you keep yourself and your family safe when you have to work? What is going on?

To be honest with you, I have felt many of these same nagging fears and questions. I value familiarity, routines, face to face social interaction, and control. None of which are currently available. And yet in my moments of fear or loneliness, one verse has played over and over in my mind.

For though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly. -Psalm 138:6

And as I have dwelt on this verse, I have come to realize a few things.

To begin with, my God is in control even when I am not. My God sits on His throne, high in the heavens. Isaiah tells us that his train fills the temple. That train represents the enemies he has conquered. Over and over, my God has won. Victory after victory after victory is represented in that train. He is not shaken by the circumstances we find ourselves in today. He does not fear the future. He is still the Almighty God. He holds all power and He is still on His throne.

But also, it is important to realize that this victorious, conquering King of Kings sees us.

During this time when contact with family and friends is so restricted, I have found that if I am not careful I can begin to allow those feelings of isolation to slip into my relationship with the Lord. After all, He is high and on His throne and that knowledge can sometimes make Him seem distant. Despite my feelings, however, the Word of God reminds us that He is never far and that He sees us.

That word regard means that he has a protective interest in you. It means that you have His attention. Think about that for a minute. You hold the attention of the God of heaven, the One who parts waters, speaks life into existence with His breath, and has conquered death, hell, and the grave. When you call on Him, He stops to listen. When you speak His name and cry out for help, He moves on your behalf. You may be isolated from the people in your life, but our Lord has not left you for one moment.

And He knows how you feel. If anyone has experienced loneliness, it is Jesus. Over 2000 years ago, He sat alone in a garden to pray as He waited to be betrayed by one of His friends. He watched another of his closest friends denied Him even as he was beaten and mistreated. He endured the mocking of those around him, the vicious whipping alone, and the brutal crucifixion alone. His blood flowed for our salvation and our healing as he bore our sins alone. He cried out with no answer as He took His final breath on that cross. This Jesus, He knows what it feels like to be alone.

And yet, in the midst of this loneliness, victory was on its way. Sunday, with its triumphant news that Christ was risen was only two days away. But before the victory, came the darkest moment known to man. It appeared Satan had won. It appeared all hope was lost. But appearances can be deceiving, and as Satan danced in victory, Christ took the keys to death, hell, and the grave.

So if on this Good Friday, you are struggling to understand how anything good can come from the chaos around you, just wait. My Jesus bore the weight of the world by himself, so that you would never have to. He is with you and He is working on your behalf. When you cry, He stops to listen. When you call out, He moves his mighty hand and works on your behalf. So if it seems dark, know this. The battle is not over. The God of Heaven is not done.

Because, as my Pastor so often reminds us, the Best is Yet to Come.

This past week has been a history maker for our country in terms of legislation that both supports and rejects the life of the unborn. Laws that I never believed would pass have been accepted and even celebrated. As if it is some great triumph to deem a life underserving to live.

The news and social media have been flooded with words designed to make both sides feel more comfortable. Words like fetus and viable that seek to turn the right to live into something that must be earned or deserved. Words like unplanned and unwanted that refuse to recognize the gift that a child is. Words like choice, women’s rights, and feminism. All designed to tell us we must stand for one or the other – women or babies. All designed to put us at odds with the very ones we were designed to protect.

And all week the words have flooded my mind,

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19, ESV).

And while I realize that God was speaking to the Israelites, I believe that we as a nation have the same decision set before us – life and death.

Because despite the rhetoric we are told and the words we are fed, this is what it boils down to – life and death.

You see, I could go through a million scenarios in which a mother’s life and needs would not justify the murder of a five year old child. I could print off pictures of what a beautiful baby looks like in the womb. I could tell you when it’s tiny heart starts to beat and when it’s little fingers start to form. I could show you how modern medicine often allows premature babies to grow into beautiful children. I could tell you that deformities and handicaps do not negate a right to live.

But the truth is, there is a choice before each one of us. A choice of life and death – a choice that will determine quite literally whether our children survive. And we must choose life.

We must choose life for the millions of voices that were never heard, the little feet that never ran, and the eyes that never saw their mother’s face. It does not make me misogynistic and it does not negate a woman’s power. Women in today’s world have been taught that in order to be equal with men we must step on the one’s beneath us and that we must choose death in order to get what we want.

And so over and over again, woman after woman chooses death because they have been fed the lies that this is the only way. That a woman’s rights demands that the baby inside of her not have any. But stepping on someone who is weaker than you does not make you stronger. Because when we choose death, we start a tsunami that ripples and reverberates, crashes and destroys more than we could ever imagine. Death is greedy. It does not stop with one life but it reaches and reaches. It steals futures and hopes. It sneaks into homes and hearts and it will not stop.

Because the only way to defeat death is to choose life.

It is not always easy. It is not always fair. There are moments when babies are not chosen, when women do not ask for the responsibility but are forced by evil men. There are moments when it is scary to put the needs of a baby before your own. There are sacrifices to be made when an unexpected child interrupts your plans. But we must choose life.

Because life does what death cannot – it gives us a future. Death steals, but life gives. It gives opportunity. It gives joy. It gives hope and love. And yes, it gives the chance for hurt, pain, and difficulty. But there is more than pain to life – there is good also.

So, choose life. And let it create a rippling effect around you. Because just as one choice of death starts a tsunami, so does life. So let the tsunami of life touch those around. Let it bring love to the child who is unwanted. Let it bring friendship to the person who sets alone and forgotten. Let it bring hope to the young mother struggling by her self. Let it bring flowers to the widow and homes to the orphans. Let us choose life and watch it change everything around us.

And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (Exodus 3:7-8)

As I read this passage this week, I felt the Lord speak a simple truth to me.

Where God is taking you is always better than where He brings you from.

A simple truth, really, but a truth I have not been able to get away from. We see in these verses that the sorrow of the Israelites had moved the hand of God. He was bringing them from slavery into a good land, a large land, a land flowing with milk a honey. What he had for them was so much greater than captivity of Egypt. These are the facts. There is no doubt. There is no arguing. He was taking them somewhere far better than where they were.

And yet, just a little bit later, we find the Israelites have forgotten this obvious truth. In Exodus 17, the Israelites become angry because they cannot find water and rather than trust the God who has miraculously delivered them from Pharoah and parted tthe Red Sea to provide, they doubt. “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” (Exodus 17:3 ESV). And again in Numbers 11, dissatisfied with the miracle bread that God has provided, they complain, “We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic; but now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, besides this manna before our eyes,” (Numbers 11:4-5 KJV).

It seems incomprehensible that the Israelites would cry out for Egypt, that there would be any desire in them for the land of their affliction. They were whipped. They were beaten. They were murdered and forced into slavery. There children were treated as animals. They lived in sorrow.

But despite all of this, they chose to accuse and complain as if Egypt was more desirable then the land promised to them by the Lord. As if, God’s deliverance were a punishment instead of freedom.

You see, somehow the Israelites became so focused on the difficulties of the journey that they glorified the captivity they were delivered from instead of focusing on the promise before them.

And if I’m honest, sometimes I do that very same thing. Because the life of a Christ-follower is not always easy. The road we are on does not always make sense and sometimes there is deep pain and heartache. But this does not diminish the promise of the land that lies before us. And it does not loosen the chains of the land that lies behind us.

We will face days when it feels like we are in a barren land with no water. We will have to choose to be satisfied with the manna God provides to keep us alive even if we would have chosen something different. We will fight and overcome our own Caananites, Hittites, and Jebusites who believe they can keep us from taking hold of what God has given us. We will march on when it seems like the days are long and the nights are short and we are weary beyond belief.

Because where God is taking us is always better than where He brings us from.

We cannot allow troubles to cause us to grow disheartened. God is taking you to a place far better than you can imagine. And the journey will not be easy, but let each step you take serve as a reminder of your deliverance. Rejoice when your feet hit the ground each morning and the chains you were once bound by are no longer there. Rejoice in the tribulations when you no longer hear the slave masters harsh words but hear the voice of God speaking truth and peace. Rejoice when God continues to provides in ways you never expected. Rejoice when you feel barren because you know that God will always provide water to your thirsty soul. Rejoice when you are weary of walking but you choose to go on because you are one step closer to His promise and one step farther from your captivity.

Rejoice in the journey because our God is taking us to a land that is so much better than where he found us.

 

 

 

He bequeaths us His manger, from which to learn how God came down to man; and His Cross to teach us how man may go up to God. – Charles Spurgeon

While having our devotions the other night, Roy and I read this quote by Charles Spurgeon. As we talked about the beauty of God’s design and how His plan came full circle, Roy made a comment that floored me.

“God doesn’t have loose ends.”

Let that sink in for a moment. God doesn’t have loose ends. He doesn’t leave things unfinished due to forgetfulness or a lack of attention to details. He never stops caring and working for the good of His people. It can seem that way at times from our human perspective, I know. Many of us have that area in our life that just looks like one jumbled mess of loose ends, or maybe that is your whole life at the moment.

You see jumbled threads and details that seem to have been long forgotten, but God sees differently. He sees the threads coming together to form the masterpiece that is your life. He is pulling and tugging, tying and knotting, sewing and weaving in ways that you can not even see yet.

Picture Joseph. Now there’s a life that seems like a tangled mess. Let’s see, sold into slavery by his brothers, wrongly accused while dutifully serving, and forgotten in prison – all after being receiving a dream from God as a young man. Anyone looking in would think that God forgot about that dream He had given to Joseph. It was just a loose end in his life, but God doesn’t have loose ends. Joseph rose from prisoner to hero in a matter of moments. God had placed Joseph exactly where he needed to be and in His perfect timing, He swiftly and neatly tied up the loose ends of Joseph’s life.

You see, God is not a god who forgets the details of our life. He works through the detail, even the painful ones. He used slavery to humble a young man whose pride alienated him from his brothers and to place him in a country that he would have never chosen to go to. He used Potipher’s house to teach him character and discipline, attributes he would need to save his family and the country. Through prison, he taught him to lead others and that though man might forget him, God never would.

Each step of Joseph’s life was purposeful. No matter how ragged the threads of his life felt, God was working it for his good and for the saving of many people.

This is how God works. He does not forget. He does not quit caring. He does not give up. Like the seamstress weaves the tapestry, God uses each moment of our life for His purpose and His glory.

In life, it is tempting to feel as if God has left our tapestry in a tangled mess with no hope of completion, but your story is not through.

Joseph waited thirty years to see his dream fulfilled. Lazarus sat in the tomb for four days before Christ spoke life. It took Abraham 25 years receive his promise. David faced an unsupportive father, a giant, and a jealous and violent king on his way to the throne. Mary of Magdalene faced sorrow and grief for three days before her resurrected Savior met her in the garden.

God’s timing is not always ideal in our eyes, but it serves a purpose. Had Joseph been released from prison earlier, he would not have been needed to interpret the king’s dreams; and he would never have rose to the position of power to help save those around him. David needed to grow before he was ready to become king. Abraham needed to learn to trust God. Christ had to die in order to be raised victorious. Each moment of pain served a purpose. Each moment of waiting had a reason. Everything was working towards the purpose God had.

So here is what I want to encourage you with, the God who started the work in your life will complete it. When it looks hopeless, painful, or impossible, keep walking because our God always comes full circle. He does not have loose ends. He sees you. He knows you. He is working when you can’t see for reasons you wouldn’t understand yet even if you knew them.

Wait, don’t rush. Trust and keep walking in obedience. The “loose ends” you see now are just pieces being woven into the tapestry He designed for you before you were born. He will fulfill the dreams and plans He has given you.

Our God doesn’t have loose ends.