Ya know, when I struggle to find the words to put in this newsletter each month, Jesus seems to bring them right to me. Funny how that works! 

I have to be totally honest, this season of life has been one of the most stressful seasons I have been in. Raising kiddos isn’t easy. And for some reason the shift from age 3 to 4 hit me like a ton of bricks. We went from being in survival mode to actually parenting. We went from, okay let’s make it through teething and potty training to having to make decisions like where is our kid going to goto school and how do we choose the best consequence for these choices he’s making? And these decisions can be crippling, at least for me. There never really is a clear answer – everyone tells you to trust your gut but what do you do when your gut is full of anxiety? Your brain is overwhelmed with the options and you just don’t feel qualified to decide?

The answer really is simple, pray.

1 Peter 5 says this: 

6: Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7:Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8:Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 

9:Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10:And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 

11:To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

The enemy thrives when we’re anxious – when we’re doubting, when we’re searching, when we’re lost. That’s when he decides to catch up to where you are. “Hey, i’ve got answers for you, I’ve got what you’re searching for, here’s this map to help you find what you’re looking for, I’ve got it all” 

What if you already had it all? What if you already had a map sitting on your nightstand or in that drawer collecting dust? What if you had a direct connection to the playbook that would guarantee a win? What if I told you that you already have it? 

Here’s the thing about God, He’s right there. Right next to you, you just have to reach out. He isn’t playing catch up, He isn’t chasing you down yelling “HEY LOOK AT ME I’VE GOT YOUR ANSWERS.” He’s sitting right there, just sitting there waiting for you to reach out your hand.

I heard something yesterday that really just struck me. Someone had asked, why do I feel like the enemy is always louder than God? Why do I just hear noise and loudness when anxiety hits me? You know why? Because the enemy is far away and he has to yell for you to hear him. God is sitting next to you, He doesn’t need to shout because He’s right there. 

We love you all so much Coworkers and our prayer for each of you  this week is that you really lean into prayer. You lean on your Bible, because it does have answers. You listen to God’s voice and allow it to drown out the noise. I pray that the clarity of God’s voice, fights your anxieties and clears your mind. The peace that comes with that, is life changing