Trusting God for the Small Things

Today's reading in Draw the Circle really hit me hard. The author started out the chapter with talking about how God keeps the planets in orbit, and how the earth rotates every day. He commented that we don't wake up in the morning and say "Wow, God! Thanks for making the earth rotate again yesterday! I wasn't sure if you could do it, but you came through again!" It's easy to trust that God will provide for big things like that. The hard part is to trust that there is nothing too small for Him to do.

This is definitely a struggle for me. On a daily basis, I doubt that God will really provide a better job for my husband, a desperately needed new car, or health insurance. Sometimes I doubt that we'll ever have a baby, something that both of us really want, because we don't have enough money and it feels like that will never change. When I think about it, these things are so much smaller than making the earth spin. I have no problem trusting that God will do that, yet I have a big problem trusting that He will provide for us on a daily basis. Throughout this season of Lent, I want to have faith for God to provide more than I can ask or imagine. I've been settling for sprinkles, but I want an outpouring--spiritually as well as an outpouring of God's material provision.

Sacred Space in My Mind

As I rushed through a very busy Ash Wednesday, I found myself thinking, "Isn't Lent supposed to be a time to slow down? Aren't I supposed to have time to focus on God rather than being busy and overwhelmed with stress?" But as I jumped in my car and sped off to work 10 minutes late, after a midday Ash Wednesday service and a hurried lunch, I realized something. It was as if the voice of the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, "Set apart a space in your mind for Me. Make a place for me to enter, and I will meet with you even on your busiest day." I understood that I don't have to sit in my room with my Bible in order to meet the Lord during this season. Although that's very important and I'm trying to make it a priority, it's not the only way for me to experience a closer relationship with Him.

I can't always control my time. I have obligations to my husband, my job, and my church, among others. But the one thing I can control (with the help of the Holy Spirit) is my mind. I can make a space for reflection and prayer in my mind, even when it's difficult to make that space in my day. And if I invite the Lord into that space, He will enter. I will experience His presence, and even the busiest days will shine with the light of His joy.

Welcome!

Welcome to my Lenten blog! I've wanted to start doing some spiritual writing, and our church encourages us to take on a discipline during Lent instead of, or in addition to, giving something up, so I decided that this season of Lent would be the perfect time to begin. I'll try to post something every day during Lent. It could be related to one of the Lenten devotionals I'm going to be reading, another book I've been reading, or something I've been thinking about or heard in church. For reference, these are the two books I'll be reading a section from every day during Lent, and therefore probably the books I'll be the most likely to reference in my posts.

Signs of Life: 40 Catholic Customs and Their Biblical Roots, by Scott Hahn (no, I'm not Catholic, but many of our Anglican customs are the same and I've been interested in learning more about Catholic customs for a long time)

Draw the Circle, by Mark Batterson (our church is going to be reading this book together during the season of Lent)