Category: General

Recently, I’ve been reading through the book of Acts, and I came across the story of Stephen. I’ve always known him as the first Christian martyr, but never really dove deep into his story. The story of Stephen is just a short story, but you can see God’s hand over it.

Stephen was chosen to serve the Hellenistic Jews and care for their spiritual needs. When Stephen was appointed, he started preaching boldly.

“Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen… who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.” (Acts 6:8-10)

Stephen had remarkable wisdom for someone who had only recently begun his ministry. That wisdom came directly from the Holy Spirit. Being full of the Spirit was one of the reasons the disciples chose him in the first place. (Acts 6:5)

Stephen knew the hand of God was upon him because he knew the Holy Spirit dwelled within him. And he wanted the Jewish leaders to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit like he and so many other people had. This is how Stephen responded to the Jewish leaders when they accused him of being a false teacher. 

“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 7:51)

The passion and boldness in those words just amaze me of the faith Stephen had. Stephen’s message wasn’t rooted in anger but in his love for God and his desire for others to know the God as he did. Yet this was their response:

“When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.” (Acts 7:54)

But Stephen knew God and he had a relationship with Him. He knew the hand of God was over him every moment, even as he faced death. And just before he was stoned, God allowed him to see His glory.

“But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.'” (Acts 7:55-56)

As I read Stephen’s story, I can’t help but reflect on my own life. Just as the hand of God was over Stephen’s life, I can look back and see the hand of God over mine.

Whenever I hear the lyrics from Goodness of God—

“All my life You have been faithful. All my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God.”

—I always get the same picture in my mind. I see God’s hands resting on my head and my husband’s head and then moving on to resting on our children’s head. But God’s hand keeps moving, resting His hands on generation after generation. 

I know God’s hand is over my life. I know His hand is over my husband’s life. I know His hand is over my children’s lives. And I believe His hand will remain over the generations that come after us.

There are things about my heavenly father I cannot fathom but God gave me an earthly father whose life reflected so much of His character.

My dad was kind and loving, just as my Heavenly Father is kind and loving. My dad also corrected me when I needed it, just as my Heavenly Father disciplines His children.

When I think of my dad, one of the things that brings me the greatest comfort is remembering his hands.

From the age of twenty until he was sixty-four, my dad farmed. I remember him coming home with dirty hands, bruised hands, and sometimes even bloody hands from the hard work he did to provide for his family. His hands were ever-present in my life. Those hands provided and protected me. 

But when cancer forced my dad to stop farming, his hands began to change.

His strong and calloused hands become weak and smooth. Eventually, not only his hands but his entire body wore out, and he passed from this life into eternity.

As grateful as I am for my earthly father whose hands were all over my life, there is an even greater comfort in knowing that the hand of God has never left me.

My earthly father’s hands grew tired, but God’s hands never do.

My earthly father’s hands became weak, but God’s hands will always be strong enough to take on any battle I will face. 

My earthly father’s hands eventually gave out but God’s hands will continue for generations until His return.

Just like the words from Goodness of God, I can look back over my life and see the hand of God all throughout my life. Through every bad choice I made as a teenager, through the hardships my husband and I have faced, through every hill and valley of parenthood, the hand of God has remained steady, and He has been with me every step of the way.

We would like to thank Bethany Williams for writing this post.

 ^“If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139: 7-10 (NKJV)

How does a former New Yorker end up in West Texas? Unusual? Yes. Impossible? Not at all. The only explanation is the hand of God—the very same hand David describes above. Many of you have probably wondered how a “New York City girl” and “globe-trotter” came to a small Texas town. I get that question all the time. To be honest, I wasn’t excited about the dry heat or the lack of shade, but I was sure God had led me here. How? I’m glad you asked. To tell the full story, I need to go back about ten years ago to the same month this is being published.

While working in “the uttermost parts of the sea”, on a cruise ship, I had to attend a sail-away party. There, I heard a woman call to her grandson, “Boaz!” I had recently been reading the book of Ruth, so I made a beeline for her. As we talked, I learned she was traveling with her daughter, a golf pro who was teaching lessons onboard. I was thrilled to find out she was a believer. In that brief conversation, I shared that I was waiting for God to bring me my own “Boaz”—my future husband. She encouraged me that God had someone for me and said she would be praying. What I didn’t tell her was that just a month earlier, on June 24th to be exact, the Lord had spoken clearly to me about meeting my husband within six months.

I never exchanged contact information with the guest, so I assumed I would never see her again. Then that December—exactly six months after the Lord told me I would meet my husband—I had my first phone date with Shiloh! We were then married on that special date, June 24, 2018. He didn’t know anything about the significance of that date until our wedding ceremony when I was sharing my vows. To say he was surprised was an understatement!

But wait, it gets even better! 

A few months into our marriage, I was at a doctor’s appointment in Plainview. When I mentioned my work at sea, the doctor lit up and said he knew someone whose daughter taught golf lessons on cruise ships. “Does she happen to have a grandson named Boaz?” I asked. “Yes—that’s the family!” he replied. When I asked where she lived, he said, “Here in Plainview.” Shiloh and I stared at each other, jaws dropped and minds blown. The doctor gave me her phone number, and of course I called her. Imagine her surprise when I told her I was not only married, but also living in her hometown! The hand of God ladies!

So, was that the end of the story? Not even close. You may wonder what God has been doing since I left behind my life of travel and adventure. Well, He had another big adventure planned, and it was just around the corner. Following God to a new place came easily for me, putting down roots in one place did not. It can be harder to trust the promise that “even there your hand will guide me” when life begins to feel more like Groundhog Day.

Just because God’s call was from a place of beauty to a place that was dry and remote didn’t mean it was out of His presence or plan. The truth is ladies, that when God called me here, it wasn’t just to a place, but to a person. A man of God whom I have built a life with. We are now raising two beautiful children who now adorn our home like precious jewels. Our lives are not perfect, but God’s hand is with us always leading, guiding, protecting and sustaining us to the uttermost. Instead of waking up in a new country on a new continent, I wake up to a house that needs cleaning and children who need to be fed. As I write, magnet tiles cover the floor around my feet, unfinished crafts are scattered across the table, the dishwasher needs to be unloaded, and the laundry still needs to be put away.

Another version of Psalm 139:5 says it like this, “you lay your hand upon me, such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me. Your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 139 :5-10 (NIV)

If I truly believe that “even there” His hand will guide and hold me, then I can trust Him in the details of everyday life. As Corrie Ten Boom said, “His past faithfulness demands our present trust.” I can trust His hand to guide and hold me even when my two-year-old throws a tantrum I cannot calm, or when my daughter cannot find her glasses and we are already late for school. Psalm 139 reminds me that God’s hand guides me “even there”. I often think His guidance is only for life’s big, dramatic moments, not the ordinary, everyday ones. But from the extraordinary to the ordinary, His hand leads just as faithfully and will continue to do so until I see him face to face.

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you,
  Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13(NLT)

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen    you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

“I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8 (NLT)

We would like to thank Julie Posey for writing this post.

When I was first asked to write this blog about how “Kindness Transforms,” I really didn’t know what God had in store for me to write. Because the truth is, when looking back at my life, I wouldn’t say that, naturally, I’m a “kind person.” I bet anyone closest to me could probably tell you the same thing is true! Ha! Ha! For many years, the type of person I was, and what I can still battle with from time to time, is what you give to me is what you get back. If you’re unkind to me, you get that right back, and if you’re kind to me, well then, you get kindness back. That’s how I had always been until one day, God started to shift my life.

Romans 2:4 – “God’s kindness is intended to lead us to repentance.”

It started with a series of events unfolding through the years of my life. I was born and raised in the church, and yet, throughout my younger adult life, I struggled in and out of following God and attending church. In 2004, I came back to God and Harvest, broken, ashamed, and pregnant. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew I desperately needed God and was skeptical about how I would be accepted and received in the church. But I was welcomed with open arms by everyone in the church. People all around me were kind and generous and made sure I felt loved and like I had a place to belong. My Life Group threw me a baby shower and made sure I had things for the new baby. I felt like I had not been overlooked; not judged for the life I had been living. 

Another time, in 2010, I experienced a divorce and found myself a single mom of four while in the middle of going to community college. Gosh, talk about feeling broken and ashamed for being divorced in the church! Again, people came together to love me and help out. I had a vehicle that was provided by a friend to get myself and my kids to school and Christmas was provided by the church. So many needs were met for me and my kids that year. Those situations softened my heart and led me to change how I wanted to treat others around me, especially during those times, because my walk with God was still a big struggle. I love how God is sovereign in the way he works out the details of our lives and how we experience His hand, His kindness, and His goodness even when we don’t deserve it. It has happened all my life. His kindness and mercy changed my life and still does.

Jeremiah 31:3-4 “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again and you, will be rebuilt.” 

Recently, we celebrated our 5^th child graduating from college. While at his party, watching all my children and their spouses and my grandchildren interact and have fun, I couldn’t help but be grateful and overwhelmed at the kindness of God to give me such a wonderful family when I didn’t even know half the time if I was being a good mom or doing this parenting thing right. This alone makes me want to continue to live a life worthy of Him and all that He has to offer. It puts a fire in my heart to minister and treat people as He sees them whether they are kind or not, whether they like me or not. Do I do this perfectly every time? Definitely not! I’m a work in progress, and I’ve come a long way from the woman I used to be. My kindness might look different than yours. We all express it in different ways to each other, but my heart is continually growing and being healed. It is being softened with every act of kindness from God and others around me. 

Titus 3:3-7 “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out generously through Jesus Christ our Savior. So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”

We would like to thank Brenda Martinez for writing this post.

“For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us — not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy — through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” — Titus 3:3-5 CSB

You’ve probably heard the saying “happy wife, happy life.” Maybe you’ve even used it as a gentle reminder to your husband to pay attention to your wants and needs. I know those words have left my mouth a time or two. But honestly? There’s a flip side to that phrase that can feel a little unfair. As the wife, the mom, the heartbeat of the home, your attitude and demeanor has a way of setting the emotional temperature for everyone under your roof. When I’m struggling to keep a good attitude, more often than not, my husband and kids follow suit.

So, on those hard days, when everything is going wrong, and you just can’t pull yourself together, what’s a girl to do?

Let me tell you.

When I started praying about this topic, I asked the Lord to bring to mind past moments where kindness clearly made a difference in others. But He had something more immediate in mind. He wanted to show me examples unfolding right in my own home, in real time.

This past week has been a lot. We put our house on the market, which means the constant pressure of keeping everything spotless. Our dog is very pregnant and could have puppies any day. It’s mid-May, which brings the beautiful chaos of end-of-school events, baseball, softball, and a to-do list that never seems to shrink. Work has picked up as we’re growing our team, which means training new people on top of everything else. Summer is literally starting this week, and I am not ready for my kids to be home all day. My husband has a work trip, my in-laws are out of town, and I will be the sole adult running the show as school wraps up with a bang.

I’m stressed. And being kind, especially to the people I love most, has been a real challenge.

But here are three things I’ve tried this week that have genuinely shifted my perspective.

1. Stop and breathe.

Before anything else, just pause. Calm those nerves, sister. The Lord truly cares about every detail of your life, every stressor on your plate. Take a moment to find even the smallest win and give thanks for it. That simple act can break the spiral before it starts.

2. Turn your frustration into prayer.

This week, I found myself in that familiar cycle, frustration with my husband building into full-blown irritation. But instead of letting those thoughts run wild, I stopped and took them captive. I started praying for him. Thanking God for his hard work and dedication. Asking the Lord to guard his mind and heart. And something shifted. The bitterness softened. My heart moved from anger to compassion, to a real understanding of the weight he’s been carrying. That one choice to respond with kindness, even just internally, transformed me.

3. Choose kind words and a softened tone.

Nothing raises the temperature in a home quite like an angry mom. If you need a moment before you open your mouth, take it. Step away, breathe, reset. The words you choose and the tone you carry them in matter more than you know.

Here’s what I keep coming back to: the passage in Titus doesn’t say God was patient with us until we got our act together. It says He showed us kindness, and that kindness is what changed everything. We were foolish, disobedient, enslaved, and He met us there with mercy and love. Not because we earned it, but because that is who He is.

Kindness isn’t passive. It’s a choice, often a hard one, made in the middle of a messy, stressful, imperfect life. But when we extend it, to our husbands, our kids, ourselves, something transforms. Sometimes it’s the room. Sometimes it’s a relationship. And sometimes, it’s your own heart.

So today, wherever you are and whatever kind of week you’re having, choose kindness. You might be surprised what it changes.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

We would like to thank Megan Hollis for writing this post.

Ephesians 4:23 – Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Have you ever felt like the sky is falling, or the walls are closing in around you? I know I have. Some moms reading this right now are caring for a sick family member, helping a graduating senior prepare for the next chapter, managing a house that feels impossible to keep up with, chasing little ones around, and staring at a never-ending to-do list.

So, how do we, as women who juggle so many responsibilities and wear so many hats, continue to walk in the fruit of the Spirit, especially kindness?

Kindness comes from Jesus. He, too, was constantly being pulled in every direction, yet He still chose compassion, patience, and love for others.

Think about the story where the friends lowered the paralyzed man through the roof just to get him to Jesus. We often focus on the loyalty and determination of the friends and say, “Wow, that is true friendship.” And it is. But sometimes we miss another important part of the story – Jesus.

Even in the middle of crowds, demands, and people needing something from Him at every moment, Jesus stopped. He noticed the man, responded with kindness, and met his need. That is what kindness rooted in Christ looks like: making room for people even when life feels overwhelming.

I have often thought about what it must have been like to be in Jesus’ position, surrounded by people needing something different from Him all at once. He was fully human, and surely there were moments when He felt overwhelmed. Yet He continued to respond with patience and kindness.

If you are a teacher, coach, administrator, banker, business owner, or simply someone known for getting things done, you understand what it feels like to have more and more added to your plate. Jesus healed bodies, minds, and spirits. Imagine how many directions He was pulled each day. Yet, when you read the New Testament, you also see that Jesus intentionally rested. He even told His disciples to rest. God created a rhythm for us: work for six days and rest on the seventh.

Rest is often where kindness begins. When we are overwhelmed, exhausted, and running without pause, kindness becomes much harder to give away.

If you know me at all, you know I stay busy. I love seeing growth around me and growth within me. I believe a growing person is a fulfilled person, and I never want to stop learning. That mindset is part of why I chose to go back to college for a master’s degree in counseling during one of the busiest seasons of my life. Many times, I have asked the Lord, “Why now?” But over and over, I am reminded that this season requires me to lean on Him more deeply for strength and rest. He has never left my side through it all.

I can always tell when I have not rested enough because I become short and impatient, usually with the people closest to me. In those moments, I have learned that I need one of four things: rest, food, time with Jesus, or time with people who refill my cup. It is difficult to choose kindness when you are neglecting your own well-being.

Self-reflection also requires another fruit of the Spirit: self-control. Kindness in our actions, words, and responses requires a filter. I love teaching students about what I call the “brain filter.” We have thousands of thoughts every day, but not every thought should become a spoken word.

When I taught younger students who struggled with blurting things out, I would place a coffee filter on their desks and have them touch it before speaking. It was a simple but powerful reminder to pause, think, and filter before responding. That small habit trained them to slow down and choose their words more carefully. As adults, we sometimes forget how important that filter still is. Our words matter, and the way we present them matters too.

How many of us stand in front of the mirror replaying conversations, preparing arguments, or imagining conflict that has not even happened yet? That habit does not produce kindness. I remember when the Lord convicted me about this very thing. I would attend meetings, social gatherings, or service events, longing for deeper friendships, but internally, I was constantly replaying conversations or assuming how people felt about me.

One day, in the middle of all that mental noise, the Lord stopped me and reminded me: When you stop making assumptions about what might happen and simply become the kind of person I created you to be, without fear, you will find what you are looking for.

That changed me. It was not instant, but every time I felt anxious or tempted to rehearse conversations in my head, I would stop and pray. I would ask the Lord to show me truth instead of assumptions. That practice brought freedom and kindness toward myself, which then allowed me to extend kindness to others more naturally.

Learning these rhythms—resting, filtering my words, praying instead of assuming, and leaning on Jesus—has helped me stay kind under pressure. Not perfectly, but intentionally. And maybe that is the goal: not perfection, but a heart that continually returns to Christ, the true source of kindness.

We would like to thank Janeé Harrison for sharing this post.

When I think on the character of God, one of my favorite attributes is His kindness. Hearing the word “kindness” on a surface level might cause you to think of other words, such as “sweetness” or “softness.” While those words may also reflect human kindness, the kindness of God is so much more. It implies a steadfast, loyal love within a relationship with Him. His kindness is an active force that brings restoration and protection. 

An amazing truth that I have learned about God’s kindness is that it extends even to unbelievers. Think about that! The same rain that waters your yard and makes your grass green makes theirs green as well. They see the same sunrises, mountains, and other beauty of the world just like you do as a believer. The fact that we wake up with breath in our lungs is a testament to God’s kindness and mercy. It is not just limited to those who have decided to follow Him.

While that is good news, it can be hard for the believer to see the kindness of God bestowed just as heavily (sometimes it feels like more so) on someone who mocks God or simply doesn’t understand or appreciate what He has done for them. Just like the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son, it can be tempting to ask “Why do they get the blessing as well? I’ve been here the whole time!” So why does God do it? Why does His kindness and love extend even to someone who doesn’t believe in Him? 

It’s to bring them to repentance.

Romans 2:4 CSB “Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”

The word “repentance” means a change of mind. To repent is to change your mind and turn from your sin. If the kindness of The Lord brings an unbeliever to repentance, how can we do anything but rejoice? Galatians 5:22-23 shows that kindness is one of the nine fruits of the spirit. It is an attribute of someone who has decided to follow Jesus. This means that God uses US, those who are already His children, to bring kindness to a broken world. We are the very vessel that shows others who Jesus is! That can be so hard to do when our humanity tries to get in the way. It’s easy to justify not showing kindness to people who have really hurt us or hurt those closest to us. 

I watched a clip of a message from Rachel Morley, a Christian worship artist, and it really spoke to my heart (and honestly brought me some healthy conviction). She said “Jesus did not just pay for the healing and the wholeness of the victim. He paid for the healing and the wholeness of the perpetrator. And when we can see that, when we can believe for, love, and long for the wholeness of the perpetrator as much as the victim, that’s when we understand the cross. That’s when we understand the gospel. This is the offensive grace of the gospel, that my enemies get to be my friends.”

That may sound extreme, but that is exactly what Jesus did. The ultimate kindness of the Father is seen in the sacrifice of Jesus. He died to provide salvation to humanity. So, as Sons and Daughters, and bearers of His image, let’s represent Christ to a fallen world. The seeds of love and kindness you plant in someone’s life may just inspire them to find the source.

We would like to thank Courtney Harper for writing this post.

“For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.” Isaiah 61:11

Growth

Growth elicits two very contrasting images in my mind:

One of pain, stretching beyond current capacity, ripping, rending, that will later be repaired. My brain feels risk in that. What if my flesh bleeds out before being repaired? What if my capacity were not meant to be exceeded? What if the repair leaves scar tissue that throbs for years? What if…

The mistrusting bunny trail of “what if” leads down a snake hole of death, marred by some previous pain and some hypothetical never-to-happen, slippery-slope lies.

The other image of growth though-what a powerful, peaceful, purposeful vision in which to reside!

The Hebrew word for growth is defined as sprouting, bringing forth, springing up. Oh what a beautiful image of spring renewal after a winter of dormancy. Soil softens with warm weather and life and beauty spring up revived, renewed. The same springing forth of vegetation in the Garden of Eden is used for righteousness springing forth in Isaiah 61, which is the lens for the remainder of this post.

The Soil

Our human hearts are the soil for spiritual growth, and the condition of our hearts influences the form that growth takes. Hardened hearts, like stone, require rending, hewing, scraping, like diamonds that are raw being refined. The process for growth becomes like the firing process of precious metals, fired to burn away the dross.

Soft hearts crumble like fresh soil giving way to the seed erupting with life, pressing through to bear flowers and fruit. Soft hearts mold like clay, formed into use by the master artist’s hands. Oh-yes-pottery also requires firing to become sturdy and useful, not crumbling and crashing at a breath of wind.

Both firings of metal and clay turn crude, mushy potential into beautiful, purposeful products. Likewise, our hearts are fired through circumstances that lead us into a winter season of rest and dormancy in preparation for vibrant spring growth.

I ask myself, “Do I trust my Maker to form me in seasons of growth or do I resist, failing to yield my will, forcing a firmer refinement process?” Then my prayer becomes, “God, keep my heart soft. Silence fear. Grow trust. Don’t leave me blind. Heal me from within.”

Repentance-Hebrew

Sometimes growing looks like letting go.

In The Red Fern Grows, the boy needed a raccoon skin, so he set a trap by boring a hole in a log, dropping a shiny washer in the bottom, and hammering nails in the side that would allow an open hand through, but a closed fist would not. He considered it very unsportsmanlike but used it so that he could train his dogs to help him hunt. When a raccoon saw the glistening metal, he slipped his hand through the nails and clutched it in his first. To escape, all it needed to do was open his hand, let go of the washer, and slip his hand back between the nails, but all night, it wrestled upward, inflicting pain by thrusting the nails into his fist.

How often are we like the raccoon, clinging to what is shiny, inflicting our own pain, caught in a trap of sin, placing our trust in ourselves, money, or other people. That washer at the bottom could be pride, materialism, addiction, gossip, any sin. And we wrestle with our own desires rather than relinquishing our hope in a shiny promise of nothingness, and we wait, caught in a trap of sin, for the world to consume us.

Letting go of sin and pride looks like letting go, changing our minds, repenting.

But what is this word repentance? Our world disdains admitting shortcomings and owning up to our sin. It attempts to redefine truth rather than repent. It clings to what is shiny and accuses the nails for our painful entrapment.

In Hebrew, the word for repentance means “to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted.” It involves sighing, regretting, and going another direction. As with Job, this repentance is often associated with dust and ashes (Job 42:6) Google ai overview explains this cultural practice: “Dust and ashes in repentance symbolize deep humility, mortality, and brokenness before God, highlighting human frailty and the need for divine mercy.”

This repentance, this sighing, this changing of the mind, is a crushing of self, an acknowledgment of human frailty, a desperation for our sovereign, righteous God.

Repentance-Greek

Repentance has an equally powerful meaning in the New Testament where Greek is used rather than Hebrew. Both languages contain nuances that are powerful in translation. Repentance involves changing one’s mind and thinking differently afterward. The roots, meta and noeō literally mean “with understanding”. These roots imply that a new understanding leads to a change of mind and a change of action.

John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus declaring “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 3:2). Likewise, when Jesus sent out the twelve disciples to teach and heal, “they went out and preached that people should repent” (Mark 6:12).

We are called to change our minds from our natural sinful nature as God’s kindness leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4) and righteousness in Christ.

Repentance into Growth

In my life, growing in God’s timing looks like: Grief, Repentance, Rebuilding, Renewal, and Sprouting up into an oak of righteous.

Though I have grieved countless friends who have entered the Kingdom ahead of me, I choose to change my mind away from the deception of sin, away from my own limited understanding. I choose to trust in God’s faithfulness, in His goodness, in His redemption, in His ability to transform what the enemy meant for evil into good. I choose to silence the lie that deep love leads to fruitless, permanent pain and marring.

Unlike the raccoon, I choose to open my fist that clenched shiny, fearful pride. I choose repentance so that I can grow in God’s timing.

I choose to love in spite of grief. I choose to love deeply because that growth is what Jesus calls me to.

PS. blueletterbible.org contains many resources that help us understand the Hebrew and Greek translations of the Bible.

We want to thank Mary Coleman for sharing this post.

I nearly said no to writing this blog. Why, you ask? Because this is an area of my life I have had to walk through at a pace that is anything but the pace at which I think it should be. Have you been there? It’s also an area I’ve had to walk through that has required healing and laying down bitterness, jealousy, and surrendering my desires to His. 

I think it’s safe to say that we all have an idea or dream in our mind of what we think adulthood will look like. Mine was this: grow up, graduate from high school, graduate from college with my degree, start my career, get married, buy our dream home, have children, live a white-picket-fence life that looks like it does in the movies. I thought I had it all figured out. Didn’t you, too?

As an only child I kinda sorta got most of the things I always wanted (shocker, I know). And I think it shaped my thoughts into thinking that’s how it would always be (until I matured and grew up some). So of course it came as a bit of a shock the older I got, that was absolutely not the case! LOL! I did graduate high school, I did go to college and get a degree, but got married halfway through. I never started the career I envisioned with the degree I got, we haven’t bought our “dream” home yet, we have 4 precious kiddos, and our life definitely doesn’t look exactly like it does in the movies. What all does that have to do with growing in God’s timing?

For me, it means I had to learn and believe that God’s timing is much better than mine. And choosing to surrender the control I thought I had to make my life look the way I thought it should. Ecclesiastes 3:11a says, “He has made everything appropriate in its time.” Isn’t that just so good? It brings such a peace to my heart knowing that His timing is perfect. His timing is always on time. 

Growing in God’s timing looks like contentment to me. Contentment in our home and stewarding well what the Lord has given us, even if it’s not like the houses the influencers have. Contentment in my jobs, even if it’s not working in radiology and doing ultrasounds like I thought it would be doing when I was deciding what to do when I grow up. Contentment in my family and how the Lord has blessed us in ways we couldn’t have dreamed up on our own. Contentment that we may not get to go on luxurious vacations all the time across the globe, but being together in whatever we do is enough. 

This reminds me of one of the episodes of the Chosen when the disciples are saying, “even if….. it would be enough.” In God’s timing I have grown to learn how much more peaceful life is when we truly let Him be in control, surrendering our mind, will, emotions, and desires to His. In God’s timing we are reaching the goals we have for our family. In God’s timing He will fulfill the desires of my heart, because as Pastor Anthony has shared over the last couple of months as we have been studying the book of Matthew, once we are truly in relationship with Jesus, our desires start to look more like His. And living in His will and His timing is the best place to be.  

We want to thank Paige Keller for sharing this post.

Hebrews 5:12 AMP – For though by this time you ought to be teachers [because of the time you have had to learn these truths], you actually need someone to teach you again the elementary principles of God’s word [from the beginning], and you have come to be continually in need of milk, not solid food.

But how could I understand this as a young girl? I did not grow up in a Christian home with Christian parents. My home was broken in so many ways. When I did start going to church in the 7^th grade, how could I understand what the Pastor was saying? It sounded like Greek to me. But the one thing I do remember about that time is that I heard about a man, Jesus, and I didn’t know why, but I fell in love with Him. I wanted to know Him more and more. But how do you learn about Him when you don’t know the bible, you didn’t grow up in the Word, and you don’t know what questions to ask? I just floated along in a sea of “what am I supposed to do?”

Hebrews 6:1 tells us: Therefore, let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about Christ, advancing on to maturity and perfection and spiritual completeness, without laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. 

How was I supposed to get past the elementary stage? Well, let me tell you. Because I stayed in this stage for many years. I was a baby Christian for way too long.

I now know that God’s timing is perfect. But as a baby Christian, I didn’t know about God’s timing, just mine and it was “I want it and I want it now.” Can you imagine how frustrating that was? The older I got the more confused and frustrated I became. I didn’t grow much because I wasn’t hearing much about God’s grace, so I was a works righteous Christian, trying to work for my salvation. I ended up walking away from church for a time because of my confusion. I used to say I walked away from God, but I know that He was with me always. I didn’t walk away from Him, He would not let me.

Colossians 1:9b-10 says: “We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God”

When I came to Harvest, I finally started “getting it”. It isn’t about me and what I do, it is all about Jesus and what He did for me. That man that I loved as a youth was always there for me. He led me through so much, even when I didn’t know He was there. I was growing slowly. Was this God’s timing? I sometimes think that God moved too slowly for me, but I know that I probably wouldn’t have learned as much in my own timing. I am too impatient. He had to take me back to the basics for me to fully understand and GROW. 

As I was praying about what to write, I heard a song. I have heard this song many times. It spoke to me and then I heard it again this morning and it really moved me. I will close with some of the lyrics, it is “Even if” by Mercy Me.

“They say it only takes a little faith to move a mountain.
Good thing a little faith is all I have right now.

But God when You choose to leave mountains unmovable.

Oh, give me the strength to be able to sing it is well with my soul.

I know You’re able and I know You can

save through the fire with Your mighty hand

but even if You don’t my hope is You alone.

I know the sorrow and I know the hurt

would all go away if You’d just say the word,

but even if You don’t my hope is You alone.  

You’ve been faithful, You’ve been good all of my days.
Jesus, I will cling to You, come what may.” 

I want to keep growing, no matter my age and I want to do all I can to help others to grow. And I want to praise God “Even if” He grows me in His timing and not my own. Some of the best advice I have for a new Christian is this: Don’t be afraid to ask questions, like I was. Reach out to someone!

Thank You Lord that You helped me grow in Your timing!

We want to thank Debbie Crosby for sharing this post.

I love springtime. The weather is lovely, and all of the flowers finally start to bloom. I particularly love the bulbous flowers that come back year after year – tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus, peonies. Spring is a glorious time, one that we tend to signify as growth. It ends the dormant season of winter, and new life springs forth. 

But without the dormant season, there would never be new life. 

There is a cycle to the life of these plants. Each spring they bloom, most of them only one time. The colorful petals last for a few days, a few weeks at best, and then all that remains are the leaves. Then, by first frost, even those are gone, and nothing remains to be seen of the plant. And yet, the plant is still alive and growing. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says that “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Everything includes our own growth. 

There have been many seasons in my own life, where I have felt dormant. Where my prayer life seemed stagnant, where worship felt like work. Seasons where I felt like I was faithfully showing up, doing what I had been taught to do, and yet, was seeing no fruit. 

Honestly, these seasons are hard. I find them frustrating. And yet, having lived to see the other side of several of these seasons, I now know just how rewarding they can be. 

Just as with the flowers that bloom every spring, there is a season for everything. The dormant season is good for the flower – it helps it to recharge, to heal and renew, and even to multiply. The same is true for us as God’s daughters. We were not created to constantly be putting off showy blooms. We too, need dormant seasons. 

It is in the dormant seasons, where I learned that showing up for my time with the Lord, just to show up, was worth it. His presence, was worth it.

In the dormant seasons, I’ve learned that the discipline of prayer – whether I felt like praying or not – became a delight. 

In the dormant seasons, I’ve learned that sitting in my secret place with my Savior leads to my sanctification. 

We see the same truth play out in the lives of many listed in scripture.

There was a season where Joseph was in the pit and the prison, before managing the palace. 

There was a season where Moses was hiding in Midian, being prepared to lead the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land.

There was a season where Ruth was a widow, gleaning in the fields – the foundation being laid to become an ancestor of Jesus. 

There was a season where David was simply a shepherd, learning to be a warrior and a king. 

There were 30 years of life on earth, where Jesus himself prepared and waited for a 3-year season of ministry. 

These seasons aren’t filled with beautiful blooms. But they are filled with growth. These seasons create in us the kind of growth that produces plants and people that last. The kind of people with deeply rooted faith, who carry light into the world, knowing that no matter what storm comes, their God is good. 

These dormant seasons create in us a steadfastness, an unwavering hope that enables us to stand alone for the truth when no one else will. 

These dormant seasons create in us the humility that it takes to love others through their dormant and painful seasons.

These seasons produce within us exactly what we each need so that when spring comes, we can do what God has called us to do.

If you find yourself in a dormant season today, do not look on it with disdain. Don’t allow yourself to become discouraged, but keep seeking Him. Whether it is a season of pain and suffering, or simply a season where you feel stagnant, the Lord is not surprised by it. Psalm 139:16 tells us that “Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.” God knew this season was coming, and He knows exactly the growth that is planned for this time. So just as the psalmist cries out in Psalm 31:14-15, we can say, “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.’ 15 My times are in your hand.”

You can trust in the Lord, even in this dormant season, because spring is coming. Continue showing up, sitting in the secret places with Him, and you will bloom again.

We want to thank Brooke Kellum for sharing this post.