Marydean Draws: trials

Showing posts with label trials. Show all posts

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy, never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it

Mount of Thy redeeming love

I don't know about you, but my heart easily gets out of tune. We've been in a long season of God doing something, but we're not sure what. I don't know when or how it will all end. Sometimes discouragement sets in. Self-pity. Hopelessness. Distraction. Sometimes I want to talk to God; sometimes I blame him for where we're at. Sometimes I'm okay; sometimes I'm not.

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Yesterday, I was reading Lysa Terkeurst's It's Not Supposed to be This Way,** and I was encouraged.

She writes, "And while I know in my head that God will somehow, someday turn all this around for good in my life, too, my heart isn't so sure some moments. The intensity of the pain gives me a propensity to doubt."

She suggests in these times when we're wrestling with unbelief that "we just have to make the choice to see Him and rightly attribute to Him the good that does exist. I truly believe what keeps us on the path of longsuffering instead of veering off in the dangerous direction of wallowing is to wake up with great expectation of these little reminders of God's goodness."

Remembering God's goodness is like regularly stopping to drink from a stream as you journey through the desert (Isaiah 43:19). It doesn't take away the desert's hardships, but it sustains you enough to keep going.

So yesterday I chose to count the goodness I could see:

the beautiful faces of my sweet girls

a little four-year-old hug around my thigh

the angled profile of my man

the original oil painting I splurged on last year

the warm spaghetti dinner the kids helped me make last night

the prayers and encouragement of my dear friend

Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it

Mount of Thy redeeming love

Not much changed externally, but God again tuned my heart to sing his praise and fixed me firmly on his love.

I'll need to be re-tuned again soon, I'm sure, but today I can keep going.

p.s. If you like this hymn, there's some original art and prints in the shop painted on this beautiful hymn and others as well.

**affiliate link. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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February 21, 2019

Tuning my heart

I don't know the season you're facing today. When it's not one thing, it's another, right? Waiting.
Despairing. Doubting. All the various kinds of suffering possible, and there are many.

The gospel writers don't skip around this reality: "For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too" (2 Cor. 1:5 ESV).

We may not be able to sort out all the intricacies of God's plans in our suffering, but we do know one clear goal: to be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (Jamess 1:2-4 ESV)

Honestly, I'm not really comfortable with this verse. If you're like me, I want to say: "That's really nice, God, that you want me to be perfect and complete, but I'm pretty happy with who I am and I just want to do cool stuff for you and be really useful in the Kingdom. Isn't that enough?"

Dallas Willard, in The Divine Conspiracy**, wrote something that has been rolling around in my head for a few weeks now. He lays out what it looks like to be an everyday apprentice of Jesus and then he says, "What they [apprentices of Jesus], and God, get out of their lifetime is chiefly the person they become."

The lesson for me in the last few years has been that who I am becoming is way more important to God than what I do. And that's not because His Kingdom and His work are less important than the kingdom of me. It's because my ministry in the church and in the world flows out of the person that I am in Him. That's just how effective ministry works.

The hard, internal work of conforming us to the image of Jesus--not just at the level of our actions, but down deep to the level of our thoughts, our emotions, our will, our reactions--is what God is committed to. It's what yields the spiritual fruit that changes the world and brings Him glory.

Now let's be honest here. Knowing this goal of God's doesn't make trials easier. In some seasons, every second of every day can feel pained. But, when we trust that even in this, that God is good and that He is for us and our good, then we can persevere in hope.

I hope this encourages you today. The screensavers below are to remind you of the good God is doing in you and then through you as you go out and be the person God has and is forming you to be.

You can download them be clicking on the images (one on Spanish and one in English) below and saving to your phone.

James 1:4 Bible verse screensaver from Marydean Draws

Santiago 1:4 Bible verse screensaver in Spanish

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February 6, 2019

God's goal for you + James 1:4 screensaver in English and Spanish

Sometimes it's hard to get on this blog and say encouraging things, whether from a place of my own personal trials or the ones I share with those I love.

And yet, the good news is still good.

I hear the Savior say,
"Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all."

It's hard for me to reconcile the goodness of God and pain. My tendency is to push God away and seek other comforts.

Lord, now indeed I find

Thy pow'r and Thine alone,

Can change the leper's spots

And melt the heart of stone.

We are reading through Exodus for Lent with our community group (with the She Reads Truth plan). Yesterday I read about how the Israelites "turned aside quickly out of the way that [God] commanded them" and made a golden calf in their impatience for Moses to return from his meet-up with God on the mountain. Maybe they longed for a quick-fix God they could touch and feel and understand completely, rather than a God they could both fear and love, who operated on his own timetable (Exodus 32:8).

That is so often me, quick to turn aside from a faithful and patient following.

God is jealous for his glory and for my heart. Over and over, the Bible tells me that He loves me and long to comfort me, longs to save, longs to quiet me with his love.

"The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing" (Zephaniah 3:17).

So, back to pain. Running from pain only keeps me from running from His love. Running for other comforts keeps my unquieted by his love.

"Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love" (Jonah 2:8).

And running from our sin, hiding in the shadows, keeps us running from His grace and unfailing mercy.

For nothing good have I
Where-by Thy grace to claim;
I'll wash my garments white

In the blood of Calv'ry's Lamb

As I read through Exodus, I'm again impressed at the details God put into the establishment and creation of the temple in Exodus, and the way it intricately foreshadows and sets up all He planned to do and complete in Christ.

And when, before the throne,
I stand in Him complete,
"Jesus died my soul to save,"
My lips shall still repeat.

The patient God who set all that up and orchestrated, down to the very day, our salvation, is the God who knows you and your days. All his promises are "yes" in Jesus. What good would he then withhold from you?

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11).

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

The coloring page I'm sharing today is made up of the intersection of the words of "Jesus Paid it all" (the hymn in italics above) by Elvina Hall and the Scriptures in 1 Peter 3:18 and 2 Corinthians 1:20 intersect. It works a little differently in Spanish (my friend Abby helped me figure it out), but the meaning is the same.

You can download your coloring pages by clicking the images below:

PRAYING the Word

God, forgive me from running from the comfort and grace I could find in you. Thank you that your love is never failing. Mine fails; yours doesn't. Make me a patient, enduring worshipper of only You. Keep me running for, not from, your comfort and your grace.

QUESTIONS to consider:

1. How about you? What do you do with your pain? Where do you go for comfort?
2. What does it mean to you that "all the promises of God find their Yes in [Jesus]" (2 Corinthians 1:20)?

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March 14, 2018

Pain, Good news, and an Easter Bible Verse Coloring Page in English + Spanish

"cloud of witnesses" printable Bible verse coloring page

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

My dad bought our family several missionary biographies for Christmas, and the girls chose to start with Amy Carmichael's story (we are reading this one--a great series for kids). Amy is an Irish women with a heart for bringing the hope of the Gospel to poor and neglected women. We just found out that Amy's poor health has send her back home instead of on her way to work with Hudson Taylor's China Inland Mission, to which she had clearly heard God's call. Little does she know that she will end up in India, working among the very people God has equipped her to reach with His love.

One benefit of reading Christian biographies is the opportunity to see a person's life from start to finish, to realize as you read about the struggles and confusion in Chapter 4, that God is preparing for something in Chapter 15.

Reading the life stories of saints who have gone before is one way to surround ourselves with that "great cloud of witnesses" available to us. Hudson Taylor. George Mueller. Adoniram Judson. C.S. Lewis. Elizabeth Elliot. Hannah Hurnard. Who would you add to this list?

They are in addition to the "great cloud of witnesses" from the Bible summarized for us in Hebrews 11:

whose faith and hope were more real than their circumstances

whose God was bigger than their enemies

whose reward was worth the cost

whose desires were bigger than this broken world

who trusted in God, not themselves, for their righteousness

who believed, even when God's timelines of promise was much farther out than was desirable

who despite many, and sometimes monumental, failures, were commended by God for their faith

We're not the first Jesus-follower to live this life of death and resurrection, of suffering and struggle.

You'll hear your voice in the Psalmist's cries and complaints. You'll see your broken way in the life stories of the faithful saints now in eternity.

I just started reading a collection of Puritan prayers called "TheValley of Vision" compiled by Arthur Bennet (this article gives a good explanation of how the book came about) to help me pray "meatier" prayers. What surprises me is that these prayers aren't antiquated or stuffy; they're passionate and spirit-filled; they're densely theological, but poetic. The publisher's website posts a daily prayer if you'd like to try them.

What do the cloud of witnesses have to say to you, their sister or brother? The writers of Hebrews says that Adam’s son Abel, "through his faith, though he died, still speaks" (11:4).

What is it that you need to hear from the multitude who have tried God and found Him faithful and good?

Today's printable Bible verse coloring page is from Hebrews 12:1. You can download your page HERE or by clicking on the image below!*

Bible verse coloring page "great cloud of witnesses" Hebrews 12:1

PRAYING the Word
Thank you Father that I am not alone! I have the constant warmth of your Spirit, I have my church family, and I have a cloud of witnesses surrounding me, encouraging me to throw of my sin, fix my eyes on Jesus, and run with endurance this race you've laid out for me. Help me avail myself of these great resources You have provided.

*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! Use for Bible studies, church groups or events, and Sunday school classes are all fine! If you're in doubt, I'm happy to answer any questions. All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. If you share this, you're awesome (!), and as a courtesy, please link back to this post and not the PDF file. Thank you!!

Scripture is from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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January 25, 2017

Surrounded by witnesses + a Hebrews 12:1 Bible verse coloring page

"Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!'" 8 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9 "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. 10 For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. "These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range through the whole earth." [Zechariah 4:6-10 ESV]

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. day here in the States. We're remembering the great task Dr. King felt called and equipped by God to do, the task that demanded his all. The right man in the right place at the right time.

I learned this week (from this account) that Dr. King was in Memphis when he was murdered only because there had just been a violent protest there. City sanitation workers were fed up of working conditions that were both sub-human and dangerous. Dr. King's policy was to always go back and stage a peaceful protest once there had been a violent one.

The night before his murder, he gave a speech at the Mason Temple in Memphis. Behind him, emblazened on a sign, was today's coloring page verse: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, Saith the LORD of HOSTS" (see image below).

Image: thecivilrightsmuseum.org

This verse is from Zechariah 4, an account of a vision of Zechariah, the prophet, containing a message for another man--Zerubbael--who was given the God-sized task of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem after the exile.

There was opposition to the project and much of the work probably seemed like "the day of small things," far removed from the glorious day the "top stone" would be set in place (4:10).

No wonder those in the middle of the Civil Rights movement found hope here.

Don't you think we can find hope here too, no matter the bigness or smallness of our calling?

Hope that accomplishment rests on the work of the Spirit, not our own strength.

Hope that mountains turn into plains before the LORD.

Hope that God, the Lord of hosts, with an army at His command, has His eyes on us (and the whole earth).

Hope that even small things can be built into SOMEthing bigger.

Between the days of small things and the day of the top stone, faithful work in the Spirit and unrelenting hope in the Lord of hosts will be required of us.

I need the reminder today that my task depends on my Jesus, not on me. He is up to it, though I am not. He is committed when I am ready to give up.

Today's printable Bible verse coloring page is from Zechariah 4:6(b). You can download your page HERE or by clicking on the image below!*

PRAYING the Word
We put all our hope in the power of your Spirit to do what you have called us to. We put no confidence in our flesh and our own abilities (Philippians 3:3; Psalm 71:5). Thank you that you are always faithful, always strong, always with us.

QUESTIONS to consider:

1. Do you feel like everything depends on you and what you can do? How does that feel?
2. Do you act as if everything depends on you? How has that worked out for you?
2. What do you need to hope in God for today?

Scripture is from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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January 16, 2017

Not by might + Zechariah 4:6 Bible Verse Coloring Page

James 1:4 Bible verse coloring page "let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing"

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." James 1:2-8 [ESV]

It's been one of those mini-seasons when everything feels hard--marriage, parenting, getting out of bed. Nothing bad is happening really, just our normal sin-bent selves playing bumper cars with other sin-bent selves. Collisions happen, especially in close quarters.

I don't always feel like this. So much depends on . . . hormones, chemicals in the brain, the weather, children's energy levels, napping or non-napping, and the state of my heart that's so easily affected by everything around me--from a news story to a social media post that makes me sad or reminiscent or insecure.

If you're a new reader, I'm a stay-at-home mom, a homeschooler, and a pretty solid introvert. I love people, my people, my church family, my friends. But that's only because Jesus has been working on my heart for a long time. Being around people a lot used to really grate on me and although much of that is gone, even now, Sunday mornings usually leave me drained. Social events call for a follow-up nap, and my normal days--well, they require a couple of hours of quiet in the evenings.

My choice to homeschool did not spring from my endless supply of patience for my children. To make our days work for us, we usually have mandatory rest time for at least an hour and a half in the middle of the day. The girls either nap or play in their rooms, usually while listening to a book on CD.

But right now the baby is taking a late second nap because he still takes a good morning nap, which allows us to get our read-alouds done. So we are all up until about three in the afternoon to ensure that everyone is down for rest time at the same time . . . and going that long without a break is draining me. We will probably need to make some kind of transition at some point, but this is where we are right now.

God has given me beautiful, creative children. One sings and talks her way through life with a vocabulary beyond her years. Another bounces constantly and knows how to make the other crazy. Another is just too sweet for words and has a love for dirt. I'm so blessed, but they drain me. I adore them, but they annoy me. I hold these contrasting truths in constant struggle.

Today, my mom, bless her, is spending the afternoon with my kids while I sit in this quiet office I have carved out in our laundry room. Mama bear in her cave, I say. And I'm typing out my heart.

In some ways I feel so unsuited for full-time motherhood, and especially homeschooling. Why would God call me to something SO HARD. While most of the time I feel confident that I heard God call me to this and that it's what He's prepared me to do, sometimes I wonder if we'd all be happier if I was doing something else.

But I think at the heart of my question is maybe a false assumption--if something is TOO HARD then it must not be God's will for me.

What is God's will for me anyway?

My pastor keeps repeating this verse as God's will for us: "Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24).

But that doesn't make a great motivational poster, does it? I'd prefer "Choose happy" or "Dream big, work hard" or "Darling, let's be adventurers." So much cuter than "take up your cross and follow me," right?

But we forgot Who is saying "come follow me." We forget that God is a Father, a loving Creator, a walk-alongside, Helper kind of God at the very same time that He is all-powerful and all-knowing. He is not oppressive. His plans are perfect, a banquet compared to our measly rice-and-beans dreams.

"And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:9-13

Do you notice that the "good gift" given in this verse is the Holy Spirit? Interesting. These verses seem to say that is what we should be asking for and seeking. That is, after all, Who I ultimately need, isn't it?

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." James 1:2-8

Did you catch God's will for you in the verses James wrote? My God's goal for me right now may not be my comfort. God's will for me is to persevere through situations that require my faith to grow and thus produce perseverance. He works towards my maturity and completion, so that I don't lack anything.

In my experience, the maturity that God has built in me has made my life so much easier on the other side of it. It's astounding to think that God knows my future and is preparing me for it right now, right here in my messy struggles.

It's also His will that I ask Him for wisdom in those situations, and it's His will to give it to me freely. He also offers me His Spirit, like He does for all who come to Him in repentance and faith in His Son. I'm not special in that way.

But I may be missing an important part of these verses--I have to ask. I have to seek out my God. It's not magic; it's just how a relationship works.

"My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." Proverbs 2:1-5

In my struggling, I have choices. In my pride, I can feel silly for struggling so much. I can condemn myself for not being stronger and bear a burden that Jesus already bore for me. A friend recently counseled us that we needn't stand as judge and jury over our feelings because they are just that--feelings that are a natural reaction to our world. Condemning myself doesn't change my feelings anyway; it just piles up more negative ones.

I could also attempt some kind of escape from my struggles. Quit, give up. This isn't really an option.

Or, I can call out for understanding and insight and wisdom from God. I can stand in full assurance of faith (not "double-minded and unstable") that God will give me what I need for today (James 1:8).

I have started to simplify my praying a bit lately and pray whatever Scripture I'm reading over the people in my life. So today's prayer is like this:

That in our struggles, we'd call out for the Holy Spirit.
That we would let God work in us so we can be mature and complete.
That we would call our for wisdom from God alone and that He would give it.

I know this has been a bit rambling today, but such is my heart. Thanks for sharing in it.

I'm sharing this Bible verse coloring page today as a reminder of God's work in you. You can download is HERE or by clicking the image below (usage below).*

Questions to ask about this verse (and James 1:2-8):

What is God's will for you from this verse?

How does He accomplish this plan for you?

What does God promise to give you when you ask Him?

*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. If you share this, you're awesome (!), and as a courtesy, please link back to this post and not the PDF file. Thank you!!

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March 3, 2016

Hard things, God's will + the perfect and complete Bible verse coloring page

Isn't "help" such a simple, but beautiful word? It brings encouragement and relief. It says "You're not alone. I'm in this with you." This week my husband unexpectedly came home early from work one day and announced that he had taken the rest of the afternoon off. He would get the kids down for rest time and I was free to take a nap or do whatever else I needed to do. Truly, it was a beautiful thing for a napper like me, a gift full of grace and refreshment.

That is not a daily experience, but do you know what is? The help of my God.

I wonder--how do we picture God's response to us when we need help? Do we picture His annoyance? His aloofness? His coldness to our struggles? Get it together kid. We've got things to do. Why can't you be more like your sister so-and-so?

I was illustrating through some Psalms recently and came across these verses about God and help:

"The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." Psalm 46:7

"As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!" Psalm 40:17

"For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am the one who helps you." Isaiah 41:13

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love;he will exult over you with loud singing." Zephaniah 3:17

"O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!" Psalm 71:12

I noticed a couple of thing about these verses as they relate to how God feels about helping us:

He is our GOD. He makes Himself available to us. In fact, He chooses to dwell in us.

He is our help. He Himself. Not a messenger, not a servant. His help is personal. He is "in your midst." He "takes thought" for you. He takes hold of your right hand and speaks the words you need to hear.

He says to come to Him boldly! Come before the God who rejoices over you and delights in showing you steadfast love and mercy (Micah 7:18). His love for you is so extravagant, it's almost embarrassing (the kind of love the older brother in Luke 15 despised in his father).

He longs to help us. I'm no perfect parent, but I delight in helping my children. I have one child who completely loses it when she gets injured. She runs straight past my open arms and up to her room for the comfort of her special blankie. This reminds me of the words Jesus spoke about His longing to care for His people who remained resistant and even antagonistic to His love:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" Luke 13:34

Just as a newborn baby grows in trust each time a parent responds to his cries, we learn increasing trust each time we cry out and God faithfully responds. This is the relationship God is calling us to throughout Scripture. Trust in me! Come to me! I do not fail!

I have experienced God's help over and over again from the smallest details of my life to the biggest, from how I'm going to manage a certain schedule of events on a given day, to the bigger challenges of raising children, loving my church family, and sustaining a marriage. I trust Him because He's so faithful and so attentive to me. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if I'm His favorite (but I'm sure you are too!).

There's one more application as we think about God's willingness to help that I don't want to miss. What does this mean for the way we respond to neediness in others? We have been blessed to be a blessing. If God so treats us, how are we to treat others?

Here are a few ideas of how that might look:

Be somewhere where you have the chance to be "in the midst" of neediness (our churches should be great places to start, also our jobs, schools, neighborhoods)
Don't run from neediness. Be willing to let it get awkward.
Be a safe person who can sympathize with weaknesses rather than judge them.
Take thought for others. Show that you are paying attention. Anticipate what they might need in case they have a hard time articulating those things.
Make your help personal.
Rejoice in showing undeserved mercy and kindness. Love deeply.

I don't do these well, but I want to grow! Neediness makes me nervous and the thought of what helping may cost me makes me uncomfortable.

For this I need God's help. And that puts me right back in the place I started, the place where God is ready to act.

Help me now, Jesus.

More thoughts on neediness here:

Tuning my heart

God's goal for you + James 1:4 screensaver in English and Spanish

Pain, Good news, and an Easter Bible Verse Coloring Page in English + Spanish

Surrounded by witnesses + a Hebrews 12:1 Bible verse coloring page

Not by might + Zechariah 4:6 Bible Verse Coloring Page

Hard things, God's will + the perfect and complete Bible verse coloring page

WHEN WEAK IS STRONG

RIGHT NOW COUNTS + FREE PRINTABLE!

THE SKILL OF BEING LOW

THE TRUTH ABOUT NEEDINESS

HOW I DEAL WITH DEPRESSING DAYS

Help me now, Jesus