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Brenda Bradford Ottinger

Encouraging Women to Live Rooted in the Sacred

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The Ministry of Hard Things

As the sun whispers its rise in the window behind me, I lay in bed praying for strength to start another day. All too many mornings lately seem to inherit yesterday’s tired spirit.

Begging the energy to put on my big girl slippers, I make the bed, brush my teeth, and wake my son as I head downstairs (all while chastising my taste buds for not liking coffee).

Grabbing my glass of decaf water, I shuffle toward the humble desk nestled in my kitchen’s corner.

Meanwhile, my closed computer taunts; a deadline looms, and my brain is playing hide-and-seek with words. Not wanting to be upstaged, my psyche joins in, whispering notions of inadequacy into my barely begun day.

Dear God, is it supposed to be this hard? Do others feel this tension between place and purpose, too? I’m so tired, yet I know You’ve given me these callings, and Lord, more than anything, I want to be found faithful by You. Please order this day for Yourself, I pray.

Tugging the ribbon that marks my spot in the ancient storyline I’ve been lost in for days, I pull my Bible near. All life’s noise knows it must stand in line behind God’s Word.

And there, fresh from the pages of antiquity, God met my sleepy spirit, speaking a new measure of perspective into my modern-day understanding.     …

Hey friend, I hope you’ll join the discussion over at
Proverbs 31 Ministries for the rest of the story of how the Lord
meets us in our Living-on-a-prayer moments as only He can.

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Comments

  1. Shannan says

    January 18, 2020 at 10:39 am

    I love your intro of the sun whispering in the window. This was a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

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A few projects I worked on this winter. (With a fe A few projects I worked on this winter. (With a few Easter shenanigans for good measure. 😊)
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What projects are you working on these days?
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Friend, are you like me & feeling a little disconn Friend, are you like me & feeling a little disconnected after these last two years of social distancing. If so, I understand. 💗
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In today’s devotion over at Proverbs 31 Ministries, I share of a time when I felt unknown by the community around me, as well as a current feeling of disconnection the last couple of socially-distanced years have brought.
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So thankful we have a God who knows us through-and-through, and who walks with us in every season of our lives. 🙌
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As we all begin to take awkward steps toward re-establishing in-person connections this year, May we never forget how very *known,* and *loved* by God we are.
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Oh, that we would find our greatest comfort & community in Him. 💗
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Head over to proverbs31.org to read the & join in on the conversation today. ✨
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In times of joy, times of grief, and every time be In times of joy, times of grief, and every time between—Oh, how we’ve lived in the goodness of God.
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Thank you, Lord, for surrounding our lives with Yourself.
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“As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, both now and forever.” Psalm 125:2 🙌
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Friend,I wonder if you’re like me in that, so of Friend,I wonder if you’re like me in that, so often I’d rather show up on the scene of everyday life after I have things figured out…after I have my stuff together.
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But, I’m learning that the Figuring-Out comes with the Showing-Up.
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For when we come as we are to the table of life, our place finds us.
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We need not concern ourselves with what others might say, nor worry about who seems more qualified than us.
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For we aren’t defined by anyone else’s standard of being. We are beautifully made for purpose—just as we are.
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Everyday, every year, every decade of life, we’ll grow. But may we not wait till we feel comfortable or confident or have it all figured out (as if) to step into the things God places on our hearts.
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For the beauty is in showing up & making much of Him.
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Good news, it’s not about us! 🙌
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Simply come as you are. 💗
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