And again….Lord, I Am Here

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” — 1 Samuel 3:9

Well, I can officially confirm…I have not adapted well to not working.

I make lists…and then ignore them.

I haven’t planned our family meals as much as I would like to these past weeks either. I look around at the end of some days and wonder what I actually accomplished. More than once I’ve asked myself,

“How did I work full-time and still manage to get all these things done?”

I thought life would slow down. Instead, it has simply changed.

It’s almost the middle of August, which means school is starting, our county fair is upon us, and somehow summer is slipping away faster than I’d like.

Maybe this season isn’t about doing more.

Maybe it’s about learning to be still, Psalm 46:20.

When Our Hearts Hold Both Joy and Sorrow

Today also happens to be our daughter’s 30th birthday.

I woke up in the middle of the night feeling sad.

Thirty years. A beautiful milestone for a beautiful young woman.

She is the daughter we prayed so hard for, asking God over and over to bless us with a child. He answered those prayers.

Yet we haven’t seen her in over two years. I grabbed this picture from her photographere’s page. She looks so pretty. 🥺

This morning I sent a simple birthday message.

“Happy 30th Birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day. I hope you have a great school year. I love you and miss you.”

That’s it.

Sometimes there isn’t anything left to say.

Sometimes all we can do is continue placing those we love into God’s hands.

So that’s where she remains—in His hands.

I continue to pray that He softens hearts, opens eyes, and allows those I love to experience His incredible grace and love.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:18

Reflection

Is there someone you’ve been carrying in your heart?

Instead of asking God to change them today, simply pray,

“Lord, help me trust You with someone I cannot control.”

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Watching Faith Take Root

There has also been so much to celebrate.

Our granddaughter is starting a new school this year—a private Christian school—and we couldn’t be happier for her. We were able to provide her with a Bible which we LOVE and so does she. 😍

This week we had lunch together (and yes…ice cream too!) before heading to visit her cows. She has worked incredibly hard preparing them for the fair.

Watching her is such a joy.

She is strong. She is responsible. She is beautiful.

And she is becoming a remarkable young woman.

Next year she’ll be part of FFA while continuing in her 4-H club. Double the fun!

As I’ve been studying 2 Thessalonians, these words keep coming back to me:

“Your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.”
2 Thessalonians 1:3

Paul celebrated believers whose faith continued growing even through difficult circumstances.

That’s my prayer for her.

I’ve often heard it said,

Faith is the root. Love is the fruit.

Roots grow quietly.

No one applauds roots.

But healthy roots eventually produce beautiful fruit.

My prayer is that her faith will continue to deepen and that God’s love will overflow into every part of her life.

Reflection

Who is one young person God has placed in your life?

Pray that their faith grows deep enough to withstand whatever this world places in front of them.

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Stewarding the Gift

I also had my annual check-up recently.

For the first time, my cholesterol was called out as something we’ll need to watch, with another appointment in six months. I actually looked back and this has been steadily increasing over the past 4 years without a Dr. addressing. Sigh.

I’ve always been grateful to say I take no medications, and my hope is to keep it that way if possible.

So I’ve been reading. Researching. Listening. Learning.

Trying to figure out what changes I can make.

It may mean more exercise.

It may mean saying goodbye—or at least “see you less often”—to two of my favorite foods:

Ice cream and cheese.

Pray for me. 😊 I know caring for my health isn’t just about avoiding medication. It’s about being a good steward of the body God has entrusted to me.

“Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit…”
1 Corinthians 6:19

Lord, I Am Here

As a follow-up from my last post, I have made some progress in reading Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer. And I love it! I will write a post specifically for this and hope to finish this weekend, so check back!

I do know, I want to hear Him. And, if I’m honest, I don’t think I’ve been the best listener lately.

I’ve allowed other priorities to move ahead of my daily time with God.

Not bad things. Just…other things. And maybe that’s why this season has felt a little unsettled.

I’ve been trying to organize my days when perhaps God has simply been inviting me to sit with Him.

Samuel didn’t know God’s voice at first either.

But once he understood, his response became one of the most beautiful prayers in Scripture:

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”
1 Samuel 3:9

Maybe that’s the prayer I need most right now.

Not… “Lord, tell me what’s next.” But… “Lord, I am here.”

Because before God calls us to our next assignment, He first calls us into His presence.

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My Priorities…Starting Today

So maybe I do need a list after all.

Just a much shorter one.

• Spend time in Scripture.
• Listen more than I speak.
• Trust God with what I cannot control.
• Care for the body He has given me.

That’s enough. Not because I’ll do it perfectly. But because every day is another opportunity to begin again.

This Week’s Invitation

Before reaching for your phone…

Before looking at your calendar…

Before starting your to-do list…

Take five quiet minutes with God.

Open His Word.

Sit in the silence.

And simply pray:

“Lord, I am here.”

You might be surprised to discover that He has been waiting there all along.

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Prayer

Father,

Thank You for meeting us in every season—the joyful ones, the painful ones, and the uncertain ones.

Teach us to trust You with the people we love, to celebrate the faith growing in those who come behind us, to care for the bodies You’ve given us, and to quiet the noise around us long enough to hear Your voice.

Forgive us for allowing busyness to become louder than Your presence.

Today we lay down our plans, our worries, and our expectations.

We simply come before You and say,

“Lord, I am here.”

Speak…Your servants are listening.

Amen.