Heart & Mind

I have not been sleeping well the last couple of nights. Too much caffeine during the day, too many pages and phone calls to my husband during call night (10+ between the hours of 10pm and 6am). As a result I was simply exhausted last night. My mind did not feel clear enough to write responsibly :-) so I opted to just go to bed. I almost posted this verse alone, because it has been coming to mind a lot in the last few days.

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me... Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. Phil 4:8-9 The MSG

This morning I awoke to a very serious email from a friend facing life or death medical decisions regarding someone she loves dearly. This was the kind of e-mail that changes everything. I can only imagine how my friend feels in the center of this storm. It is not my story to tell. Yet, suddenly this verse came flooding back to mind.

All the worry in the world isn't going to change her situation. The sick feeling in my stomach should be a prompt to pray not to call friends and talk about all the worst case scenarios. ("Go to the throne before the phone", my friend calls it.)

Our hearts and minds are intricately linked. I am reminded to fill my heart and mind with the promises of God ALL THE TIME--good times, especially. So that when the hard seasons invariably come, my default position will be to remember WHO God is and that He is absolutely worthy of my praise, worship and trust.

Our Almighty Father is in charge. He has a plan. None of this caught Him off guard. Ours is to submit to His Will, trust Him fully, pray expectantly and hold on.