Creating Rivers in the Dry Wasteland [Day 10]
By Amy Carlsen
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19 NLT)
I recently experienced the feelings of restlessness and frustration from a long day indoors and a brain overwhelmed by technology. I felt the need to unplug, but I failed to think of something to do that would interest me. Suddenly, I decided to do something that I never do… bake! I surprisingly felt inspired to attempt my Italian grandfather’s pizzelle (cookie) recipe that I always enjoyed as a little girl. I thought, “This could be a new family tradition!”
In a hurry, I started to crack and whisk the eggs, add the flour, sugar, and butter, and then the reality set in. I began rummaging through my pantry for vanilla extract, baking powder, and anise (which I thought I had), but soon realized I was missing all of those key ingredients. My husband and mother doubted me, insisting there was no chance I could proceed with making the recipe. It was late at night, and nobody wanted to make a special trip to the grocery store. I felt discouraged but proceeded to make the “alternative” batter and pour it into (what I thought was) our pizzelle iron. When the first batch was done, it appeared to be a spongy waffle instead of a light, crispy cookie. My husband then reminded me that I was using a waffle iron, not a pizzelle iron! UGH! From an observer’s perspective, one might ask, “Could this get ANY worse? This is a disaster! What good could come of this?”
Many of us may be feeling this way about all of our crushed dreams and disrupted plans due to the COVID-19 outbreak and quarantine. One bad thing happening after another, snowballing on top of each other. More heartbreaking news. More hopes getting let down.
We have all heard of the common phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” Well, I believe God is calling us to a similar mentality in this season. It’s biblical! The Lord promised His people of Israel that He would create something new: a pathway through the wilderness and rivers in the dry wasteland (Isaiah 43:19). God also promised in Isaiah 61:3, “To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.”
Even though the cookies did not turn out like I had expected, I was able to find joy in the process of experiencing something new, making a memory, and persevering in the midst of adversity. God gave me waffles instead of cookies like I had planned, but they were still tasty and satisfied my pregnancy craving (especially with raspberries and whipped cream on top)!
God promises to satisfy us, even though it may look different than we expect.
This week, have an expectation for God’s goodness, but don’t expect Him to adhere to the rigid recipe that you’ve created for Him to follow! Open your heart and mind to receive His gifts in whatever package He decides to deliver them in.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for the good plans You have for my life. Help me to surrender the details of my life to You and let You lead me one step at a time. I trust that You will satisfy my every need more than I could ever imagine. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Becoming Attracted to What is Healthy for Us [Day 9]
By Christian St. Jacques
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3 NIV)
It takes deliberate time and energy to understand what patterns in both our deeds and relationships are healthy (and unhealthy) for us.
As I grew up as a child, there were many unhealthy patterns born out of family dysfunction that I experienced and rationalized as normal. They were often false experiences of love. When I was exposed to functional, familial, or relational dynamics, I was often uncomfortable and would sometimes resent the experience, projecting it upon others. Even after I accepted Christ, it took the patience of spiritual mentors, healing counselors, and my wife to break through my resistance—to perceive and receive what healthy, secure love could look and feel like.
It's not uncommon for many of us to get drawn back into past wounds or sufferings, allowing that to be a fixed cornerstone of our identity. Sometimes we might subconsciously seek the familiarity of past dysfunctions to try to heal without having the tools or self-awareness (let alone healthy partnerships) to actually move through the healing work. Instead, we are found in painful dynamics that result in unpleasant outcomes for both ourselves and others. This reinforces false evidence that we aren't worthy of respect or love, or deserving to be treated well and with dignity.
Christ, our real cornerstone, came to heal the wounds of the brokenhearted. Without a doubt, we must grow in health and healing by the nature of our relationship to Christ, knowing that our friends, spouses, partners, mentors, teachers, and so on also adequately reflect that inward experience. That is not to say we expect human relationships to be perfect models of Jesus; as imperfect vessels themselves, they are operating under the same need for grace, healing, and forgiveness as we are. What is essential is that our relationship with God and ourselves imbues a growing ability to identify and commit to what healthy love looks like. Also, we need to know to reject and walk away from false, unhealthy love patterns and relationships.
Consider this: Does my experience of God's love and healing reflect in healthy patterns of relationship to myself and others? Do I have a clear understanding of both emotional and spiritual health? Am I attracted to healthy models of love and connection? Am I confident in what that looks like and feels like?
Moving forward today, say this to yourself: “I am deserving of healthy love. I am receiving, not earning, God's love for me. I am committed to pursuing healthy, honorable relationships that propel us forward in our purpose and sense of belonging.”
Prayer
Father God, You are the very essence of healthy, safe, secure love and attachment. I pray that You would help me to receive and give love in a way that is honoring to both myself and others. I pray that You would give me the eyes to see what emotionally healthy love should look like and feel like. Grant me the grace and awareness to open up areas of my heart that need more profound healing to see what that love is and to expect it. Dear Jesus, my relationship with You is the embodiment of my self-worth. Help me live out that self-worth as a measure of service to myself and others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
The Power of Weakness [Day 8]
By Sarah Lackenbauer
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NIV)
In high school, everyone in my youth group was asked to select a life verse. I chose this one because at the time I had just been saved after a heavy year of dangerous depression and was finding joy in life with Christ. What I didn’t realize, however, was how this selection of God’s Word actually chose me. Throughout my life, I have—like many of us—gone through several hard things. Each time I faced a new season of pain, I—like every flawed human might—started the process by trying to fight it myself. “If I could just control this thing, everything will get fixed” might be a familiar phrase. But every time, I fell on my face. Literally. In college I was facing an unknown illness and fainted several times when no one was around and had to wait for help to get back to my bed from the hallway or bathroom. It has only ever been when I finally let go of my control issues and asked God to enter into my weakness, fear, pain, and doubt that I’ve been able to get back up. Typically the thought comes to me that God’s always been right there when I was just facing away, and it feels like a new revelation even though it’s happened SO MANY TIMES. After my brother died, I was so angry and avoided church for months because of the awkwardness in my youth group. It wasn’t until I went back to church in the main sanctuary that I heard the song “You Never Let Go” by Matt Redmond, and it brought me to snot-level tears remembering that when I’m weak, God is with me and strong for me, and I can keep on.
Life is hard, especially during the uncertainty of COVID-19. Things can get heavy to carry emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We can walk through this season and find some levity with the gifts we’ve been given, but that is only the beginning of how much our God is capable of! God is strong when we aren’t because when we open up about our struggles, His power can be seen through us while He also helps us. Our weakness magnifies the Lord through our testimony, and we are called to boast in our weaknesses, in the ways we need Him. Like a candle burning inside a broken mug, the light shines through the cracks and lights up more of the room than before.
Think back to a season of struggle in your life. How did God work in that situation to bring you out of the darkness? Think about another struggle. Now another. How many times has God been there holding you up when you’re weak? How many times has God’s name been lifted up through that part of your story? Like the song “Do It Again” by Elevation Worship, we’ve seen God do it before, and we’ve got to believe that He will do it again. Thank God for our weakness!
Prayer
God, You created the stars and put them in the sky just so that we could enjoy them. Glorious is Your name! Your kingdom is wondrous. We thank You for Your work in our lives here on earth, and we pray that we would be doers of Your Word to bring that kingdom here. Jesus, give us Your strength as we face today and all that it brings. Guide us to You and away from our own desires. Spirit, heal our hearts from the wounds of past hurts, and help us to forgive those who hurt us, just as You’ve forgiven us. Deliver us from the evils of this world and the need to control everything around us. You are the God of strength, grace, and glory. May we glorify Your name by telling of Your power in our weaknesses forever. Amen.
God’s Goodness in Generosity [Day 7]
By Carmen Reese
And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. (2 Corinthians 8:1-4 NIV)
I really love this passage! I have experienced the goodness of God in lack and plenty. In life I have had an abundance, and I have also had very little. Having experienced both, I have seen the goodness and generosity of God.
Our family motto evolved from these times: “We are the Reeses. We love Jesus; we are His hands in action; we are kind; we are generous and look out for the lonely.” Boy, have we experienced these in unexpected ways. God brings opportunities to be generous into my everyday circumstances, and it has given me so much joy!
In the past week, I’ve seen the beauty of Jesus displayed. I was going to the grocery store, and I saw a woman drive erratically into the parking lot. She nearly hit me, and when she jumped out of her car, at that moment I noticed her distress. I quickly got out of my car to see if she was okay. She pulled out a limp, blue baby. It became evident that the child had been choking and was no longer breathing. I immediately prayed with her, and the baby came back to life. We both cried. I stayed with her until she was calm enough to drive. “Now that was the goodness of God,” I thought, “always generous, always merciful.”
With all the misery brought on by the coronavirus, we then began praying about ways to help families in need. The very next day it was announced that our Kalos community was seeking volunteers to help a family in need. I was so excited to see how quickly God answered that prayer!
All this to say, God has lavished us. It is a joy to pay it forward. Generosity is not about what we have or don’t have. It’s about giving what we do have--our time, talent, words of encouragement, and prayers.
Prayer
Father, please help us to live a lifestyle of generosity and help us see the needs around us. Thank You for Your provision so that those of us who have more (or little) will give to one another and that none would lack in our community. In Jesus’ name, amen.
The Power of Prayer [Day 6]
By Ty Hansen
Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. (Acts 12:5 NKJV)
Because we care, sometimes the people closest to us can be the largest source of pain in our lives. For over a decade, someone close to me struggled with mental health issues, which caused a significant amount of misunderstanding and relational conflict. During get-togethers, it was common for this person to yell and leave abruptly out of frustration and anger.
Today I am proud and joyous to write that this person is the healthiest they have been in their life. They have a sound mind, show interest in others, and exhibit empathy to those in need. I praise God not only for healing and deliverance, but also for the beauty of reconciling relationships.
In Acts 12, Peter was arrested, imprisoned, and guarded by sixteen soldiers. The outcome for Peter’s release looked grim as the apostle James was also imprisoned and killed prior to Peter’s arrest. The church responded by praying constantly to God for Peter. The night before the trial, Peter was miraculously freed by the Lord. When freedom looked impossible, God—our Deliverer—broke the chains.
God sets the captive free. There is power when the church prays.
As you have read this isolational, does someone come to mind? I encourage you to take 15 seconds to pause and ask God if there’s someone in your life who is captive. Sometimes praying for those close to us can be difficult to do alone. What can be helpful is to invite a person you trust to join you in prayer. Another great option is to share your prayer request with our amazing Kalos Prayer Team.
Prayer
Lord, we thank You for being a God of love and a God who brings freedom to those held captive. We ask that You bring freedom to ____________. We ask for healing for _____________. And we ask for reconciliation of relationships between ______________. Thank You, Lord, for hearing us. We love You, God! In the name of Your Son Jesus, amen.
The Little Things Make a Big Difference! [Day 5]
By Emmy Chan
Sweet friendships refresh the soul and awaken our hearts with joy, for good friends are like the anointing oil that yields the fragrant incense of God’s presence. (Proverbs 27:9 TPT)
Just a few months ago, I reached out to one of my friends and asked if she wanted to attend a little pop-up museum in Seattle where we could take pictures with all kinds of goofy props such as a giant pair of chopsticks and sushi pillows! I was so excited, but for a while I actually didn’t hear anything back from her. Negative thoughts immediately started to rush in: “She isn’t saying anything back because she has more exciting things to do with other people.” “You reach out too much and she is getting tired of it.”
But we did end up going to the pop-up museum and took so many pictures together. We laughed, walked around the city at night seeing all the pretty lights, and satisfied our late-night munchies at a McDonald’s. But even through all that, a small part of me still repeated those negative thoughts from before.
As we were about to get on the bus to head back to the transit center, to my surprise she handed me a small pink envelope. I opened it, and she had made me a handmade keychain with a note inside in which she wrote, “Thank you for being my friend.” She went on to explain that she had been so busy and tired from her nursing job, especially since she was transitioning to a new position that took her from working night shifts to day shifts. It was actually the act of me inviting her to do something fun that helped make things better—helped her laugh, enjoy the day, and have the freedom to be herself. Her act of kindness also made my day, and I still keep the note in my wallet to this day!
Friendships are beautiful because we can make a difference in people’s lives. And one of the best parts is that we make these friendships so wonderful just by being ourselves! You have something to offer to friends old and new, and it can be something as little or simple as setting up a day to spend together or writing a note.
Send someone a text to ask how their day is going. If you’re scrolling through social media and see a video that reminds you of a friend, try sharing it with them. It may seem like an everyday thing to do, but your act of friendship could mean the world to them. It may not be easy to think like this either, and no worries because I’m still working on it, too. We can be in this together!
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for the gift of friendship. I ask for Your wisdom to understand the gifts I bring to these people in my life and to understand that, no matter big or small, each one makes a difference in the lives of those around us. I also pray that the friends I have now and the new ones to come are safe and healthy during this time. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.
What You See Depends on Where You Look [Day 4]
By Sam Lundberg
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? … So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
(Matthew 6:25-27,34 NLT)
In a hyper-connected society like ours, it is easy to feel anxious. 24/7 news access, minute-by-minute updates, and constant speculation sprawled across our social media feeds can make it feel like all the bad and dangerous things across the world are sitting in our living rooms with us.
A few years ago, I went through a period of anxiety and panic that had me fighting waves of adrenaline in places like classrooms and movie theaters, and catastrophizing ordinary noises like lawn mowers and big trucks. It felt like fear had picked the lock on my brain and taken up residence. Ironically, I was in graduate school for counseling at the time, and we spent long hours reviewing the sources and symptoms of the very panic I was experiencing. I will never forget when my professor spoke this set of words: “There is no anxiety in the present.”
It profoundly changed my thinking to realize that worry and anxiety always deal with the “far away” or the “not yet”; they are the anticipation of, and not the tangible experience of, something we want to avoid. When Jesus asks, “Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”, He illuminates the futility of spending our brain space in that faraway place, and encourages us to instead bring our focus to the present.
In the world of counseling, we call this mindfulness: the practice of bringing your attention and awareness to the right here, right now. I think it’s no coincidence that the very thing Jesus asks us to do (“Look at the birds in the air…”) is that very practice of mindfulness, which has been shown to decrease anxiety and improve mental wellness. Jesus challenges us to put aside our concerns for the future and pay attention to the good gifts around us in the present.
So here is a challenge for you: go for a walk around your neighborhood (government-recommended and social distancing-approved!). As an added challenge, don’t bring your phone. As an act of your will—focus is a muscle that requires exercising—put aside your worries and move your attention to the birds of the air, the flowers in full, vibrant April bloom, and the breeze on your skin. Consider what you can see, hear, smell, and feel right where you are. Thank God for these gifts and others present in your life today.
Prayer
Father, You are a good and faithful God, and You take care of Your children. Thank You for Your provision in my life. Would You help me to turn from my worries about the far away and not yet, and strengthen my focus on the goodness of right here, right now? Thank You, and in Jesus’ name, amen.
God Wants You to Make Something! [Day 3]
By Tory Carlsen
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters… “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blesses them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:1-2, 26-31 ESV)
It was my first internship out of college. We took a personality test as a part of the corporate onboarding process. I was really interested in my results, until I got to the section that said something to the effect of “Tory likely has a lot of ideas, and rarely sees them through all the way to completion.” Playing that memory back in my mind is like a dagger in my heart, even years later. It fit right into a string of negative thoughts that led me right to the belief that I shouldn’t try to make an impact: because I’ll never finish the songs I start writing, I’ll let down the teams that I lead, I’ll never be able to bring my ideas to fruition, and I don’t have what it takes—so why bother? I wrote myself off as an idealist with big dreams who didn’t have the ability to execute. Thinking I couldn’t make an impact led to the existential dread and imposter syndrome that follow many of us.
After years of small wins building up, I’ve grown to reject that line of thinking. Creativity is no longer just the start of the process, and there no longer needs to be a finite end. Life is an ongoing improvement project—a series of releases and improvements with tangible goals, steps, and outcomes along the way. As my confidence has increased, so has my sense of purpose. Whereas the devil would have me sitting on the sidelines, God wants to put me into the game so that I can help advance His kingdom.
God created man and woman in His own likeness. This means that we have the likeness of a Creator! The first thing God did in the Bible was take a formless world and shape it into something new. It is therefore natural and fundamental that God expects humans to create!
Creativity is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit, for a lot of different applications, so I think it is helpful to refresh our definition. Are only artists creative? Is this something reserved only for the elite? According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, the definition of creativity is quite simple: “the ability to create.” Creating just means to make something!
I love these definitions. Do you know what this means? We are all creative creators, just like the God whose likeness we were made in! Even if you make yourself dinner or make your bed, you fit the definition!
Dispel the negative thoughts in your head that hold you back. God doesn’t care if it’s been done before. He desires excellence, but He doesn’t need you to be perfect. He could have taken care of the earth, but He made Adam and Eve His partners in stewarding the world and naming the animals because when we fulfill our God-intended nature, we feel fulfilled.
Life has been disrupted for all of us during this time. Whether you are living in chaos because you are in a field that is needed more than ever, or if you have found yourself suddenly with a lot more free time, either can be fertile soil for creating something that outlasts this situation.
This week, make one thing.
Make a new meal you’ve never tried. Start a plan to help those in your community. Make a design for a new device. Come up with an idea or two to improve a process at work (rather than just being annoyed by what’s broken!). Build a Rube Goldberg machine. Make a song. Make a card for a friend. Draw something. Write something. Tell a story.
Don’t overwhelm yourself by biting off more than you can chew. Start by aiming for a small win and just make anything! Maybe instead of writing a whole song, you write the chorus. Maybe instead of that book you want to write, start with a paragraph. Once you gain momentum, I think you’ll see that a routine of creativity in your life can brighten your entire outlook. All the while, God will be shaping you as you are following His lead to shape the world around you.
Prayer
Lord, I thank You for partnering with humanity in Your creation and giving us meaning in this world. Please guide me this week as I lean into Your calling to create something. I want the work of my hands to bring You glory and praise. Your creation is so excellent. Thank You for the inspiration brought forth to us as we observe the natural world around us—quantifying creation’s complexity through science, indulging in the lush soundscape available to us because You allowed for the vibrations to process through our ears to our brains in an appealing way, tasting the wide flavor palette that Your creations grow, and taking in the scenic beauty of nature. In Jesus’ name, amen.