Devotions
from The Woods @Wanamaker
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Dear Church Family:
Devotions with Pastor Delinda: https://youtu.be/_6Yv0MriYe4 “Working together with Him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” (2 Cor. 6:1) Are you the type that typically has every little thing planned out, you have a schedule and you’re sticking to it. It’s all on a spreadsheet, mapped out and ready to go and we shall not veer from it. You like things in your house a certain way and notice when one little thing is out of place? Do you get riled up a little inside when the kids smear applesauce on the floor or table, or when the schedule at work changes, when your husband/wife loses their job, your relationship isn’t quite what it used to be and you don’t know how to fix it? When life starts spinning out of control and you feel like you don’t have a handle on anything, how do you react? I’m a bit of a control freak myself. I like things a particular way. Yes, I’m flexible and I’ll go with the flow, but there are certain things I really like to have going a certain way in my life. I learned a long time ago that I am not in control. Nothing like the mission field to show you that! I had no control over my finances, no idea where I’d live, I had no language training, I knew no one in the country, you name it and I had no idea about it. I had to let go and rely on God and control the only thing I knew I actually had control over...my attitudes and reactions to whatever came my way. I am in control of the way I react to the circumstances around me. Having kids has been another test of my control “issues”. Try as I might, I can’t stop them from licking the windows. I can't stop them from dumping EVERY SINGLE toy onto their bedroom floor and then spreading them into the living room immediately after we’ve picked them up. I can’t stop them from throwing a tantrum every time I have a Zoom meeting (but I can control the mute button on the mic.) And here we are again, I can’t control this virus, I can’t control the way others react to it. I can control my attitudes and actions surrounding it. In his book “Mornings with Oswald” Dr. Donald Minter said, “Sooner or later, every child trekking after the Serving King begins to recognize a descending amount of control over the circumstances encountered along the trek. The illusion of control, and yes, it is an illusion for those young enough to still bask in the fantasy of control, fades with each passing season. With the death of the illusion, a profound understanding begins to take shape, ushering in an ever-increasing understanding that God is a work in each and every circumstance, creating the opportunities for the grace of God to transform those touched by it, those wise enough to ‘work together with Him’ in bringing forth fruit worthy of the ‘grace’ you have been provided.” This is a season, and only a season. Let me remind you, you are in control of how you react to it. When the kids won’t do their homework, don’t understand it or are finding it hard to focus, you are in control of how you react to them. When your spouse isn’t holding up what you thought was their end of the bargain, you’re in control of how you react to it. When life slams you with more bills than you can pay, you’re in control of how you react to it. Control is an illusion. You can’t control those around you. You can’t control the current circumstances. Take advantage of this opportunity for the grace of God to transform you and work together with Him to bring forth fruit worthy of the grace He’s already given to you and give Him full control over your life! He’s got this! Keep on trekking! Let Jesus take the wheel! In His service, Pastor Delinda Update: We will continue to send the daily devotions emails in the mornings. We will be sending a separate e-mail out at 2:00 PM with any updates from the church on Mondays and Thursdays only. So be sure to check your e-mails on those days. If any of you have stories of how God has supplied your need, blessed you, or how you have ministered to those around you, please send them to the church's email and I will forward them on to Traci and Pastor Michael. We want to hear your God Stories! As we continue to live in these challenging days we still have the Hope that lies in knowing Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. Continue to use every opportunity to share this Hope which can only be found in Jesus Christ with those who may not know Him! If you are experiencing a spiritual need, or just need someone to talk to, our pastoral staff is here to help. You can contact any of our pastoral staff or you can also call the church office at 273-2248. It is being answered 24/7.
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AuthorNotes from the Staff @The Woods Archives
March 2023
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