I Blame My Parents

      This morning I sat down to do my devotions and I was reminded of my parents and how they have sought after the Lord every day of my life and for decades even before I was born. As humans, we are creatures of habit. We like routine and structure and we prioritize the things that we value each day, whether that be food, music, social media, getting dressed, preparing your family for the day, or spending time in the Word of God. Every morning my parents get up and my Dad reads and studies his Bible in the living room and my mom does the same in her study. They rest in the Lord, seeking Him for truth and wisdom, praying and being filled by Him and preparing for their day with their focus on God. They do this on every week day and weekend, when we’re at home, on vacation, and even when we’re backpacking and miles from civilization. When I was a kid, we would all sit together in the living room before school and do a devotional together. As I got older, my sisters and I all continued to start our days by seeking the Lord and reading the Bible each day individually.

     This routine has looked different for me in each country. In Honduras, I would wake up and spend the first 2 hours of my day reading and praying in my tent before emerging to the rest of the world and here in Panama I wake up a couple hours before my team, make myself breakfast and black tea, just like my mom, and sit down in the living room, just like my dad, and pray and read my Bible. I start my day with the Lord, because He renews and refreshes me each day and I love to spend time with Him. Lamentations 3:22-23 “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. ²³Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” I can step into the day reminded of His great love and mercy for me, and in turn I am more loving and gracious with others and myself.
     Each morning I pray and give all of my cares and worries to God. Rather than wrestle in anxiety,  I choose to trust God and pray instead. Psalm 5:3 “Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.” I also start my time with the Lord in gratitude, thanking Him for at least three things from the day before. This reminds me of His faithfulness and goodness and how deeply He loves and cares for me. Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need,  and thank him for all he has done. 7Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
     I know it can be hard to maintain the habit of spending time in the Word each day. At times I find myself wanting to sleep in or reading one Bible verse and trying to move forward with my day. It was harder for me to be diligent about spending quality time with God when I was rushing off to work or giving in and choosing to watch a show in the evenings when I was tired, instead of reaching for my Bible and finding rest and being refreshed by Him. So I understand that, and I know that I also felt more empty, tired, irritated, discontent, and lost every day that I didn’t prioritize my relationship with God. He loves us so much and He wants to spend time with us. He wants to give us rest. Matthew 11:28-30 “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²?Take my yoke upon you. Let my teach you,  because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³°For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
     I want to encourage you in whatever season of life you are in to read your Bible and start your days in prayer and Bible study. I know that God will meet you there. Matthew 7:8 “For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” If this feels overwhelming and like there isn’t enough time in the day, start by setting a 15 minute timer and just reading the Bible uninterrupted for 15 minutes – He’ll meet you there. I want to encourage you to read the Bible with your family, your children, your spouse or significant other, and on your own. If you’re interested in reading the Bible for yourself and don’t own one, let me know. I’d love to gift you one! If you don’t know where to start reading, I’d recommend the book of John. I challenge you to try it for the next 15 days, and I bet you’ll notice a difference in your life.
    Proverbs 22:6 says, “Direct your children unto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” And so, I blame my parents for this life-changing habit. But really I thank them for teaching me each day of my life how to seek after the Lord, because I have found incredible freedom, joy, rest, peace, hope, and salvation through the Lord. My hope and prayer is that you will as well! I love you all and am praying for you. Let me know how it goes for you, if you need a Bible, and any questions you have along the way!