Repentance is the single condition that opens the floodgates of God’s grace and mercy. Not who we are, not what we accomplish, and not the faith of our parents. It’s not just seeking forgiveness from God because we did something wrong; it’s a deep awareness of our brokenness and our need for a Savior.

Just under the surface of our smiles, many of us have stories we’d rather not share. Maybe it’s a decision from a long time ago that we wish we could redo, or maybe it just happened this morning. Parenthood has a way of stirring up stories from our past.

Sometimes just being with friends who are hurting is hard. You want to stay with them and comfort them, but the pain has a way of seeping quietly between people. For a woman who’s used to taking the lead, it can be challenging to be physically present with friends without giving advice. It’s hard when a fixer can’t fix it. We would rather lean into a solution because then we can call it a neat and tidy success.

I gave him a kiss as he walked in the door, and he leaned back to look at me, “What’s up around here lately? Something’s definitely different.” I hadn’t dared mention it, because I was pretty sure it wouldn’t stick. I hesitated, “What do you mean?” “Everything seems better like a weight’s been lifted.” And I smiled because I knew I was free.

Today was a pretty cool day. I made it through my 7th time reading through the Bible. God always shows me a little something new each time. Here’s what I know after finishing up this pass.

When people hurt me, I want to turn away. Who doesn’t? Most of us don’t WANT to stay in a situation where we’ve been hurt. And when we bump into people who’ve hurt us before, we’re not exactly delighted to see them.

FOR THE TIMES

You said too little

Or said too much

Something held you back

And the truth didn’t come out

You missed the opportunity

Or never even saw it

I take a deep pause when I’m singing aloud and get to the part that says I’ll never turn away from God, I’ll always praise, I’ll always remain steadfast. I mean I WANT to sing this at the top of my lungs, but can I? How can I know beyond a doubt that I will ALWAYS do this? I’ve let myself down before.

Sometimes palm trees aren’t planted by the water. Sometimes they’re living in a place where they don’t really belong. And for the most part, they thrive anyway. They might be surrounded by concrete with weeds popping through, or lining a drive nowhere near the salty breeze. And yet they thrive.

Goodness in the face of badness gets people's attention. It makes people stop and notice that your response wasn't measured in wrong, even though it would have been justified. I was a little wide-eyed when I first read Proverbs 25:21-22, where it says when we give good to our enemies, it's like we're pouring coals of fire on their heads.

If we've chosen to slide, we can also choose to put on the brakes. We can choose to turn, to adjust what we're doing, and change the direction we're going. Jesus knew that Peter would slide and He gently encouraged him.

It’s so easy to want to escape pain and problems. It’s normal for our spirit to feel pressed when trouble comes. Problems strain at destroying our trust in God. It’s normal. Even Jesus’ soul was troubled in the days leading up to the cross.