Laura L. Smith
  • Home
  • Books
  • Blogs
  • Speaking
  • Contact Laura

THIS  FALL  LOOKS  DIFFERENT

10/5/2020

0 Comments

 
This is how we’re cheering for my sixteen-year old while she plays soccer this year. Yup. Through a fence. Because crowds aren’t super safe and bleachers are only so big and seating is incredibly limited—at some venues only one fan per player. And you know what? I am incredibly grateful. Because right now, she’s still getting to play. And not everyone is. And we didn’t know if she’d be able to, so for today, peering through a chain length fence feels like a ginormous blessing.
Picture
Soccer games through a fence? Different, but an image of God's faithfulness.
And this is how my son’s play practice looks—a small show with a limited cast instead of the splashy musical they’d planned on performing. Wearing masks on stage. Shorter rehearsals. Oh, and the show is going to be streamed. No live audiences. But wow! He gets to be in a play. His spring show was cancelled two weeks before the performances. His summer theatre was called off altogether. And my boy, who loves to act, gets to be with his fellow thespians, stand on that stage, slip into character, and act. Gift. Gift. Gift.

Life looks different. The rules seem to change every day. Our schedules and plans keep getting unended. But there is one thing we can count on—our everlasting God! As the prophet Isaiah explained to a weary nation, “Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying,“God has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”? Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? God doesn’t come and go. God lasts."
​

God lasts.
I love that. 
School looks different. Sports look different. Church looks different. But God? He is sturdy and strong. He is solid and never changing. I see Him at the soccer games, giving the precious gift of camaraderie and teamwork to the girls. I see Him in the theatre allowing His creative kids to use their gifts. I know we all didn’t get to do the things we wanted to do. Although high school sports are on, college sports are cancelled. My teen can act, but Broadway is closed. Even these things I'm grateful for today could be cancelled tomorrow. And God calls us to be thankful in ALL of it.

Paul instructs the Thessalonians, in 1 Thessalonians 5:27-28 Rejoice always,
 pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Is that always easy? No. I can’t begin to understand it all. But I know that God is working in those closed and cancelled spaces too. I’m not sure how, but I know He is. I know He is, because that’s the kind of God He is. A mighty God. A loving God. A faithful God. And for that I will rejoice and give Him thanks.
Picture
Play practice distanced and with masks? I'll take it. Thank you, Jesus.
God loves you and wants the best for you. Even if something looks stark, God wants to carry you through the challenges, set you back upright and help you soar. He’s a good good Father.

The prophet Isaiah continued by saying: 
He (the everlasting God) gives strength to the weary
 and increases the power of the weak.
 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint. –Isaiah 40:29-31
​

Yes, life looks different. Our world is changing. Some of those changes have been hard. But some of them are pretty great--less business travel as we realize Zoom is an easy way to meet, groceries we can conveniently pick up in the parking lot, and outdoor classes, meals, and meetings. I’ve loved breathing in so much fresh air!  But no matter how the world shifts and changes, God is constant. He does not change. He still loves His children (that’s all of us humans) and wants to shower us with gifts. Will we receive them? Will we even notice them? Will be take time to breathe them in? Will we thank Him?
Picture
Isaiah 40:28
When the uncertainty and shifting schedules tangle you up, make you anxious, or leave you exhausted, God wants to strengthen you. He’ll  give us power and energy to renew us. All we have to do is ask. Even though you might be weary? He’ll help you fly. We don’t have to do this on our own. We actually can’t. But if we reach out to God, put our hope in Him, He’ll help us soar.
​
God does not change. He is still good. He is still all powerful. He still loves you. He still has plans for you. He still forgives you. He’s still fighting for you. He will never leave you. Hold these truths in your heart today. This is something to be so thankful for! Look for the gifts our faithful God gives--they might be as simple as being able to watch your child do their thing through a fence. Breathe them in like the cool, crisp fall air, and let His love surround you.

For more inspiration find me on Facebook and Instagram

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Laura  L. Smith

    Subscribe

    * indicates required
    Email Format

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Advent
    Adventures
    Allergies
    Apples
    Back Packing
    Baggage
    Basketball
    Batman
    Beauty
    Believe
    Bible
    Blogging
    Book Reviews
    Books
    Braces
    Brandi Chastain
    Breast Cancer Awareness
    Cafeterias
    Celebrating
    Change
    Chocolate
    Christmas
    Coffee
    College
    Concert
    Contest
    Control
    Courage
    Created In God
    David And Golaith
    Disney
    Divergent
    Dreams
    Driving
    Easter
    Embracing Your Role
    Enjoying Life
    Europe
    Exercise
    Fall
    Family
    Farmer
    Fashion
    Fasting
    Fear
    Finding Your Place
    Fireworks
    Fishing
    Fixed By Force
    Fixer Upper
    Football
    Forgiveness
    Free Books
    Friendships
    Frozen
    George Clooney
    Getting Closer To God
    Getting Closer To God
    Gilmore Girls
    Goals
    God
    God\
    God Given Gifts
    God-given Gifts
    Golden Rule
    Good Friday
    Gospel
    Grace
    Graduation
    Grandma
    Growth
    Guys
    Hair
    Happiness
    Healing
    Health
    Heroes
    High School
    Holy Week
    Homecoming
    HOPE
    Hot Lunch
    Ides Of March
    Impact
    Inner Beauty
    Interviews
    Invisalines
    Isaiah 40
    It's Addicting
    Jason Bourne
    Jason Warne
    Jesus
    Journeys
    Joy
    Laughing
    Laundry
    Legos
    Lent
    Letting Go
    Life Lessons
    Light
    Listening
    Listening To God
    Love
    Luggage
    Magi
    Magic
    Magic Kingdom
    Mental Health
    Metro
    Miracles
    Moms
    Moon
    Moses
    Movies
    Music
    New Year
    New Year\
    Obedience
    Oliver Twist
    Pansies
    Patience
    Peace
    Perseverance
    Peter Walking On Water
    Pick Pockets
    Pink Bra
    Planning
    Playing By The Rules
    Playlist Fiction
    Popsicles
    Potential
    Praying
    Princess
    Princess Diaries
    Prize
    Promises
    Psalm 139
    Realigning Your Life
    Recipes
    Relationship
    Running
    Savor
    Seat Assignments
    Self Image
    Self-Image
    Self-image
    Sharing
    Shopping
    Snow Patrol
    Soccer
    Social Justice
    Social Media
    Sororities
    Spring
    Steroids
    Stories
    Straightening Out Your Life
    Strength
    Stretching To Hear God
    Subway
    Summer
    Summer Reading
    Superheroes
    Superman
    Swimsuits
    Tag
    Take Breaks
    Taking Time
    Teen Fiction
    Thankful
    Thessalonians
    The Thief Lord
    The Word
    Toads
    Tortoise
    Travel
    Trips
    True Reflection
    Trust
    Truth
    U2
    Unpacking
    Winter
    Wonder Woman
    Writing
    Yoga
    Zumba


Follow along with Laura:​

Photo used under Creative Commons from Narisa
  • Home
  • Books
  • Blogs
  • Speaking
  • Contact Laura