Hey, y’all!

Last spring when our world went crazy, I needed some beauty to help balance it out, so I planted some begonias outside my door. The blooms added a lovely pop of color, but unfortunately, they didn’t last. Clogged gutters over one side caused the flowers underneath to drown. And on the other side? Well ... I’m honestly not quite sure WHAT happened to those. Regardless, by the middle of the summer, they all looked quite pathetic and dead. In the months that followed, the soil washed away, and rocks came to the surface. Weeds began sprouting up where there had once been beauty.

This could describe so many of us right now. So many of us have allowed the beauty of our hearts and minds to be choked out by weeds of worry, discontent, anxiety, fear, etc. If there’s one thing this week’s reading has made me realize, it’s how very real and serious the battle actually is. But there is hope!

One Sunday about a month ago, I looked down outside and happened to notice something — a new, green sprout among the weeds. It looked like a baby begonia, but I knew it couldn’t possibly be. No way one of those flowers could have survived what I put it through last year. And yet ... there it was.

In the days that followed, I found another. And another! So far, five have come back, and two are already blooming. And that tells me something: Even when hope seems lost, there is still a God who restores and makes all things new.

It’s my job to nurture this new life He’s breathing back into the earth outside my door. It’s our job to do the same with the new life He’s breathing back into us. So as we wrap up this first week together, I invite you to do a hands-down/hands-up prayer.

First, hold your hands palm-up. Picture laying inside them all the ick and toxic thoughts that have filled your mind, and then pray with me:

Father, for far too long I’ve allowed my mind to travel freely down paths it was never meant to take. No good has come from it, though, and I’m tired of carrying this load. Today, I offer every last bit of it to You. All the worry, the fear, the anxiety, the wrongful thinking — all of it is Yours, Lord.

Turn your hands palm-down, and picture it all falling away. Then turn your hands up once more, and pray with me again:

Father, my hands are open, ready to receive from You. Fill me with all the good things You have and want for me: peace, love, joy, a sound mind. Thank You for everything You’re going to do in my life. Amen!

I’ll see you back in Week 6!

Stacy

Let’s Chat!

What are you letting go of today, and what are you ready to receive from God in its place?

Next Steps:

• Read Chapter 3 of Get Out of Your Head.
• Watch the Session 1 teaching video with Jennie Allen.
• Rest up and get ready for Week 2!

Last night on our P31 OBS Facebook page, we had Bible Study LIVE at the Table! We watched this video (above) together and then had a discussion around some of the questions found in the Study Guide. No Facebook? No problem! You can access this video here, even if you don't have an account!