It was 11 a.m. on Saturday morning. I was at work, hungry, and ready for a break to rest my legs and get some breakfast. I clocked out and filled my plate with goodies from the buffet: eggs, sausage, fruit, and coffee cake. I found a spot, and, bowing my head, said a quick prayer, thanking God for the food. A few minutes later, I felt a light touch on my shoulder and found myself looking into the face of a woman. She was an older lady and her eyes were soft and full of tears. She leaned down and said to me earnestly, “I just wanted to tell you that I noticed you praying before your meal. I have had a very hard morning and seeing you pray reminded me what I need to be doing right now.” I can’t remember what else she said, but I remember saying “praise the Lord!” and hugging her. She kissed me softly on the cheek and then left the restaurant with her husband. I wish I would have told her a hundred things, but I know it happened exactly as God planned it. It was a kingdom moment, my friends.

And let me tell you also – it was humbling. I praise God for using me to bless this woman, but I also think God used that situation to bring something to the forefront of my mind: I began to think about the times I sit down to a meal by myself (whether at school, home, or work) and forget to pray. I just…don’t. It is so important to acknowledge and praise the Provider of all good things. I think this ties into the fact that if we make a point to live in thankfulness instead of discontentment, no matter the circumstances, we will be blessed. We must look back and remember the faithfulness of the Lord. I was recently challenged by this article from desiring God titled, “We Complain Because We Forget.” I’d encourage you to take a moment and read it.

After reading that article, I realized again that I am undeserving. I so often forget the goodness of my Lord, failing to see the abundance of His grace in my life and focusing in on what I don’t have. When the days get long and I am overwhelmed, I lose sight of the cross and become frustrated and forgetful. But…the Lord reigns still. And He reigns in every moment, in every one of the tiniest details of my life. He has taken my brokenness and is making something beautiful. I need only to rest under His fingers and be molded by His loving hands. To move forward in faith and to trust that His grace will meet me.

Life these days is beautiful, filled with so many incredible blessings, as I mentioned in the last post. But will life always be as comfortable as it is right now in this second? No. But will God’s grace be there to meet me on those days when it gets hard? Most assuredly. And that is what I am banking on today. That is where my satisfaction will stem from. That is truly where I can anchor my drifting mind and soul and body: to the hand of God in Christ Jesus. And I will never be disappointed. I will always be filled. I will always be IN. HIM. As we worship our risen Savior, let’s take a moment to remember the suffering of Jesus on our behalf, the story of redemption God is writing in our lives, and that our biggest problems in life have been solved. We are in Christ. And that, my friends, is the most blessed, most exciting, and most glorious place to be.

Oh to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let your goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart Lord,
Take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above