Have you braced yourself?
I'm writing this after the insane wind storm we had on Sunday that came after that ugly rain in the morning. My daughter watched a chair fly across the street and smash into the side of a house. That was right around the same time that a neighbour's shingle hit my bedroom window. Yeah, not the prettiest of fall days.
It was quite a wake-up call after the record-breaking warm days we had. Winter is on the way and it has the potential to be one of the loneliest on record.
So I'm wondering, have you braced yourself?
Are you emotionally and spiritually prepared for the season ahead? Do you have the rhythms and disciplines in place that you're going to need in order to walk with grace and peace through the winter?
Let's do a check-in with our hearts and calendars this week and see where we need to be prepared to fight fear, anxiety, sadness, and apathy over the next few months. Like putting winter tires on your car, what is going to give you the best spiritual traction?
Ephesians 6:13-18 gives a great picture of what it means to "suit up" spiritually, to be ready for every season, every storm that comes our way.
"Put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."
So in these next few days, consider how prepared you are for what's next.
Are you in the habit of reading the Bible daily?
Do you consistently communicate with God in prayer?
Have you built time into your calendar for connecting and growing with other believers?
Are you confessing your sin and living rightly before God through Jesus?
Do you ask God to use you to share the hope, peace and freedom you have in Christ?
Are you finding rest and being restored in Him?
Take an inventory of your heart, mind and spirit as we head into the darkest days of the year (in a very literal sense!). Join me in asking the Holy Spirit to show you where you need to be more intentional so that we are ready for the season ahead... and the one after that!
Staying alert with you,
Pastor Tracy
This Sunday
THE NEW NORMAL
The New Prayer
Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.