Megan Byrd

Writer

faith

Choosing God’s Rhythm for Our Days

A pitcher of milk and a jar of honey

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Ps. 90:17 NIV)

There are seasons when we feel like we’re soaring gracefully through our days. We’re able to accomplish everything that’s needed. We have strong connections with family and friends. We feel God’s hand in our lives, paving the way and opening doors.

There are also seasons when it feels like our bodies are repeatedly slamming into brick walls. Plans fall apart. Relationships feel stilted or fractured. Nothing we do seems to be enough. All God seems to be saying is “No” or, worse, nothing at all.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who wishes they could stay on the smooth and breezy path. When life starts to get rocky, I tend to grow frustrated and weary. My inner perfectionist tells me there’s something wrong with me that’s the cause of all of my tribulations. I forget about the rhythms of life and get impatient with myself when things are not happening on the timeline I think they should. Often, it’s a timeline from someone else’s life, and I believe that my path must match theirs or I’m failing.

I need a constant reminder to be patient with myself. I looked online for reassuring quotes about patience, and the most popular one says, “Be patient with yourself; nothing in nature blooms all year.” The words comforted me. God didn’t create anything to go full-tilt all day, every day. Some animals hibernate. Plants go dormant. Every living thing requires sleep (although I learned that dolphins can sleep half of their brain at a time in order to swim continuously, which is fascinating).

My life circumstances aren’t constant. There are times when I can produce a lot of work and activity and other times when I require more rest and down time. I know this, yet I struggle with allowing myself periods of rest and rejuvenation.

When I turn to the Bible, I’m reminded that I don’t have to work so hard or try to live on someone else’s timeline. God will work out the things he wants me to do in the proper time and manner. What I need to do is draw near to God and allow him to show me what is necessary. Let him determine the rhythm of my days.

Read the rest over at The Glorious Table.

Choose Grace

In The Book of Forgiving, Archbishop Desmond Tutu uses the example of being cut off in traffic to demonstrate our ability to choose our response in any given situation. One choice is to take it personally and become angry, which will not lead to anything positive. It will increase his blood pressure and negatively affect his attitude for an extended period of time. His other choice is grace. He can choose to attribute a forgivable reason for the driving. Perhaps a family member is in intensive care in a hospital. Or perhaps the driver is rushing to help deliver a baby. If the archbishop can identify with those feelings of fear or anxiety the other driver might be experiencing, then he is able to extend grace. When this happens, he often prays for the person and wishes them well. He’s then able to move on without it noticeably affecting his mood or the rest of his day.

Looking through the Lens of Grace

I was amazed at how true his example rang for me. I often jump to the conclusion that invites me to take personal offense to another’s behavior. I am quick to think the worst rather than provide a reasonable and understandable alternative. Since reading this story, I’ve been trying to change my way of thinking, starting with my family.

When my children act out of character, I know that I can choose to believe they are purposefully being difficult or sassy and get angry in response. But I also know that there’s another option. I can pause and think of alternative rationales for their behavior. Reminding myself that they’re normally kind and obedient can help me realize that they’re probably tired or hungry. When I can think of a non-personal reason for their behavior, then I’m more easily able to act in a loving and compassionate manner. Instead of getting angry and escalating the situation unnecessarily, I can bring gentleness and grace, and we can all move through the event with a more positive attitude. It doesn’t mean I don’t address the behavior; it just means I err on the side of grace in attributing meaning to the behavior.

Choose Grace

Showing Grace to Ourselves

I’ve learned that I can also choose grace over judgment toward myself. I’ve dealt with perfectionism for a long time and can be pretty hard on myself when I make a mistake. Experience shows me that being hard on myself doesn’t change what happened nor does it impel me to change my behavior. The times I’ve been compassionate toward myself, I’ve received glimpses of a better way.

I had an appointment one morning and started driving my usual route to the doctor’s office. I noticed that the GPS was instructing me to take a different route. I ignored it, choosing to go the way with which I was most familiar. It turned out to be a big mistake as there was an accident further up the road that I couldn’t yet see. I ended up stuck in traffic and late for my appointment. I could have berated myself for my stubbornness, but instead I allowed myself to be human. I called ahead to let the office know I would be late and was met with grace and understanding. I then spent the extra time in the car praying and listening to worship music. I also resolved to listen to the GPS next time.

Read the rest over at The Glorious Table.

Do You Trust God’s Goodness?

A plate with a stack of blueberry pancakes and a glass of milk

Have you ever tried to make a deal with God? Have you tried to bargain with him to get out of something you sense he’s calling you to do, something you don’t want to do because it’s uncomfortable, challenging, or inconvenient? Did you try to give a half-hearted effort to show God that it wasn’t something you could do? Did he call your bluff?

Just me? I don’t think so because there’s a story in the Bible that sounds very familiar. It’s along the lines of how I tried to get out of something God wanted me to do.

In Judges 6-7, we read about Gideon, a young boy threshing wheat in a winepress to try to hide his activity from the Midianites. God sends an angel who tells him to save Israel from its oppressive rulers. Gideon tries to make excuses for why he can’t do it, but God shows him his power and tells him he will be with him.

Gideon obeys God’s first order to destroy an altar to a foreign god and build one to God in its place, but he does so under the cover of night because he’s afraid. God then gives him a second order, to lead the Israelites into battle against the Midianites. Gideon asks for a sign from God twice to prove that God is really calling him to do it. God provides the proof, and Gideon moves forward, obeying God completely and defeating the Midianites.

Gideon experiences fear and tries to wriggle out of the difficult and uncomfortable tasks God has assigned to him. But God does not give up on Gideon or make him feel bad for needing reassurance. He is patient and helps Gideon overcome his reluctance and fear, providing him with what he needs in order to be faithful and complete God’s instructions.

trust God's goodness

Several years ago, I was struggling with a couple of my friendships. Both people were dealing with difficult situations and were in very negative headspaces. I wanted to be able to support and encourage them, but after each get-together, I felt drained and frustrated. I didn’t think there was anything I could really do to help. I couldn’t change their circumstances. I was tired of helping them carry their heavy burdens.

Read the rest over at The Glorious Table.

Remembering God’s Faithfulness

When we’re going through a challenging time, it can be helpful to remind ourselves of times when God has been faithful in the past. Recalling his provision can infuse us with hope, belief, and trust that he can and will get us through.

After college, I faced the challenge of finding a job. I was interested in pursuing a position where I could use my degree in psychology, but I also had an interest in youth ministry. I decided to apply for the youth leader position at a local church, and while participating in the interview process, I began attending there. I wanted to determine whether the environment would truly be a good fit.

One Sunday morning, a man who introduced himself and welcomed me asked about my work. I told him I was looking for a job related to psychology, and he suggested I talk with the pastor’s wife because she was familiar with that field. Then he introduced us, and we arranged to meet for breakfast. She told me about residential group homes and gave me the names of some programs to research.

I didn’t receive a job offer for the youth leader position, but I was hired at one of the group homes I learned about from that pastor’s wife. I was so confident that God orchestrated all this that I gave notice at my part-time job after my interview with the group home program. I felt peace about his ability to provide what I needed, and I sensed this job was the next step in his plan.

That’s just one instance of God’s faithfulness to me. I’ve seen his hand in many of my job searches, even with the positions I pursued but didn’t get. While some of the rejection hurt in the short term, I can now appreciate the blessings hidden among the disappointment.

I almost find it funny that I’ve seen God so clearly in my job history in particular because I’m currently a stay-at-home mom. I love being home and caring for my family. And now that both kids are in school full-time, I have the added blessing of being able to pursue my writing goals during school hours and still be present for my children in the afternoon and evenings. I’m confident, however, that if the need arose, God would provide employment for me.

Read the rest over at The Glorious Table.

Divine Interruptions

Do you ever have that experience where there seems to be a common theme occurring in your life? You have various experiences that all have the same message attached to it? This tends to happen when God is trying to get my attention in a particular area. I had two different sources speaking to me about a similar idea: divine interruptions.

I saw a short video someone had posted on Facebook about when you feel in your spirit that God is asking you to reach out to someone, possibly a stranger, in a seemingly random way. He calls it Shoulder Taps, moments when God wants to use you to encourage or bless someone else. (Side note, I saw the video in July. Apparently, it had been posted and shared in April.)

I have been reading Christine Caine’s devotional Unshakeable this year. One of my devotions at the end of July was called “God’s Interruptions.” In it, Christine wrote the following: What if we greeted each interruption with “Lord, what do You want to do here?” Sometimes we miss these God interruptions. Insecurities, awkwardness, and schedules can keep us from responding to interruptions God has prepared.

I know that I can sometimes be too focused on my to-do list or agenda and not have any room for God’s agenda. If I cram my schedule to the brim, I definitely will not have the margin needed to respond to God’s call. By not being open to God’s plans, I am declaring my schedule more important than his.

I have recognized and responded to the still small voice in the past. I know the benefits and joy of being open, available, and obedient. It creates a desire to continue to respond but I sometimes still allow fear or busyness to prevent me from listening and acting. Perhaps God is encouraging me not to overextend myself and my time so that I will be more willing to respond to his shoulder taps.

Lord, please help me to stay open and available in order to respond to your plans and purposes. May I see interruptions as invitations rather than inconveniences.

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:1-2

God-Sized Dreams

I am reading through Christine Caine’s Unshakeable devotional this year. One of the days was about walking by faith and believing that the gaps between our abilities and our dreams are the spaces for God to move. She posed the following question: If your goals are achievable without God, are they even from God?

I have thought a lot about this question since reading it and I still don’t have a solid answer. It reminds me of another phrase I have heard: If your dreams don’t require God, they are too small. This phrase seems to indicate that the size of our faith will be reflected in the size of our dreams.

I do believe God gives us dreams that he wants to help us accomplish. Not all dreams have to be so big that they are impossible to do without a miracle. However, most dreams should involve prayer and God’s guidance to be accomplished well. I think we are responsible to do the work required of us in order for God to make up the difference or to work in our hearts to equip us to achieve them.

I definitely have dreams that I cannot achieve solely through hard work or sheer will. There are mountains that need to move and doors that need to open for which I don’t have the strength or resources. Yes, I believe God can do what is needed to accomplish my dreams. Sometimes I wonder if the root issue is how I would answer the question: What if he doesn’t?

What if my dreams never become reality? Will I still believe God is good and loving and faithful? I wonder if part of the reason for our God-sized dreams is for the purpose of simply drawing us closer to God, learning to seek him and rely on him, and trusting him despite the circumstances or outcomes.

I think God’s goal for us is love, trust, and dependence. Often, seemingly impossible dreams may be the vehicle he uses to get us there. A dream achieved could grow our faith in him. A dream deferred could lead us to cling even more to God. Gods ways are unknowable but he is faithful, loving, and trustworthy.

Do you think small dreams show a lack of faith? Do you have a dream that is impossible without God?

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