We’re in the middle of holy week and I’m not feeling very holy. I’m in a rush to complete my task list that I add three things to each time I cross off one. I hit my head earlier while rushing from one thing to the next and screamed an expletive that would probably make some of you deem me unqualified to give advice about faith. My kid’s activities have tripled and while I am so GRATEFUL for normalcy, I don’t like that normal doesn’t include as many frequent check ins with God. Tomorrow I will be oceanside and will have a few days to devour my bible and feel more grounded. But I need a better plan for the other days because those are when I’m going to need him the most.
If you did the 30 Days to Faith Daily Devotion, maybe you’ve already started some good habits of spending time with God. P.S. if you didn’t and still want to, it’s FREE to download (shop tab on top of page) until Sunday! Then it goes away so even if you are waiting for the perfect time to start it (more about that in a sec) download it while you can and share it with a friend!
Like I mentioned, it is holy week. A time to remember what God is to us, and more importantly, who we are to God. The stations of the cross is a beautiful illustration of the last days for Jesus and if you are local, I can’t tell you enough, check out the immersive experience at Bayside Granite Bay. They give you a wonderful booklet to read and answer questions while at each station. That alone will re-center your week completely.
But what about all the other days after Easter? How do we make our connections then? Here are a few ideas but I would love to hear yours!
Post- it notes — Are you a visual person? Add notes to your bathroom mirror, inside the most used kitchen cabinet, on your car stereo and at your computer screen. What speaks to you? They might say something simple like “Pray” or include a verse you need while on that 400th zoom call. I recommend to rotate them so they don’t become white noise.
Phone reminders — set your phone to go off at random times each day to remind yourself to check in with God. My husband has a friend who he likes to argue about politics with (insert my eyeroll here). So I’ve named this guy, “Spend time with Jesus” in his phone as a reminder to him to when the text pops up to spend as much time with God as he does arguing about nonsense. You call it controlling, I call it a nudge for the Lord. 🙂
EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING. — Or night. But I find mornings I am way more clear headed. Start your day with Jesus. He is worth getting up early for and it can be so enriching to lose yourself in the bible for 30 minutes. I still need more check ins during this day, but my days are REALLY off when I miss a morning. I read a devotional, journal three things I am grateful for, set a goal for the day and PRAY.
Create a mantra or short prayer — When I am going into a stressful situation or find myself in the middle of one, I find having something to instantly set on repeat helps ground and center me in Jesus. Think of the infamous saying from a few years ago, W.W.J.D? For me it’s more things like, “There is a God, and I am not it,” “God is good all the time, all the time God is good,” “God give me the right words,” and so on. The main idea is centered on God being in control and me accepting that.
Accountability buddy — this is a goal of mine this year. If you can find another person of faith to hold you accountable to go to church, read the bible, serve others, etc. then you may have an easier time staying focused on the right things. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it is definitely worth it.
Life is inherently busy and we are prone to react to things in front of us, not the faith within us. There will never be enough hours in the day to get it all done, there will never be the perfect time to start going to church, read the bible, etc. It’s about rearranging our priorities, my friends. And when I think about holy week, and the sacrifice of Jesus, I can’t help but feel like my priorities are out of whack.
I pray that you make the time to connect with Jesus and I would love to hear how you do this! Happy Easter!
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