your everyday, ordinary life

He doesn’t see it as ordinary at all.

Waking up each morning: He wants to join you, even before you open your eyes.

Grabbing your first cup of coffee:  He asks to sit with you.

He enjoys that traffic jam on the way to work: it’s extra time with you.

“Those” days.  Yes.  Those emotional, hormonal, roller coaster days.

Yes. Even those.

Sister, He wants to spend time with you.

Oh hey, Kacia?  Please read these words and believe them too.

Hi y’all! I’m so happy you are here.  We are all so happy you are here.  If you’ve found yourself at #SheReadsTruth for the first time: welcome! I’d love for you to learn more about this community of women seeking His Truth together.  Today we are on Day 19 of YouVersion’s Soul Detox reading plan!

So. I want to let you in on a few things.

1. I am from Wisconsin where we say “you guys,” but I’ve recently fallen in love with the ease of y’all.
2. I want to be transparent.  I am sitting with a cup of coffee as I write this, so just imagine us sitting down and chatting about Him.  I told you I’m from Wisconsin so that you don’t imagine some cute southern drawl coming out of my mouth.  Instead, I say “bay-g,” “ruff,” and “a-boat.” [Translations: bag, roof, and about.]
3. I happen to pronounce my name Kay-sha, but you can say Keisha, Ka-seeya, or even Ke$ha if you want.  We can still be friends.
4. I feel completely inadequate writing this post today.  I pray that my words would show you that I am in the trenches with you, and I am a mess as well.  A mess in need of grace and a lot of it.
5. I happen to like odd numbers.  So let’s get started!

I lay awake in bed a lot.  Sometimes it’s because I drank caffeine too late in the day, but I’ve learned that it’s usually where God can get my attention.  After my face loses the glow from looking at screens and the house is quiet and silent:

He is not.

And He has been teaching me that we shouldn’t be either.

This week’s scriptures come with heavy challenges.  Don’t skim these words and just move on with your day.  Reread them.  Write them down.

I love reading and seeing what you are learning.  How God is challenging you: He is changing lives around you because your heart is becoming like His.

Can I let you in on something else I’ve been learning?

That thing in your life.  That toxin. Yes.  The one that shames you.  The one that has attached so deep it hurts to the bone.  The one that has made you believe that you are alone.  The one that tells you no one cares.  The one that says…

…no one will love you if they know about it.

Here is what you need to know:

It is lying to you, and you don’t need to be prisoner to it anymore.

In today’s reading, we are called to acknowledge our fears.  Face the “what ifs.”

Don’t be bound by the silence.  Give it a name, and tell Him about it.  Yes, He knows your toxin better than you do, but He wants to hear it from you.   Listen to David’s words in Psalm 56:1-4

the Message:

Take my side, God—I’m getting kicked around, stomped on every day. Not a day goes by but somebody beats me up; They make it their duty to beat me up. When I get really afraid I come to you in trust. I’m proud to praise God; fearless now, I trust in God. What can mere mortals do?

ESV:

1  Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
all day long an attacker oppresses me;
2  my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many attack me proudly.
3  When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4  In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?

I’m not here to write that I have it all together, or that my toxins are gone. The truth is that I am painfully pulling these lying parasites off of me too.  I, too, hold them in, believe I can fight them off on my own or perhaps ignore them long enough that they go away, but it only makes them stronger.  I tell myself that somehow I can clean them up.  Box them up, tie them with a ribbon and then, but only then, will I give them over for Him to bear.  I’m not strong enough to do that and neither are you.

So quit trying to be strong on your own: let Him carry it for you.  

And as you learn what it means, what it really means to let Him be strong in your weakness, I want to challenge us as a community.

Ready?

On Friday of this week, we will all be reading together from Romans 12.  [Don’t you love that?  All of us reading together. Wow!]

Romans 12 calls us to live our everyday, ordinary lives for Him.  Each day. Each minute.

So this week, as we speak truth into the lies we’ve been believing for so long, could we also, together as a growing community? encourage one another to live these ordinary lives as extraordinary acts of worship to Him.  

As you read Romans 12, find one way that you can start living a life that doesn’t fit into our culture.

Live one that fits into His.

Our Truth to memorize together this week comes from Psalm 56.  Feel free to memorize it in any version you’d like! [The following is from the ESV.]

3 When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4  In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?

We’re doing it together this time, so let’s not forget that!  Continue tweeting and posting photos of what God is doing.  Keep making Him a priority!

love,

Kacia

Psst! You can comment on this post throughout the week, and each day you will also find an image [like the ones below] in their own posts.  If you want to share thoughts specific to that day? You can post there.  We want this to be our journal together.  If you decide to reread Day 4? Come back and post what He is teaching you!  If you are a few days behind? That’s okay too!  Bear with us as we catch up posting days 1-19 of Soul Detox.