“Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG)
As summer shadows stretch long and lean, we feel the anticipation of September with its fresher air and promise of fall. Still warm and wonderful, this month holds the hope of organized routine after a blissfully unorganized summer.
But September also brings a jolt of reality with its vivid reminder of the majestic mountaintops and tumultuous trenches that make up life as we know it. Our perfectly laid out plans are scribed in shiny new agendas with lavish lists of goals to accomplish—until REAL LIFE happens and we recognize it’s messy in the trenches of the everyday with everyone.
Reminds me of Moses.
He had the ultimate mountaintop experience with the Living God, literally basking in holy glory. He must have floated down that mountain on cloud nine with the ten commandments tucked under his arm as he prepared for the next phase with God’s chosen people.
Imagine his devastation when he reached the trenches, the everyday with everyone. They didn’t care that Moses had a plan and was in “September mode” complete with commandments—they were merrily dancing around a golden calf and had distractions like you wouldn’t believe. REAL LIFE.
Do you ever have those Moses moments? Super frustrated when others can’t be on the same page as you, seeing the vision as you see it? We would all love our Septembers to kick off perfectly, but that’s not how we experience grace and growth.
Love, hope, mess, stress, disappointment, disagreement… the colorful stuff of the beautiful trenches. We have the opportunity to experience the highs and lows with some who dishearten us, and others who cheer us on relentlessly. It’s a REAL LIFE roller coaster and we are here for the ride!
Friend, when September gets messy in the trenches (and it probably will), don’t despair. Embrace it and see if God is showing you something fresh buried beneath your agenda. A new dream to pursue, a different perspective to consider, an uncomfortable stretch in your regular routine. Commit it all to the Master Planner.
Here’s to much grace and growth!
A published, award-winning Christian author, Laura Thomas writes heartwarming encouragement for your soul—especially in her numerous romantic suspense novels, as well as her teen fiction, marriage, and children’s books. Laura is a hope*writers certified writing coach, a book-loving chocoholic mom and nanny, and is married to her high school sweetheart. Originally from the UK, they now live the empty nest life in Kelowna, British Columbia, with their French bulldog!
Find all her books, blog, bio, and writing coaching, and sign up for her free monthly newsletter at: www.laurathomasauthor.com
In an idyllic village nestled in the English countryside, photographer Georgia Brooks is desperate to begin a new chapter in her life. Bramble Cottage was supposed to give her space to heal and hope again after suffering betrayal and rejection by the only man she ever loved. This was Georgia’s chance to rekindle her faith and reconnect with her sisters in a place that held sweet childhood memories—not expose herself to the ugly underbelly of the art world and put her family in danger.
Local pediatric surgeon, Doctor William Hughes, is captivated by the Canadian beauty with a camera over one shoulder and the weight of the world on the other. After suffering his own tragic loss and balancing a demanding career with raising a toddler, he recognizes the heaviness of grief . . . and the burden of guilt.
When Georgia discovers she could be in possession of incriminating evidence to frame a criminal ring, she needs to trust someone. She chooses Will. Postcards, photographs, paintings—something about Bramble Cottage is worth killing for. Can Georgia uncover the truth in time?
