Scott Sullivan

Category: Devotions

  • It’s Time to Buy Bread

    Living on the Gulf Coast, we know the routine when a hurricane (or, as some people say, harricane) heads our way. We’ve been down this road before. It’s funny, but Coast folks date things by hurricanes. “We got the Chevy right after Katrina.” Unfortunately, we got a lot of things after Katrina. Or, “We moved into our house around Elena.” It’s just a Coast thing.

    I’m sure this takes place in other parts of the country as well. There is some old guy (he would have to be old) in Atlanta who has said, “Yeah, we got married just before they started working on the Interstate.” Someone, somewhere, is going on about how they met their wife in the Shoney’s, before it became a Chinese restaurant.

    One of the first things you learn about hurricanes is that you can’t control them. (Conspiracy theorists, move on.) Experts, and now AI, have gotten real good at figuring out where they are going and how strong they might be. We know that dust coming up from the desert in Africa is our friend. We pray for dry air. We check temperatures in the Gulf. We think we understand wind shear. But with all that knowledge, we still can’t change them.

    Coasties know the routine. Secure things in the yard. I think this might have been the first time I took down a Fall flag. Get gas. Check your hurricane box. I keep one with flashlights, chargers, extension cords, and a roll of duct tape. Cause you never know when you will need to tape something.

    We hit the grocery store, too. I get a little out of control. There is something about hurricanes that makes me want to get way too many cans of things we can warm up on the gas stove. He may not have ever received a James Beard Award, but Chef Boyardee was no slouch.

    We empty the water, bread, and milk sections of the grocery store. And then we wait…eat…wait…and eat.

    The funny thing is, after all the preparation, there comes a point when there is nothing left to do. The yard is picked up. The gas cans are full. The phones are charged. The hurricane box is sitting where you can find it. You have enough canned food to feed your family for three weeks, even though you know good and well you are going to eat it all before Tuesday.

    Then you sit and watch the weather.

    You watch the little line on the map. Did it shift??!!! You watch the spaghetti models. You watch the wind speed. You watch the cone. You watch the storm wobble a little to the east and feel a little better. Then it wobbles back west and you start watching again.

    Eventually, though, you realize there is nothing else you can do.

    After you have done all that you can do…you trust.

    Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.”

    I like that. It doesn’t say God will keep trouble from coming. It says He will be our refuge when it does.

    If you think about it, life and hurricanes are a lot alike. There are things that will come your way that you have no control over. You couldn’t stop them if you tried. Life happens. Storms happen. Bad news comes. Plans change. People disappoint us. Doors close. Sometimes the forecast changes overnight.

    We spend a lot of time trying to control things that were never ours to control in the first place.

    That doesn’t mean we sit around and do nothing. We prepare. We make wise decisions. We do what we can. We help our neighbors. We take care of what God has placed in our hands.

    But eventually, we have to leave the rest with Him.

    The hurricane may pass east of us. It may turn. It may weaken. It may strengthen. We can watch the forecast, but we cannot steer the storm.

    And life is the same way.

    We prepare the best we can and then we trust the One who knows the whole forecast.

    God was with us before the storm. He is with us in the storm. And He will be with us after the storm.

    So buy your bread. Fill up the gas cans. Bring in the chairs. Charge your phone.

    And when you’ve done all you can do, trust God.

    He’s still in control.

  • The Way I Am

    If you know me, you know that I’m obviously cultured. Take, for instance, my appreciation for Merle Haggard. Haggard was the poet of the working man. You don’t just listen to his songs; you are dragged into them. For some, Merle is an acquired taste. If you don’t like him, I suggest you get some taste. I saw him in concert several times while I was in high school. While everyone else was excited about the latest ear-splitting leather-clad screamer…I saved up my money to go see Merle and possibly the most talented group of musicians in country music history, The Strangers, play in person. One night I remember sneaking back behind the stage and talking to Haggard’s horn player. I was in high cotton.

    One of his many hits was the song “The Way I Am.” In it, he sings, “Wish I enjoyed what makes my living, Did what I do with a willin’ hand, Some would run, but that ain’t like me, So I just dream and keep on bein’ the way I am.” That’s strong. Songwriter Townes Van Zandt said there were two types of songs: zippity do dah songs and the blues. Haggard didn’t sing too many zippity do dah songs.

    That notion of “that’s just the way I am” carries over to many aspects of our lives.

    Have you ever heard these (or said these)?

    “I have a temper…that’s just the way I am.”

    “I speak my mind…that’s just the way I am.” (Remember, an empty wagon makes the most noise.)

    “I don’t forgive easily…that’s just the way I am.”

    “My dad was like this…that’s just the way I am.”

    “I grew up thinking that about “those” people…that’s just the way I am.”

    “I’m not going to change at my age…that’s just the way I am.”

    We don’t have to become someone we are not. But many times these “that’s just the way I am” statements are just excuses. We are the way we are…because we want to be that way. We get angry because we like it. We say things that are hurtful because we like it. We don’t like forgiving people. We act like Dad because it’s easier than changing. We treat people differently because we choose to and like to feel superior.

    Not everything handed down to us from the previous generation is right. Pharmacies used to sell cigarettes that were advertised to help with asthma…doctors used to use leeches…and babies were given opium to help them sleep. Just because something is the way it’s always been doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to change.

    Think about those “That’s just the way I am” statements in your life. If you are honest, some come from hearts that need to repent. James 1:14 reads, “But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires.”

    Why do we do the things we do? Because we choose to.

    Yes, your dad may have had a temper. Your family may have a history of alcohol abuse. You may come from a family where speaking your mind (when silence might be the better option) is promoted.

    Don’t do things that will hurt your testimony…because “That’s just the way I am.”

    Change.

    God indeed accepts us as we are…but He loves us too much to leave us there. There are things in our past that we have no control over. We all have things in life we didn’t choose. But we can choose who we will become and how we will behave.

    Break the cycle in your family. Become a positive example for those who follow you.

    Sing it, Merle…

  • Watch Those Rocks

    One of my favorite things to do is to go for a walk in the woods. I’m not a hiker…I’m a walker. I especially love to go to the mountains and enjoy the beauty, peace, and feel of the woods.

    I’m always amazed that, as I walk, God has created all these beautiful things, and very few people will ever venture off the road and see them. There are flowers that no human eye will ever see before they fade and die. There are streams that no one notices and birds that sit high in the trees, just showing off the feathers God painted.

    Many times on these mountain trails, you will encounter rocks…big rocks, little rocks, all kinds of God’s rocks. Even though we don’t think about it, every time we come to one of these rocks on the trail, we make decisions.

    Some people see them as a hazard and dig them out and roll them away. If that’s you, God bless you. I’m not a rock mover. I figure God put them there for a purpose.

    Some people are oblivious to the stones and trip over them and fall. One minute they are enjoying the peace and beauty of the woods. The next, they are admiring the dirt up close.

    Others, while walking through God’s creation, never get tripped up because they keep their heads down and look for the rocks. They see them and point them out to others. Now, keep in mind, they miss a lot of other things. They miss what’s going on around them…but they never miss a rock that might cause them problems.

    The last group chooses to see the rocks and use them.

    Many times on mountain trails, things can get slick. All that rain and water from above has to come down. Good hiking shoes, even though I’m a walker, are a must. Hiking sticks help, too. But what is often overlooked are the rocks on the path. A stone stuck in the mud can become a good foothold and keep you moving forward.

    If you are still reading, you may be wondering where I’m going with this.

    Consider these verses from Psalm 91:11–12:

    “For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways. They will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

    This is a psalm of protection. Throughout the psalm, we see God’s care and protection over His people.

    Do you see it?

    “So that you will not strike your foot against…a stone.”

    God doesn’t put us on paths that are devoid of stones. God never promises to remove the stones. He never promised us that life would be free from obstacles and problems. What He does promise is that He will be with us as we encounter those things in our path that can trip us up.

    Our stones may look like strained relationships, financial problems, difficulties at work, or stones disguised as health issues. Stones wear many different outfits. They may look different, but they are still stones. Some are small and don’t cause much trouble. Others are so large they can seem to break us.

    The issue is this: How will we deal with the stones in life?

    I think we can deal with them much like we deal with real stones on a mountain trail.

    We can stop and work and struggle to remove them. Again, I think God puts some stones before us for a reason.

    We can ignore them.

    “What stone?”

    But knowing that God protects us does not mean that we become oblivious to the stones. If your stone is a health problem, you probably should go see a doctor. Ignoring something won’t make it disappear.

    We can also do just the opposite and focus all our attention on the stones in our path. We see them coming. We anticipate how we will deal with them. When we get to the stone, we already have a plan.

    But there is a danger in that, too.

    On the other side of the stone, you may have missed a lot of life because you spent the entire journey with your head down, staring at a rock.

    Perhaps the best way to deal with the rocks in your path is to treat them like the rocks on a slippery mountain trail.

    Use them.

    Each time you push off a rock, you are climbing higher. You are moving forward. You are getting closer to your destination.

    The rock that looked like an obstacle may become the very thing that helps you take the next step.

    What stones are in your path today?

    God has allowed them to be there. You may not understand why. You may wish He would remove them. But don’t spend your entire journey staring at them.

    Watch those rocks. Learn from them. Use them. And keep walking.

    God is not finished with you yet.

  • Don’t Worry, I’ve Got It

    Most men I know have a one-trip policy when it comes to bringing groceries into the house…or taking garbage out. We may have bought enough to fill the buggy (yes, it’s a buggy, not a cart) to the top…but we somehow think we can bring it all in with one trip. We may have shoved trash down until it’s falling out and then gone and collected another bag with trash from the other rooms in the house…but it all goes out with one trip. This isn’t so much a problem of poor math skills…it has more to do with pride. We can handle it. As we walk past with the plastic bags digging into our fingers, you may hear a labored, sarcastic, “Don’t worry, I’ve got it.”

    From an early age, we are told to take care of ourselves. Look out for yourself because no one else will. And if you want something done right, do it yourself. These sayings have a time and a place. We must learn to be independent. We must learn to be responsible.

    But we also need to learn that we can’t carry all of our burdens alone.

    As I’ve gotten older, and hopefully wiser, I make a call on the way home from the grocery store that I know irritates my girls. When I’m about five minutes from home, I call and tell them I’m almost home and they need to come out and help unload the groceries. I could still do it…but I can’t do it as well as two or three sets of hands can. Many hands do indeed make light work.

    These are simple day-by-day examples of sharing a burden.

    Every day, spiritually, we carry burdens. Burdens that we were never intended to carry alone. We have money burdens. Marriage burdens. Fathers (and many mothers) carry the burden of providing for their families. We carry burdens at work. We carry the burdens of past failures. We carry the burden of uncertain futures. We carry burdens as parents, just hoping that we have raised our children right. We carry burdens about decisions we don’t know how to make. We carry spiritual burdens. Have we been faithful to the Lord today? Have we done all that the Lord intended for us to accomplish today?

    So what do we do? We reach in and pick up another bag because we know we can handle it. Don’t worry, world, I’ve got it. We strain a little more and keep going.

    But God never told us to carry everything ourselves.

    In Psalm 55:22, David writes, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” That’s good stuff. David paints a beautiful picture of not just laying our burdens down. He says, “Cast” your burden on the Lord. Throw it off. Toss it. Chunk it.

    In other words, stop trying to carry what God is willing to carry for you.

    Instead of straining under your burdens, call out like I do on the way home from the grocery store: “I need some help.”

    Then let somebody help.

    More importantly, let God help.

    Today, cast off the burdens you were never intended to carry alone.

    If you enjoyed this little word of encouragement, you can find more like it at The Notebook, my collection of stories, devotions, and reflections.

    https://www.scottsullivanwrites.com

  • Name Calling

    Kids, as well as adults, can be brutal when it comes to name calling. Early in life, one that came my way was simply “punk.”

    Now, sometimes someone can act like a punk. Squealing on a buddy would get you called a punk. Reminding the teacher that she forgot to assign homework would get you labeled as a punk and might require you to fight your way home. But most of the time, kids were called punks simply because they were the tag-along younger brother. If that’s the case, I was a punk growing up, and I guess I’m still a punk.

    Growing up in the ’70s, people were called turkeys. Turkeys were just goofy, foolish kids. We all knew people who were dumb-dumbs, goobers, crybabies, know-it-alls, and show-offs. There were also a lot of other names that aren’t fit to print.

    If we think back real hard, there were probably times when we could have worn most of these names. Yes, I’ve been a dumb-dumb and a goober. Still am at times. Was I ever a crybaby? My mother used to drop me off every morning at daycare, and I would stand at the fence and cry every morning. How could she love me…and just leave me?

    I’ve gone by Trub. This was the name my dad called me up until the day he died. In case you were wondering, it’s short for trouble.

    Trouble?

    I claim that I was misunderstood. I don’t think Trub was meant as an insult. I think it just shows that my dad had insight and wisdom. He knew when I was up to something. What some people might call mischievous, I simply referred to as testing my boundaries. When I crossed the line, he was always there to “lovingly” correct me. We were deep-water Baptists, but on more than one occasion he “laid hands on me” and spoke in a tongue I couldn’t make out. So the name Trub stuck.

    In addition to being called a son, I was also a brother. The youngest. The baby.

    I always thought I was the favorite child…because my mother told me that. But one night, I heard her telling my other brother that he was the favorite. She was just trying to make him feel better. I knew the truth.

    Having brothers, you learn things. You learn what to do, what not to do, and how to do things you shouldn’t do and get away with it. I learned from my oldest brother that after getting worn out by my dad and being asked if he was going to do whatever the offense was again, the proper answer is not, “Yes, if I get a chance.” It’s better to learn from other people’s mistakes than your own.

    Later in life, I took to being called a husband. This is a title I never thought I would own and, for many years, one I never wanted. But at 33 years old, just like the Lord at 33, I laid down my life.

    Husband is the sterile name.

    When I’m being a punk or a know-it-all, my bride refers to me as “Sweetie.” This sounds nicer than it’s intended. It’s just a word she can use rather than calling me what she really wants to call me. It requires less confession than the ones floating around in her mind.

    One of the greatest names I’ve ever been called is Dad.

    There are few things in life that are better than hearing my girls call me Dad. There isn’t much I wouldn’t do for my girls. There are things I’ve wanted to do but haven’t been able to do. But I’ve tried…and tried. Sometimes it’s just good to know that somebody needs you.

    What may surprise many people is how often the Bible tells us what someone was called. For instance, in James 2:23, Abraham is called a friend of God. In Acts 4:36, Joseph is called Barnabas, “The Son of Encouragement,” by the apostles. In Acts 11:26, the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. In John 1:42, Jesus tells Simon that he will be called Cephas, or Peter, which means rock.

    Think back to some of the name calling you have endured. Think now about some of the names you are called by. Now, think about what you are called by the Lord. Are you His child? Are you called a member of His family?

    Those are names worth keeping.

    Don’t try to earn those titles. Just accept them from Him.

    Thank you for reading. To find other devotions and stories like this go to www.scottsullivanwrites.com

  • Grace in the Waiting

    Psalm 27:14 — “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the LORD.”

    Waiting is hard. There is something in our nature that causes us to want to do something…instead of waiting. One of the things our passage points out about waiting is something we seldom think about…waiting involves courage. The Psalmist clearly tells us to “let your heart be courageous.”

    Waiting may seem weak at times. Think back to the old western movies. There would be some priest waiting and praying…and the hero would ride along on some beautiful horse and take off after the bad guys. We felt the good guy on the white horse was the hero because he was doing something. We looked at the praying priest as the weakling…because he just sat by waiting.

    But it takes real courage to entrust our problems to the Lord and trust Him to act and do what only He can do. As you wait and pray…know that you are showing courage by not taking matters into your own hands.

    The second thing I see in this passage is similar to the first…waiting requires trust. Why can I wait? Because I’m waiting on the Lord. I trust that He knows what to do…when to do it…and how it should be done.

    This is different from waiting on another flawed human. I may not have complete confidence that they know what needs to be done…and they certainly may not understand the urgency of the matter. But the Lord does…and because He is the Lord, I can and will trust Him.

    Today, as you continue to pray…my prayer is that you do so with a heart filled with courage and trust.

    “Wait on the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.”

  • I Hate Being Late

    Displaying IMG_3645.jpeg

    Late…and on time…have different meanings to different people. I’m one of those annoying people who feels like fifteen minutes early is actually being on time. To get somewhere at the exact time you are told an event is starting…is late.

    This comes from the fact that I don’t like to be or feel rushed. Getting to where I need to be a few minutes before it starts lets me compose myself (Lord, don’t I need that) and feel prepared. My internal clock is pretty good. I always have a good idea of what time it is…but there is no rush hour in my makeup. There isn’t a speed cycle in me.

    They are making new cars that have eight, nine, or even ten gears. I’m an old standard-shift three-speed. But a three-speed still gets you there on time.

    Now, this may not be the wisest thing to do, but I live in a house of ladies who define time differently than I do.

    When I say we need to leave in twenty minutes…that means in twenty minutes the car should be leaving the driveway. Tires should be rolling. That does not mean that you are wrapping up the getting-ready-to-leave process.

    Getting ready for me can happen literally in ten minutes. My hair is already done. After some basic hygiene issues and picking out a pair of pants and a shirt that is comfortable…I’m good to go.

    It seems to take ten minutes for curling irons to get warm and ready to go battle in my home.

    There are stages, I’ve noticed. There is a hair stage. A makeup stage. A sit-around-and-aggravate-Dad-because-the-clock-is-ticking stage. There is a stage of dressing and picking out shoes…followed by a reassessment of clothing selection and footwear.

    There are also certain smells that develop during the female preparation stages.

    Curling irons and burning hair with 1,800 watts of electricity produce a certain smell. Sprays and lotions have their own smells. The final step of covering all that involves a tiny, expensive bottle of perfume that finishes off the concoction of smells.

    A friend of mine, who is blessed with girls also, says that teenage girls and brownies are the same…when you start to smell them, you know they’re almost done.

    As you can see, we are dealing with two different ideas about time and preparation.

    At some point, out of frustration, I’ll just tell everyone, “I’ll be waiting in the car.”

    This doesn’t change the time we will actually leave. It just gets me out of the way.

    Waiting drives me crazy when I know there is a simple solution.

    Solution: Just get ready like I do…think like I do…and let’s get going.

    It’s that simple.

    And actually, it’s silly when I think about it.

    If we are not careful, we can have this same kind of attitude when it comes to the workings of God.

    We have a simple idea of what needs to happen.

    “God, do this, at this time, and it will work out.”

    Amazing that we have been promoted to God’s advisory committee.

    But God does not always operate on our schedule.

    Take, for instance, the death of Lazarus in John 11. Jesus received word that Lazarus’s physical condition was serious. And…then He waited two days before going to Lazarus’s house.

    He waited two days.

    When He did arrive, Lazarus was no longer sick…he was dead.

    Jesus waited two days.

    However, this waiting allowed for a greater miracle to happen. Rather than healing a sick man, Jesus raised a dead man. God received glory. People wondered if this might be the Messiah. Word about Lazarus spread throughout the region.

    The story has been retold and preached for thousands of years…because Jesus waited two days.

    God does not operate based on a clock. He isn’t confined to time. The Bible speaks of God working in “due season.”

    When we finally realize that “due season” is better for us, we will look at things differently.

    That prayer that you have been praying, and you are on the verge of dropping from your prayer life…keep praying until it’s “due season.”

    That lost soul that you have shared with and thrown a bushel of seed on…don’t give up. It’s not “due season” yet.

    God is never late…never early…He is always perfect in His timing.

    Excuse me while I go sit in the car.

    Until the next line…

    Scott Sullivan

    The Notebook

  • Headed Towards Home

    On a recent drive to Hattiesburg to surprise my daughter in college, it started to hit me how long a short ride can be. It’s only ninety miles, but it seemed like forever.

    The trip to Hattiesburg isn’t listed on any magazine’s list of “must-do” road trips in the South. You will see a lot of pine trees…and more pine trees. I always chuckle to myself when I make drives like this through Mississippi that there are places in the world fretting about overpopulation. The telephone poles vastly outnumber the population. It’s beautiful land filled with good people…but it can make for a long drive. Over each hill, you think, “Am I there yet?”

    Now, why does a ninety-mile drive seem to take so long? Because I have something in Hattiesburg now that I love. I don’t want to waste what part of the day I have driving; I want to spend that time with my daughter. She is legally an “adult”…but she is still my little girl.

    What’s funny about this, though, is that when I leave Hattiesburg, the ride home seems long, too. Now, technically, the ride south from Hattiesburg is longer. I’m serious. The northbound lane of Highway 49 is flatter than the southbound lane. When the southbound lane was built, very little fill dirt was used, and you have a lot more hills headed south. Over time, it makes the trip just a little longer.

    But it’s not the extra few tenths of a mile that makes it a long drive…it’s because I’m ready to get home…and I have two people I love at home waiting on me.  

    On almost every trip I’ve been on, the return trip seems longer. Why? Because I’m ready to be home.

    Home for the Christian is not this world.

    I love the old songs. I love to sing, “This world is not my home, I’m just passing through, my treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue.”

    Vance Havner said, “If you are a Christian, you are not a citizen of this world trying to get to heaven; you are a citizen of heaven making your way through this world.”

    Our home is not here…our home awaits us.

    Sometimes we have a longing for something that we just can’t put our finger on. We are longing for home. We are longing for a great reunion day. We are looking forward to seeing loved ones again. We long to see Jesus Christ…the One we have read about and sung about…face-to-face.

    The trip can be long when you are looking forward to being with someone you love.

    Keep moving. Keep your eyes fixed and your path straight. Over the next hill…you may be home.

    Second Corinthians 5:1 tells us, “…we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands.”

    Until the next page…

    Scott Sullivan

    The Notebook

  • Never quit

    Luke 5:4–6 — “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon replied, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing. But if you say so, I’ll let down the nets.” When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear.

    I’ve always been intrigued by this fishing story. Jesus chose several fishermen to be His disciples. Why fishermen? Perhaps because they understood something about failure. They knew what it was like to work all night and catch nothing, yet they also knew you don’t quit fishing because yesterday was unsuccessful. You go back out and try again.

    Simon was a professional fisherman. He knew his trade. He knew the water, the weather, and the fish. He had worked hard all night and had nothing to show for it. Then Jesus told him to go back out and let down the nets.

    Simon could have argued. He could have explained why it wouldn’t work. Instead, he simply said, “But if you say so.”

    That is obedience.

    Simon didn’t know what was going to happen. He simply trusted the One who told him to go.

    And look what happened. His obedience led to a catch so great that the nets began to tear.

    There is another part of this story that encourages me even more. Jesus didn’t quit working on Simon. He was preparing him for something far greater than catching fish. Aren’t you glad Jesus hasn’t quit working on you and me?

    There will be days when you are tired. There will be times when you have worked hard and have little to show for it. You may even wonder if it is worth trying one more time.

    When those moments come, remember Simon’s words: “But if you say so.”

    Obedience doesn’t always guarantee immediate results, but quitting guarantees that we will never see what God intended to do through our obedience.

    Think back today to a time when you wanted to quit but remained faithful. Remember what God did through that obedience.

    Never quit. Never quit.

    Quitting never honors God.

  • Change

    In 1964, Bob Dylan struck a nerve with his song, “The Times They Are a-Changin’.” There was upheaval and unrest in our nation. People were anxious and worried about the future. Many were concerned that the past, and the things they loved, were gone forever. Indeed, the times were a-changin’. 

    In our home, we could have this song playing in every room. The times are changing in our family. As I write this, my daughter will sleep in her room one more night before going off to college. There is concern about the future, and there is sadness because we recognize that the old way of life has changed forever. 

    Perhaps I’m a little different…no, I’m different. But while there is a tinge of sadness, excitement outweighs the feeling of loss. Her mother and I have been preparing her for this since the day our delivery doctor looked me in the eye and said, “You got your girl.” I think he muttered under his breath, “May God have mercy on your soul,” also. 

    As parents, we must understand that our children aren’t really ours. God has entrusted them to us. They are gifts that we are to care for and nurture. 

    Having said this, I don’t know many people who like change. I’m a routine person. I don’t like to have my routine altered, and when it happens, I tend to get a little grumpy. Shocking. 

    But change can be good. To want my daughter to always live at home would not be fair to her. It would keep her from becoming all that God planned for her to be. 

    During this season, I’ve been holding on to a promise that God made to Israel in Isaiah 43:19: 

    “Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it?” 

    Yes, Lord, I can’t help but see it. 

    As one season comes to an end, another season begins. We struggle with new seasons because we can’t see what the future holds. It can be unsettling. We like to know what will happen…and when it will happen. We like to see the outcome from the beginning. 

    But that’s not the way God operates. 

    God tells us to trust Him with each step. He doesn’t give us a GPS readout of what the road looks like ahead and where each turn will take us. What is beautiful about this is that while we can’t see the road ahead of us, He can. He knows every danger and pitfall that lies ahead. He goes before us and walks with us. 

    The danger isn’t in the road ahead. The danger is when we fail to walk with Him as we travel the road. 

    Perhaps today, you are entering a new season. Today, you could write across the pages of your future the word change. 

    Pray. Hold tight to the One who goes ahead of you, loves you, and wants what is best for you. Keep your heart open to what God is doing as your life changes. 

    God is already in the season you are now entering. 

    Until the next page… 

    Scott Sullivan  

    The Notebook