Tag: grace

The Joy of Self-Despair

by Jordan, posted in Christian Living

What’s one thing that dramatically changed your walk with Jesus?

For me, it was learning to distinguish between true despair and self-despair. As many of you know, I grew up ensnared in addiction. Trying to live a Christian life looked a lot like this:

  • Sin.
  • Try to stop.
  • Fail.
  • Despair.

I spent over a decade stuck in that cycle, despairing of ever living a life for Jesus or breaking my addiction. I was sure that anything good the Lord had planned for my life had been ruined.

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When God Rewrites Your Story

by Jordan, posted in Christian Living, Testimony

“How would God tell your story?“

I was recently challenged in a Bible study to share my version of my salvation story with God and then invite Him to share His version with me. I put it off for a while, but I finally sat down to share it with Him one night last week, and joked, “How long do You have, God?”

I then proceeded to tell Him exactly how I remembered my story:

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God Has the Worst Fan Base

by Jordan, posted in Christian Living

I was scrolling through Facebook the other day and came across a post talking about abortion. It encouraged people who consider themselves pro-life to show grace to mothers who did choose life, but didn’t do it in a conventional way: the teenage girl who dropped out of high school to have her baby, the married woman who gave her baby up for adoption, the unmarried woman who had a baby with her boyfriend, or the woman using food stamps at the grocery store to support her five children. The writer shared that all of them chose life, yet still get judged by the people who claim to be pro-life because they have a non-traditional lifestyle.

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For the Mom Who is Drowning

by Jordan, posted in Christian Living, Testimony
I watch you glance at the clock. Because for now, life runs on time. And your days just don’t seem to have enough. It’s time for a bath and bed, and it’s okay when you feel guilty that you’re glad. I give you just enough energy to make it through the splashes and tantrums. And I hear every word you softly sing over her. I am already answering those prayers for her. Mama, you just wait to see what I do in her life.
Your to-do list is almost complete. And even after all of that, you still come meet me on the couch. I understand that you can barely hold your eyes open, but Mama, my Truth is just the refreshment you need. My Word is the energy you need to love hard tomorrow. And all I need you to do it open it. I’ll do the rest. And I’ll give you rest.
You did more Kingdom work today than you will ever know, sweet Mama.
And you will never know how proud I am of you.
—“Dear Working Mama” by Jessica Satterfield (excerpt)

Three years ago, as a brand new mom in the throes of postpartum depression, I gulped these words down like they were water for my parched soul. Over and over again, I would go back and forth between these words and His Word. My whole life I had been an over-achiever, and it was devastating to not live up to my own expectations. Continue reading “For the Mom Who is Drowning” →