Butt Co

Taste and see that the LORD is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

~ Psalm 34:8 NLT

The second day of our move to Wisconsin was crazy! Not too far into our drive, our rental truck was acting up, so we pulled off the highway and waited for the mechanic to help us. Somehow the truck reset itself and we were fine. But a few miles down the road, the same thing happened and we pulled off again. This time, it would take a mechanic 89 minutes to get to us. During our long wait, I tried to take the girls to a playground across a 6-lane highway, but I turned wrong. Unfortunately, by the time we got there and went to the bathroom, Brad was ready and we had to leave, because we wanted to get through the major cities on Sunday.

Twenty miles later, we were tensely driving through heavy Atlanta traffic. And then hours later, we began traveling through the Tennessee mountains. I could feel the tension in my whole body, as I worried about Brad driving the huge truck up the mountains. As I looked at the cliffs on either side, I said, “I need a scripture to bring me peace.” And Holy Spirit reminded me of Psalm 34:8, which is often interpreted as experiencing God’s goodness. Because of His Word, my perspective changed. Instead of being intimidated and fearful by my surroundings, I enjoyed the beauty and was awed and inspired by all that I saw. A little while later, as we sat in a traffic jam, I was reminded of the sign I had seen just before we’d had the truck issues. It was then that I realized we had just entered Butt County, Georgia when all the truck issues began. I laughed so hard—a much needed release.

Don’t you just love how the story of your day changes when you see it through the heart of the Lord?

Holy Spirit changed my day, attitude, and outlook, simply by reminding me to experience the goodness of the Lord. What’s going on in your life that needs a change of perspective? Ask the Lord to help you experience His goodness and joy, even in the middle of Butt County.

©Heather Potts 2017

HOME

When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. ~ Mark 2:1 NLT

We’re currently on vacation staying with my brother and his family. And although I had good intentions, being away has gotten me out of routine, which can more easily steal my peace. But Holy Spirit reminded me that the place is not my problem.

At church on Sunday, the pastor taught on Mark 2:1-11. He said Jesus, having been out beginning His ministry, had just returned home. In this passage, a paralytic was lowered through the roof to be healed by Jesus. Jesus healed him first emotionally and then physically. At that time, the man’s family, not strangers, should have cared for him. But likely due to his illness, his family left him to fend for himself. When Jesus called the man, “My child,” (v 5), as a parent would call a son or daughter, Jesus gave the man a home, a place of belonging.

Home is a place of:

·   Healing. When you’re not feeling like yourself, you want to be in your space with its comforting feels and smells.

·   Oneness. While away, it’s easy to get distracted by others’ routines and mannerisms. Though there’s nothing wrong with them, you run the risk of losing the one-mindedness of your family unit. Home allows you to reconnect and realign your thinking.

·   Meditation. The reason people often “need a vacation from their vacation” is because they fail to slow down, take a deep breath, and keep their peace.

·   Escape. We can all feel that we need to “get away” to escape life’s demands. But home is meant to be a place of escape, a refuge from craziness and storms.

I realized on Sunday, that I’ve been struggling to feel “at home.” But Holy Spirit reminded me that it’s not about a street address. No matter where I am, my home is in Him.

Regardless of what’s going on in your life and where God has you. Remember that He always has you and that your home is found in Him.

©Heather Potts 2017