Devotions

The Tangled Mess

They were a tangled mess.
How did that happen so quickly?
My headphones were in knots.
The cord looked like a pile of spaghetti noodles.
Would I be able to listen to my music if they were that twisted?
Would I be able to hear?

Looking at this tangled mess, I began to reflect on my own thoughts.
One minute, they are clear, confident, focused.
And then in what seems like a nanosecond, chaos takes over.
My thoughts are unsteady, uncertain, all over the place.
Just like that tangled mess.
How did I get here so quickly?

One minute I am confident in who I am and Whose I am, praising Him.
The next minute I am anxious and fearful, wondering if I matter at all.

Have you ever felt like that?

On a good day, I can stop that train before it ever leaves the station.
I do not let those thoughts penetrate my heart or my mind. 
I strike back quickly with the “sword of truth” …
“I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) or “If God can be for you, who can be against you?” (Romans 8:31). I have a little come to Jesus meeting in my head and say “not today, Satan, not today.”

But then there are those other days when it takes longer for me to pick up the sword. I don’t even realize that I am under attack. When I let my guard down, it is easy for the lies to chip away at my confidence. Doubt begins to penetrate my thoughts.

My trigger word is enough. My thoughts become twisted, just like the cord.
“You don’t do enough.” “You aren’t a good enough mother, wife, friend…” The list goes on and on. Before I know it, I am far away from who I am and more focused on who I think I should be.

Dear sisters, this is the very distraction that pulls us away from the One who gave us life.
If we are too busy trying to be everything to everyone, trying to measure up, we forget we are already everything to Him. We become like that tangled mess. And when are thoughts are a tangled mess, it becomes harder to hear His truth.

In my head and heart, I know this. And when it happens for the up-teenth time, I always come back to the same question: how did I get here again? How can I keep from coming back?

The answer is simple-spend more time with Him and in the Word. Jesus went off on His own to spend time with the Father. He needed the comfort and wisdom of God over the clamoring of the crowd. Sisters, we need that same time to curl up in our Father’s lap to remind us who we are. I pray that each of us takes the time to spend with Him daily.

Now, to untie that cord…..

One Comment

  • Lauree jo wetzel

    So many special thoughts and memory bubbles floating up to the surface..
    I feel truly blessed and am reminded once again to stay in parallel with Jesus.
    Sometimes staying inside of the palm of his warm and caring hands..
    You.ve blessed me and I look forward to many more stories
    Love your sister lauree