Abby McDonald

Finding the Hope of Christ in a Messy Life

  • Home
  • About
  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Coaching & Resources
  • Blog
  • Contact

The Glue That Binds

April 18, 2014 by Abby McDonald

 DSC00615

Did you know that He prayed for you?  For me?  Before I was ever a glimmer of life in my mother’s eye, my Savior thought of me.

He didn’t pray that I’d have a trouble free life, that I’d make enough money to pay all the bills, or that I’d never experience heartbreak.  He prayed for unity.  With my brothers and sisters in Christ, with the people on the other side of the world I will probably never meet, with the neighbors who always let their dog leave presents in our yard.

In a world where we divide ourselves political stance, financial position, denomination and doctrinal views, Jesus prayed that we would be one.

His blood is the glue that holds us together.  He didn’t bleed only for me.  He also bled for a prophet who, when given instruction, fled in the opposite direction.  He bled for the thief who hung beside Him.

He bled for the one who denied Him three times, and upon his return, instead of badgering him, hung Himself out in the space between them, saying, “Do you love me?”

His Love is the glue.

He became the blackness that divided us from Heaven, his own body bearing the weight of it, and in that moment is own Father had to turn his back so that you and I could be free.

Free to choose.  And yet still some will say, “no.”  Still those of us who say, “yes” fight amongst each other.

I am a ligament that makes up a finger and you are another.  See that woman over there? She is the ear that hears the cries of the weak and says, “Mercy.”

We are One. God, help me not to be a lone part of the body trying to function without your Light, but a living, working part of the whole.

 

This was written in response to Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday prompt, glue.  Five Minute Friday is a wonderful community that gathers each week for uninhibited, glorious writing on one word for five minutes flat.  You can learn more by clicking the link below.

 

Five Minute Friday

Share if you care!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: faith, love, the church

Let’s Stay Connected

Subscribe to receive my latest posts via email.
And as a thank you, I’ll send you a free PDF download of
"The Daughter’s Manifesto."

Privacy Policy

Comments

  1. Rhonda Crowdis Hardisty says

    April 18, 2014 at 8:06 am

    I love the line that reads “his love is the glue that holds us together”. No truer words could have been written. Thank you for sharing on FMF this morning!

    • Abby says

      April 18, 2014 at 2:37 pm

      Thank you so much for visiting today, Rhonda! Hope you have a beautiful weekend celebrating our Risen Savior.

  2. Meredith Bernard says

    April 18, 2014 at 8:30 am

    There is so much truth in this post today, Abby. I pray with you, that I can be a living, working part of the whole and not just trying to do this life on my own. For myself or Him or anyone else. Instead, together. Held by his glue Love this… Blessings today, Meredith

    • Abby says

      April 18, 2014 at 2:39 pm

      Yes, this is my prayer, Meredith. Hope you have a beautiful weekend as we celebrate. Hope to meet you at She Speaks!

  3. BoniLady says

    April 19, 2014 at 11:22 am

    Dropping by from FMF- have a blessed weekend!

    His glue does indeed hold us together! I love your post- He prayed that we’d be united. I think it’s because He knew that with a united body in Him, everything else we’d need would fall into place! He’s so good!!

    • Abby says

      April 19, 2014 at 2:09 pm

      You too! Thank you for your encouraging words today. I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow celebrating our Risen Savior.

  4. agilitynut says

    April 21, 2014 at 7:26 am

    Hi Abby, thank you for stopping by my blog (A Net in Time) and commenting. Ah..Christ’s blood, the glue of life is it not? 🙂

    • Abby says

      April 21, 2014 at 4:14 pm

      Thanks for stopping by! And, yes His blood is definitely the glue. I am forever grateful.

Hi! I'm Abby and I'm so glad you're here. I am a wife and a mom of two very energetic boys and one sweet baby girl. When I'm not chasing them around I love to write about my love for a God who relentlessly pursued me, even during my darkest times. READ MORE...

Let’s Stay Connected

Subscribe to receive my latest posts via email. And as a thank you, I’ll send
you a free PDF download of "The Daughter’s Manifesto."

Privacy Policy

Stay Connected

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Popular Posts

How God Responds When His Own Want to Die
4 Truths to Hold Onto When You Think You've Let God Down
When "I'll Pray for You" Is An Insult
When You Stop Praying for the Miracle

You Can Find Me Here

Take the Challenge

Categories

Recent Facebook Posts

Recent Facebook Posts

Recent Pins

Latest Instagram Feed

Friend, if you are in a season of waiting right no Friend, if you are in a season of waiting right now, I encourage you to look back on the ways God delivered you in the past. Repeat promises about his character out loud and write them in places where you will see them throughout the day. 

Doing these things may feel silly at first, but here’s what you’re doing: You’re rewiring your brain. When your mind is tempted to believe the negative, you are building a neural pathway to truth. You are creating a pattern, and as you do, it will begin to become more natural.

No matter what, remember God goes with you, even on the days it feels as though you’re alone. He is reaching out for you through the waves of chaos. Reach for him, and grab hold.
A few weeks ago, I had a heart to heart with God w A few weeks ago, I had a heart to heart with God while walking our dog in the cold. There were a few areas in my life where I was beyond weary. My honest confession didn’t leave me with any answers, but the release made me feel the weight lift a little. But still, I longed for some type reassurance. Like Moses before the burning bush, my heart whispered, “Show me your glory.”

That night my husband and I were sitting in our back yard, and I witnessed an unexpected gift I’d never seen: a meteor shower. Every few moments, a streak of light would illuminate the sky, and the magic of it left me awestruck. It was unlike anything I’d experienced in a long time.

As I put my head on the pillow that night, I sensed God saying, “I know you don’t always see it, but I’m protecting you in more ways than you know.”

There are fires He puts out that we never see.

Destructive masses flying toward us that are struck down before they reach us.

And while the struggle and the weariness remain, somehow I feel held right here in the middle of it. I know I’m seen. I know His love reaches places that go beyond those streaks of fire.

#faithhopelove #hisloveenduresforever #prayermatters #keepgoing
Have you ever heard a message that breathed new li Have you ever heard a message that breathed new life into a passage? This happened to me today, and I couldn’t believe the ways this psalm opened up before my eyes, even though I’d read it hundreds of times.

A valley of darkness is not a place where I’d want to sit down and have a meal. My focus would be on getting out. I can see myself asking God, “Can’t you see all these shadows lurking? Really, God?” And yet there David is, right in the middle of the shadow of death, eating. The Lord doesn’t wait until he gets to the other side to prepare the table. He prepares in right there in front his enemies. Enemies who are likely taunting. Whispering lies. Asking what he’s doing there and if he thinks he’ll really make it through. 

But God isn’t intimidated by the darkness that trembles in his presence. He wants to take David to higher ground. And you know what? He won’t get there by staying comfortable.

So instead of letting the voices of evil defeat him, David declares victory. His cup overflows. His path is secure. And ours is too, friends. Keep praising him in the midst of the battle today.

#authorsofinstagram #hopewriters #sundayscripture #hisgrace #victoryisyours #christianwriterscommunity #scriptureoftheday
We make thousands of choices each day, but not all We make thousands of choices each day, but not all of them are life altering. If you’re anything like me, when those big ones come 
you can go to God and expect an answer right then, even when you’ve done little to even connect with him.

But connection to God will always precede the direction of God. 

To enjoy the limitless benefits that come from this relationship, we must first take time fostering it. Wisdom, joy, love, and a sound mind are all at our fingertips. If we take the time. If we seek him before simply seeking his plans.

When we do, we find this:

1. God will open the doors he wants us to walk through. 

2. We often complicate what God has already instructed us to do. 

3. The right decision does not mean there are no bumps in the road.

Friend, I don’t know what decision fatigue you’re facing today, but know you face decisions that need to be made. This is the life we live. Whether they’re big or small, fear-inducing or not, know God is there with you, and he gives wisdom to whoever will ask.

#dailydevotional #decisionmaking #hisgrace #seekhimfirst
Sometimes the first sentence is the hardest to wri Sometimes the first sentence is the hardest to write. That’s why nearly every time I write, I ask myself these two questions:

1. What is my reader’s biggest struggle right now?
2. If I could tell my reader one thing, what would it be?

Asking these two questions not only clarify my writing, but keep it focused. The less rabbit trails, the better. 😉

What other questions would you add to this list?

#writingcoach #amwriting #writeyourstory #writingonwednesdays
This man gives selflessly of his time, love and en This man gives selflessly of his time, love and energy and teaches me so much about what it means to serve others with a humble heart. Today is his birthday, and I’m grateful that I get to celebrate another year of his life! Happy birthday, Chris! 🎉💗 We love you so much.

#birthdaylove #43yearsyoung #birthdaywishes
I am a visual processor. It always helps ingrain t I am a visual processor. It always helps ingrain things in my mind to see them laid out this way. That’s why I’m my book, Shift, I included several charts similar to this one to help transform our mindset. To shift our focus from what’s seen to what’s unseen.

One of the beautiful truths I learned through writing is that we get to control our narrative. We may hear words that aren’t true and even say them to ourselves, but they don’t have to get the final say.

We can:

1. Speak what’s true out loud. Matthew 12:35 says the mouth speaks what the heart is full of, but the opposite is also true. Speaking truth gets it into our heart.

2. Set boundaries on the toxicity we let into our lives. Whether it’s people, the news, social media or tv, we control what goes in. And what goes in matters to our mental health.

3. Write it down. We saw the Jews do this in the OT. It is a tried and true method and it works. 

Our minds won’t transform by osmosis. Lord knows, I’ve tried this method and failed. 😅 The battle starts with claiming the truth. But my prayer is that eventually the Word will become like air in our lungs, the same way our Creator breathed life into us.

➡️ Learn more via link in bio.

#shiftbook #shiftyourmindset #hopewriters #authorsofinstagram #christianauthors #bookstagram
Ever have a deadline looming and feel completely u Ever have a deadline looming and feel completely unmotivated to write? 🙋🏻‍♀️ Sometimes procrastination is not an option. Here are a few tips that have been effective for me:

1. Read or listen to something inspirational. Often, this will give me a fresh perspective or angle on a topic that I hadn’t considered.

2. Pray about it and dedicate your writing to God. God is the author of creativity. His Spirit is an endless source of beauty, inspiration, and fresh fire.

3. Move around. A blank computer screen is not very inspiring, is it? Movement and blood flow can spark a brain that’s tired and foggy with fresh ideas. 

Whatever you do, come back to the page. Always. Even if you think the writing is garbage, you can always edit. 

#writingtips #writingonwednesdays #writingcoach #keepgoing
I often forget that the middle of a new endeavor o I often forget that the middle of a new endeavor or opportunity is just as important as the beginning. When new beginnings and expectancy turn into endless days of the same, the transition can be grueling. Each day I must make the choice to get up and be present. I must be intentional about finding those new moments and opportunities for joy, even when they seem hidden.

While there are times in life when God calls us to leap or make a bold move for him, there are other seasons when he asks us to keep our feet firmly planted. In these seasons, our faith is stretched in different ways. 

Don’t let the messiness of the middle keep you from finishing the work God has for you. Keep looking for his presence in the details. Because one day, you will see the fruit he brought forth from that place.

➡️ Adapted from my book, Shift

#bookstagram #shiftbook #shiftyourmindset #faithfulness
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 Abby McDonald | Design by The Design Diva | Development by MRM | Privacy Policy

LET’S STAY CONNECTED

Subscribe to receive my latest posts via email.
As a thank you, I’ll send you a free PDF download of “The Daughter’s Manifesto.”