Abby McDonald

Finding the Hope of Christ in a Messy Life

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The Day I Realized Why I Wasn’t Hearing God Speak

December 6, 2018 by Abby McDonald

I poked at the fire, frustrated that it wouldn’t stay aflame. This girl was no scout. The temperatures outside had reached single digits, and our furnace was having a hard time keeping up.

After spending an hour trying different techniques, adding wood, scraps of paper, and using more fire starters than any person should, the flame blazed hot enough for the wood stove’s fan to cut on, circulating the heat throughout the house. My mouth spread into a victorious smile.

The problem was, I didn’t know what I’d done right.

Later, after my husband returned from a business trip, he explained the basics of fire building to this city girl. I listened intently, determined not to have the predicament repeat itself.

Even my son, the cub scout, knew the basics of fire 101. I guess I should have asked him, right?

As any seasoned camper may know, fires need three basic components: heat, fuel, and oxygen. It turns out, I had given my fire plenty of heat and fuel, but I’d neglected oxygen almost altogether. Instead of giving my flame room to breath by spreading the wood in a triangular shape, I’d smothered it.

Fires need room to breathe. And much like the flame I’d suffocated with its own fuel, I often adapt the same pattern in my spiritual life.

I know my heat comes from the Holy Spirit living inside me, so I feed the flame with his Word and plenty of good reading material, podcasts and worship. I gather with other believers, lead and serve.

But often, I don’t allow space to breathe. To digest what he’s teaching me. To sit in his presence and be still with no agenda, no checklist or index of requests I need to present.

While we fixate on the lines of our life story, God often speaks in the margins. Click To Tweet

In the spaces in-between the carpools, the play dates and the prayer meetings. In the moments where we slow down, we sit and we wait. Because the voice of God is always worth waiting for.

“Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10 NIV

So instead of piling more stuff onto my never-ending to-do list, I’m carving out time to listen. Even if it starts with fifteen minutes before my kids roll out of bed, it will be worth it.

I’m creating a space to not simply read the Word, but hear from the Word.

Will you join me? Many times, we throw too many scraps on our spiritual fire, suffocating it so much it has no room to breathe. I have. I am guilty. I’ve placed a list of chores on the altar of life, forgetting what God wants most is my heart.

But thanks be to God, his mercies are new every morning.

It is never to late to realign our priorities, to make a change or create a new beginning. Today is the day.

Fan the flame.

An Invitation: 

Not sure how to create margin in your life? Good news! I am teaching a FREE workshop titled Creating Margin: The Crucial Element of Self-Care at the 2020 Christian Women’s Self-Care Conference. There are also 55+ other amazing workshops, all available free for a limited limited time! Click the link below to register and learn more.

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Filed Under: faith, spiritual growth Tagged With: #spiritualgrowth, busyness

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Comments

  1. Ellen says

    December 6, 2018 at 9:34 am

    Oh, Abby! So true! So true! I am finding myself in a listening season, waiting on Him! I pray we all listen well. Beautiful post, friend.

    • Abby McDonald says

      December 6, 2018 at 5:59 pm

      Praying he uses this season in amazing ways, friend. Thank you for your sweet encouragement!

  2. Kristi Woods says

    December 6, 2018 at 10:17 am

    Fan the flame–amen. Sometimes–far too often, honestly–I find myself running and not waiting. The busyness snuffs out the flame. But He faithfully waits while I come to my senses and quiet the world, waiting with expectation and simply “being” in His presence. And that’s a beautiful place. Good encouragement, Abby. Thank you for continuing to champion not only your race with God, but ours too. Merry Christmas, friend.

    • Abby McDonald says

      December 6, 2018 at 6:00 pm

      Oh, friend. How I get that. I’m often the same way. Thank God for his patience and grace. He is such a great teacher, when I’m willing to listen. xoxo Merry Christmas to you too!

  3. SherriS says

    December 6, 2018 at 6:34 pm

    I needed to read this today. Thank you Abby for a beautiful post.

  4. Lisa Appelo says

    December 7, 2018 at 2:49 pm

    So true, Abby! Sometimes all the other voices (even good voices) get too loud and we can’t hear what God is personally saying to us.

  5. Janice says

    December 28, 2018 at 10:18 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing. I spent years building fires in our wood furnace. Sometimes i did a great job starting the fire and keeping it going. Other times, i struggled and had more smoke than fire. The same in my spiritual life. I know what to do, i know what fans the fire in my spiritual life but too many times i don’t. I wish i could write that i am young but i am 70 and struggle. Your thoughts are the thoughts many of us struggle with. Thank you for allowing God to speak through you.

    • Abby McDonald says

      January 3, 2019 at 11:06 am

      Janice, you may be 70 but if you’re still living God’s not finished with you yet! Thank you for reading and commenting. I’m praying for you today. God bless and Happy New Year!

  6. Janice says

    December 28, 2018 at 10:20 pm

    Please see above comment i have left.

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...

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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
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