Abby McDonald

Finding the Hope of Christ in a Messy Life

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When all you want is to go home

August 20, 2021 by Abby McDonald

“I just want to go home,” my son said. Then immediately, the tears came. I fought back my own tears as I grabbed him and rubbed his back.

“We’ll be home soon, buddy. They’re just trying to make sure you’re safe, ok?” I looked into his eyes and he gave me a nod.

We exited the bathroom and made our way back to the patient room in the ER, waiting for the ambulance that would transport my son to a children’s hospital an hour and a half away. A medical team needed to monitor multiple head injuries that had resulted from a biking accident, and the other hospital was better equipped to deal with trauma.

Over the course of the next twenty-four hours, I learned my son has multiple ways of dealing with both physical and emotional trauma. The first one is asking questions. Lots of them. Not only does he ask them, but he asks those answering to repeat the information multiple times.

Doing this gives him a feeling of control of the situation, even when it’s uncontrollable. It makes him feel a sense of order in the midst of the chaos. Unfortunately, I also learned that people are people. They make mistakes and often give inaccurate information or say things they don’t follow through with.

So what do you do when the foreseeable future is unknown?

When you’re looking at the events of your life and asking yourself, “Is this really happening?” You feel as though you’re not living your actual life, but something out of a movie scene. And unlike a child, you have enough life experience to know people’s faults and inability to always keep their promises.

When I’m in a horrific situation like the one my family and I went through, I go into autopilot mode. My focus is entirely on doing the next thing I need to do to protect my child and survive. I don’t have the mental capacity to recite verses out loud or preach them to myself. My prayers become simple breaths in and out, with single words uttered.

Help. Come. Protect.

But even though my words may be few, I observe. The Spirit shows me he’s there, even when I don’t have the answers or the outcome I want. So when the nurse brings an extra hot pack to my son even after the IV is in, I know he’s there. When I receive a message from a friend at just the right time, I know.

As I see these provisions unfold, God brings to mind aspects of his character for me to meditate on.

Nothing complicated to cloud my already overwhelmed brain, but singular characteristics.

Healer. Redeemer. Rescuer.

I realize prayer is not to try to manipulate God’s hand, although in this case, I sure want to. It’s an invitation to recognize who he is. To bring him into circumstances where yes, he’s already there. But through prayer, I see it.

“Let the one who is wise heed these things
and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.”

Psalm 107:43 NIV

My son had hundreds of people praying for him all over the country. He was discharged the following afternoon, and as we left, I noticed a prayer chapel on his floor. In the chaos, I didn’t see it the night before or even that morning when I trekked to Starbucks and a zombie-like state.

But there it was, its outer walls covered with circular glass sculptures reflecting light from the outside. It had a whimsical appearance, inviting the outsider into its sanctuary.

He’s always inviting us in, friends. But sometimes, I believe we make it more complicated than it is. What I’m slowly learning is this: We don’t have to be anything other than what we are to enter his presence.

So if you’re scared and overwhelmed, come. If you’re discouraged and defeated, come. Lay it before him and let him do what only his Spirit can.

His sanctuary isn’t within walls, but right where you are. Let it surround you today.

An Invitation:

If you need to shift your focus from a struggle or worry and see what God is already doing in your life, I encourage you to pick of a copy of my book, Shift: Changing Our Focus to See the Presence of God. I talk more about the ways a simple shift can change everything. Many people have sent me messages saying it is a timely book for this season. This encourages my heart so much. I pray that God continues to use it to touch lives.

Here’s what one reader said:

“One of the most comforting books I’ve read in a long time. Author Abby McDonald writes from a place of vulnerability and truth, and she clearly writes to serve her reader. A sweet book full of honesty and wisdom.” -Brenda

You can pick up a copy of Shift by clicking the image below.

*Affiliate disclosure



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Filed Under: faith, God's love Tagged With: #spiritualgrowth

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Comments

  1. Cindy Webster says

    August 20, 2021 at 11:17 am

    I can relate to this story. My Mother is in assisted living with dementia for the past two years. It has gotten worse because activities have stopped because of Covid. We sold her home because she needed care desperately. She agreed to go there but she misses her home. Everybody wants to go home even when it is not possible in her case.

    • Abby McDonald says

      December 2, 2021 at 9:26 am

      I’m so sorry to hear that your mother has been going through this, Cindy. I know how hard that must be. I pray that God will comfort you both during this season.

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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Mom brain (and brain fog) is real, folks! Always h Mom brain (and brain fog) is real, folks! Always have a journal or app with you to capture those ideas on the go. Then, when you finally get a chance to sit down, you’ll have your idea in front of you.

#writinglife #writingtips #writingcoach #hopewriters
I can’t tell you the number of times someone has I can’t tell you the number of times someone has remarked about my kids’ behavior, my writing, or something else, and I would never have known they noticed me. They said something at just the right time, often on a day I needed a boost of encouragement, and it kept me going. I know you don’t have an audience (except your kids, perhaps) when you’re doing the dishes. You probably don’t have one when you’re putting your kids to bed either. But you know what?
 
Our unseen work will always affect the work we do for an audience.

The heart and the love we pour into those unseen hours? It will carry into the lives we live in front of others. It will cause a ripple effect, spreading over to other areas. We may not even notice it at the time, but it will.

If you’re having trouble believing those unseen hours matter today, will you do me a favor? Come to God and just be honest. I promise he can handle it. He won’t turn away or give you a cold shoulder. He may even show you a little glimpse of what you’ve been missing.

#hopewriters #hisloveenduresforever #encouragingword #seekhimfirst
His goodness will follow you into the unknown, int His goodness will follow you into the unknown, into the dark valleys and shadows. It will never leave. Even when it feels as though the world is closing in on you and you have nothing left to give, his goodness will follow you.

Speak this truth over your life today. Even if you have difficulty believing it today, he will use your proclamation of truth. You will defeat the enemy with arrows from his Word. His attacks against you will not stand.

#hopewriters #psalm23 #hisgoodness #seekhimfirst
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1. Shorter lines
2. Less chaos and traffic in the store (which makes me anxious)
3. No one breathing down my neck in the checkout line. 😂 Sidenote- so not necessary!

What unexpected gift did you recently discover after doing something you didn’t want to do? Nothing is too small.

Happy weekend, friends!

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This is what I keep telling myself lately. Perhaps you need this reminder too. Because if you’re anything like me, you can freeze yourself with contingencies and made-up scenarios before you even start something. 

It’s exhausting. And I’ve wasted too much time doing this. So I’m choosing to take steps toward big goals even when my inner voice tells me, “You have no clue what you’re doing.”

Yesterday, that looked like sending an email.  It seems like such a small thing but it felt good. More than good, actually. It was as though all those made-up scenarios melted away, my shoulders relaxed and God whispered, “I’ve got this.”

Take the step, my friend. No matter what happens, the joy of saying “yes” will far exceed the regret of never trying.

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Anyone else? 🙋🏻‍♀️😆 When do I need Anyone else? 🙋🏻‍♀️😆 When do I need to send help for you?

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But if we look at scripture, Jesus doesn’t describe his peace as a trophy we have to earn. It is a gift He gives us as his children, and His perfect peace is part of who He is.

Sharing more about this @embracing.the.unexpected 

https://www.embracingtheunexpected.com/how-is-god-good-unexpected-circumstances/

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When we walk through these valleys, we need to remember that Jesus said himself that no one can snatch us out of the Father’s hand. 

Regardless of what you might be feeling right now, you still belong to the One who paid the highest price to call you his own. If you’re having difficulty hearing his voice in your life or wondering why he speaks to others and not to you, here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Our spiritual life is a series of valleys, mountains, and middle ground in-between. When you witness someone else taking big steps in their spiritual journey or hearing from God consistently, it could be that they are in a different life chapter than you are. Often, a long valley comes just before the breakthrough. It’s never a good idea to compare where we are in our faith to someone else, because each of us is unique.

2. Abiding in Christ is an active, day by day process, not a passive, one and done decision. One of Jesus’ last teachings to the disciples is about abiding in the Vine. Jesus is the Vine, and he tells us in John 15 that apart from him we can do nothing:

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4 NIV

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