Devotional: Are your thoughts spinning?

There are so many thoughts spinning around in my head that I would like to find a button to press “STOP”  to slow down. Have you ever felt this way? 

When life starts to feel that way, I find help and comfort in reading from Psalms or Proverbs. Here are two of my favorite passages:  

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”  Proverbs 16:3  

“In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

In a “normal” year, we would have been busy preparing for a Thanksgiving gathering…shopping, cooking, and cleaning. The day would have come and gone, and soon we would have been saying goodbye to our family and friends. Then our thoughts would have turned toward Christmas, as the colors of autumn begin to be replaced with the cheerful red and green colors of Christmas and bright lights. This transition would have led to new family plans, church plans, the uncertainty of the weather, and more, causing my thoughts to begin spinning again. 

In 2020, our Thanksgiving was a little (or a lot) different than in usual years. The pandemic caused many families to cancel their normal plans, and their hearts may have been heavy as they reflected on the effects of COVID-19. Then there's the uncertainty of December...

• Will we be able to go to an in-person church service?
• Will there be Christmas music?
• Will we be able to continue with our family Christmas traditions?
• What will the new year be like?

The questions continue…

But let us not let these concerns cause us to miss out on the true focus - Jesus Christ and the hope He has for each of us! As 1 Peter 3:14 reminds us, we are blessed, no matter what! This Christmas season, let us continue to be thankful as we prepare to share His hope and love to those we meet. 

Written by WMU of Texas President Earl Ann Bumpus