Devotionals
In 2015, I was given the opportunity to write devotionals for LandMAX Properties and Timber Company, where I worked part-time. The "Words of Encouragement" devotional series was originally inspired by LandMAX’s owner, Chad Smith, whose heart has always been to be a light to others through his daily work. Though my husband, Matt, and I took on a new ministry role out of town shortly after this began, I’ve continued writing for LandMAX ever since (and sometimes Matt jumps in to write as well)!
We’re incredibly grateful for the many years we’ve been part of this wonderful vision for the LandMAX community, and now we’re excited to extend these devotionals to you, too!
I Knew This Would Happen
“I KNEW this would happen!”—these words coming out of my ten-year-old’s mouth were a surprising delight to my ears. Usually, if I hear this phrase, it’s always in reference to something going wrong. “Ugh—I knew this would happen…” I might say this to myself when getting stuck in traffic or when the grocery store is out of my favorite snack, finding a previous negative experience to repeat itself and happen again. I’ve actively worked on not always assuming the worst, but I know this is part of our human nature, too, and I had only ever heard this phrase come out of the mouths of my peers in a similar context of frustration and disappointment. My little guy’s words sounded out of place—such a frequently negative statement said in such a positive tone.
Missing Pieces
Puzzles were a big part of my childhood. Not necessarily because I was a fan of putting them together; however, my mom was a master at putting the pieces of a puzzle together. It didn’t matter how complex the picture was—she always had a strategy for what she was going to do, and it never failed. She would start with the outer rim and then work her way in. She would sort each piece by color, design, and other key details depending on the puzzle. Slowly but surely, she would finish the puzzle, and it would become the masterpiece she saw on the box.
Solitude vs. Isolation
It took me all the way to my mid-twenties to realize I am an introvert. Some of my friends laugh at me when I say that and tell me it’s pretty obvious, but I definitely missed the memo! In my teens and early twenties, I would feel guilty noticing that my mood would shift if I had been around people too much. Socializing didn’t feel unusually difficult for me, and I genuinely did enjoy the company of my friends, so I wasn’t self-aware enough to realize that too much time without solitude would deplete my energy. What finally made this blatantly obvious was my first move out of my hometown, when everyone around me was new all at once.
Learning to Swim
I don’t know about you, but if I ever have a bad experience with something, I have a tendency to say, “This must not be for me,” and never touch that thing again. A perfect example of this is my early childhood experience with swimming. My parents had enrolled me in swimming lessons, and just a few days later, we found ourselves spending the weekend at our local lake. I was eager to show them what I had learned, and ignoring my dad’s better judgment, I lunged straight into the murky lake waters. The next thing I remember was seeing darkness everywhere, with a bright light in the center and a hand reaching down toward me. Is this… the bright light at the end of the tunnel? Did I just… die?
Daily Work
King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived (1 Kings 3:12), wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, reflecting on how many of the things we pursue in life are meaningless. From courtroom injustices to history repeating itself, Solomon has much to say about how the world works. One topic we can learn much from Solomon about is our daily work.