Scripture Reading

​”Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” ~ Psalm 51:12

​”The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.” ~ Psalm 37:23–24

​”Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you…” ~ 2 Timothy 1:6

​When I put my sourdough starter in the freezer, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I had never done it before, so this was a true learning experience. I soon learned that extreme cold places a starter into suspended animation. The wild yeast and beneficial bacteria fall dormant, and much of the active culture quiets down. When you finally pull it back out and place it on the counter, nothing happens right away. You feed it fresh flour and water, but it just sits there. It takes days of consistent, patient care to wake it back up, reactivate the yeast, and bring it to a place where it can rise again.

​As I navigated that learning experience with my starter, I realized how accurately it mirrors our spiritual walk—an ongoing journey of learning, adjusting, and discovering how God works in us.

​There are seasons when we quietly put our faith on the shelf. We stop opening our Bibles, step away from church, and let life’s routines crowd out our time with God. 

We don’t necessarily lose our foundation, but without daily nourishment, our spiritual life drops into deep cold. The warmth, the joy, and the active presence of God seem to dissipate.

​Then came our turning point—Kevin’s cardiac arrest. When something that sudden and life-threatening hits, it strips away all the noise, the routines, and the illusion of control, forcing everything back down to what truly matters. Life split into “before” and “after.” 

Before, faith was something sitting on the shelf, dormant and cold. But after that, God used that terrifying moment to wake a sleeping household, clear away distractions, and turn His Word into our daily lifeline.

​In the beginning of that journey back, I remember telling a close friend and confidant how desperately I wanted what I used to have with the Lord. I wanted that closeness back instantly. 

But she gently reminded me that I was trying too hard, pushing in my own strength, and that God works on His timeline, not ours. She was right. Spiritual reactivation isn’t an instant, artificial fix; it takes time and steady care. 

God met us in His perfect timing, patiently bringing us back to life through small, faithful “feedings” every day:

​• Opening His Word daily, resting in His truth.

• Praying continuously, talking with Him throughout the day.

• Taking every thought captive, guarding our minds and choosing grace.

• Pausing before we speak, letting our speech be seasoned with His love.

​Today, my faith is strong—yet I know I’m still human. If I’m being honest, I trip up every single day, and my walk often feels less like a smooth, confident stride and more like constantly stumbling forward.

​But the beauty of growing in Him isn’t that we become immune to tripping; walking in grace means knowing whose hand is holding yours when you lose your footing. 

When we stumble, God doesn’t cast us aside or demand that we start over from scratch. He reaches down, picks us back up, and sets our feet right back on the foundation He built. He reminds us of the overwhelming grace we’ve been given—not so we feel guilty for falling, but so we can turn around and extend that exact same grace to everyone around us.

​It was a frightening way to be shaken awake, but the beauty on the other side of it—that steady, daily walk in His grace, stumble after stumble—is proof that He never wastes a crisis or a learning experience.

​If you feel like your spiritual life has been sitting in the cold, don’t be discouraged if it takes time to feel the warmth again. 

God hasn’t left you, and your foundation isn’t gone. Keep feeding your heart with His truth today, and trust Him to hold you steady every step of the way.

​Prayer

​Lord, thank You for Your endless patience with me as I learn and grow. Thank You for bringing us through the darkest valleys, for using every wake-up call to draw us back to Your heart, and for turning every unknown season into a lesson of Your faithfulness. Even when I let my Bible collect dust or try to force things in my own timing, You remain constant.

​

Help me to cherish the small daily feedings—in Your Word, in prayer, and in my thoughts and words. And when I stumble and fall, thank You for holding my hand, picking me up, setting me back on Your solid foundation, and filling me with Your grace.

​In Jesus’ name, Amen.