Navigating Pain

Day 5: God Is Righteous
One still moment in my kitchen—and a truth that brought me balance

Hi friends,

I had that kind of morning last week. You know, the kind where everything seems okay on the surface, but in your head, things are churning.

I was at my desk, trying to finish up a devotional. I had my warm tea, my resources laid out, and my essential oil diffuser quietly humming along.

Then a text came through, a few words, and suddenly I felt like I was falling behind, that I wasn’t doing enough, that I should’ve had it all figured out by now.

Therefore, I closed my laptop. I walked inside, grasped my mug, and just stood there. Watching the steam rise like a prayer. “God,” I whispered, “I feel lost.”

Then I remembered something that Max Lucado wrote:
God is never too early or too late. God is never wrong. God is righteous.

This truth sank deep within me, like sunshine. I wasn’t called to hurry. I wasn’t called to mend it all. I wasn’t called to be flawless. I was called to believe in the One who is.

Scripture of Hope:
“Those who know your name also trust in you, for you, God, have never deserted those who seek you,”

Psalm 9:10

Kind Invitation: If you are feeling overwhelmed or uncertain, I invite you to pause. Allow yourself to breathe. Allow the truth to sink in: God can never be wrong. God is generous, kind, and sovereign. You are caught.

*
**Day 4: Here Is God**
A gentle walk through fear, thought, and grace

Dear friends,

Have you ever looked at a season of life and thought, *“Here be dragons”*?

Ancient sailors once marked their maps with warnings—dragons, demons, sirens—over the places they feared to explore. I’ve done the same. Over the waters of adulthood: *Here be dragons.* Over grief: *Here be demons.* Over the far edges of anxiety: *Here be sirens.*

But today’s reflection reminded me of Sir John Franklin—a mariner who chose faith over fear. He crossed out those warnings and wrote something truer:
**“Here is God.”**

That phrase settled into me like sunlight. Because even when life feels shadowy or uncertain, God doesn’t wait for us to reach safe shores. He meets us in the murky waters and whispers, *“I am with you always.”*

Max Lucado’s *Calm Moments for Anxious Days* and *Tame Your Thoughts* helped me reframe pain and fear with truth and tenderness. I used three mindset tools—Picky Thinking, UFOs, and Uproot & Replant—to gently shift my thoughts from abandonment to presence.

Here’s what I’m holding today:
🌿 I am never alone.
🌿 God is already present in the places I fear.
🌿 Even when the map feels blank, *Here is God.*

**Scripture of Hope:**
“If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there… even there your hand will guide me.”
**Psalm 139:8–10**

**Gentle Invitation:**
If you’re navigating a shadowy season, I invite you to pause and breathe. Let yourself imagine a signpost that reads *Here Is God*. Let that truth settle into your heart.

**Closing Blessing:**
May you feel held today.
May you walk gently into the unknown, knowing God is already there.
May your map be rewritten with grace.

With love and light,
Tracey

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**P.S.**
Want to know more about Sir John Franklin, the mariner who inspired this reflection?
📚 [Read his story on Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Franklin)