Lean Into Your Village
I didn't plan on doing a three-week series around sports, but the stories keep coming. First, I wrote about being strong and courageous. Then came the candy wrapper message that we can do hard things. This week is a different kind of reminder: there are times when doing the hard thing means knowing when to lean into your village.
Colds hit both girls this week. As much as we all tried to get to bed early, stuffy noses, late nights and thinking about everything that had to happen the next day led to a lot of interrupted sleep. The 9-year-old started the cold cycle and shared it with the 15-year-old volleyball player, who was already run down from late nights.
Thursday morning, after another sleep-deprived night, I knew I needed to lean into my village. Not because I needed someone to physically help me. I needed people to take up the battle spiritually. So I sent an SOS prayer request to a few friends and my mom.
The prayers and encouragement started coming.
Psalm 29:11 was front and center in my journal. It's what I've been praying over my volleyball player:
The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Strength and peace.
I wrote those two words on my arm and prayed them throughout the day.
Then my bleacher-mom bestie sent a Snap with 1 Thessalonians 5:11:
Therefore encourage one another
and build each other up,
just as in fact you are doing.
She didn't even know we were on the struggle bus that morning. But God knew.
My Bible study group prayed for my volleyball player to cast her cares on Jesus.
One of my college friends sent me a song, Loop Cycle by The Gray Havens. I played it for my daughter on the way to school after I let her sleep in. The song talks about the negative thought cycles we can get stuck in, especially when you're facing a long day after little sleep and already feeling less than stellar. Those thoughts can make you feel stuck. But God brought down the walls of Jericho, and He can give us victory over those thoughts too.
My mom prayed for surrender and peace. That surrender tied right back to Loop Cycle!
I sent one final verse to my daughter: Philippians 4:6-7. Bring everything to God in prayer and experience His peace.
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
That morning, I couldn't fix the colds, the exhaustion or everything that was waiting for us that day, but I could pray and I could ask other people to pray too. We can do hard things when we surrender them to God. Be strong and courageous. God is with you, and when the hard thing feels like more than you can carry on your own, lean into your village.
I'm grateful for mine.
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Make Monday Matter is my weekly Christian devotional where I share reflections on faith, running, and the small ways God shows up in everyday life.
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