A guest post by Karen Castleberry . . .
Bible Verse
When you abide under the shadow of Shaddai, you are hidden in the strength of God Most High. He’s the hope that holds me and the stronghold to shelter me, the only God for me, and my great confidence. Psalm 91:1-2 TPT
Reflection
Talking with some of my friends the other day sparked a bittersweet memory of my childhood. When I was a little girl, my aunt separated from her husband and came to live with us with her four children. Our house was bursting at the seams with three adults and eight children. Emotions ran high all the time, which overloaded my sensitive system.
Growing up in a Christian family, I can’t remember not knowing God, yet I had not developed a personal relationship with Him at that time. I didn’t know how to go to God for my refuge in the midst of chaos.
I escaped often into the quiet of the woods. The trees filtered out the vibrations of everyone’s emotional stuff, cleansing my system of emotions I didn’t know how to process. I would find myself wandering around for hours, sometimes walking near the lake where the soothing sounds of the water would calm my soul.
Not wanting to go home when I got hungry, I would pick muscadines growing wild in the woods and eat my fill. Not realizing how God had provided my escape into the woods to recuperate, providing food not only for my body but also my spirit.
Recently, one of my friends gave me a quart jar of muscadines grown on her farm. My heart smiles, knowing God prompted her with a message for me. The muscadines remind me that even when I don’t know what to ask God for, I can trust Him to provide for my body, soul, and spirit. I can go to Him as my refuge and be renewed, even in the midst of chaos.
Prayer
Thank you, God, for providing a safe shelter in You from the chaos in life. Forgive me, Lord, for the times I rely on my own strength, forgetting I can turn to You always. I appreciate all the ways you remind me that You are near. Amen
Thought for the Day
When life gets hectic, remember to turn your focus on God’s promises.
Copyright © 2025 by Karen Castleberry
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Karen Castleberry is a Missionary of Prayer. She lives with her husband, Gary, and 2 dogs, in a little cottage nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains of North Georgia. Their son, Jeremiah, lives and works nearby. Karen loves reading, writing, photography, knitting, and all things creative. Her greatest joy in life is spending time with Jesus, her family and friends.
