More From Terrye Blevins

Have you ever done something to help someone, but to your surprise it helped you? Well, it happened to me. My own devotion was brought to my attention at a time when I needed it most.

God is omnipresent! God is always there, even when we lose sight of God amid all the things that go on in our lives.

So this was my experience…

As I was leaving my mom’s home one night, I pulled over and cried. My mom, 89 years young, was experiencing a multitude of health issues. The past 12 months had been difficult for her mentally and physically. Even with all of the support and cooperation of my siblings, and my husband and sons pulling together to help, I was worried and scared. As the eldest sibling, I tend to take on a lot of the responsibility for caring for others—something that my mom taught me—but it can sometimes be a heavy burden. Transporting my mom back and forth to appointments and being one of her caregivers had been quite overwhelming for me. I was having difficulty sleeping and had been experiencing a low-grade headache for several weeks. Uncertain about my mom’s health, I just wasn’t sure how I could continue to manage.

All I could do was pray and ask God to help me. After about ten minutes, I felt better and got back on the road.

Early the next day, on Sunday morning before going to my mom’s house, I swung by my church to pick up some Upper Room books that I periodically send to encourage young college students and those who are sick and limited in their ability to leave home. As I talked to the ushers at the desk, I marveled at the striking but simplistic nativity scene on the cover of the November/December issue. Advent was soon approaching. Suddenly, I remembered that my devotion was to be published by the end of the year!

When I got back to my car, I began flipping through the booklet. It had been a while since I signed the release, and with so much happening with my mom I had forgotten that my devotion was to be published. Then I found my devotion on page 49! How could I have forgotten? The title, “Power Over Fear,” and 2 Timothy 1:7 spoke to me. Once again, tears welled up in my eyes. This time they were not tears of dread but of thankfulness and peace. God knew I needed to soak in this devotion again, and it came to me at just the right time. Thank you, Jesus!

I do not have to fear anything! No, my mom is not young in years. No, my mom is not in a healthy state to take care of herself. No, I don’t know what the future will be. But one thing is certain: God is with me and will give me the strength I need to move forward to help my mother. I was finally able to sleep that night. Paul writes about the presence of God’s Holy Spirit, alive within us. Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us” (NIV).

Paul reassures Timothy and reminds him that God’s Holy Spirit dwells in us and that with that, we must keep the faith and constantly hold onto God’s word in our daily walk. God is present at all times and cradles us with love.

Thank you, Lord, for giving me the courage and strength I need to stand tall during times of uncertainty with your Holy Spirit guiding me. Thank you for giving me the stamina to move forward boldly with love, power, and a sound mind.

Thank you for reading my blog. Please visit me on my website: terryeanne.com.