Galatians 6:2 NIV — Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Water walking Wednesday is an opportunity to intentionally take a step out of your boat of comfort and walk on water, allowing God to guide you toward His will. Water walking requires you to be vulnerable. A couple of synonyms for “vulnerable” are  exposed and susceptible. 

When Julie and I first began our Waterwalkers blog, our goal was to share our ordinary lives, full of struggles and storms, in the hopes that others would relate. We wanted you, the reader, to see that our Christian walk is not so different from your Christian walk. In order to truly show you that we are all similar, we had to let down our guard and be vulnerable. We had to walk on water and expose our flaws and failures. In return, all of you have shared our burdens and joined with us in prayer. Over the years, some of you have reached out to share your struggles with us so we may also share your burdens. That is what Christ calls us to do. Sharing struggles with one another requires us to be vulnerable and step out of our boats of comfort. Water walking is not easy, but God always rewards our step of faith with His grace and mercy. Let’s spend time in prayer asking God for guidance and direction, be vulnerable to His will, and then let’s go walk on water! 

Let’s pray. Dear God, guide and direct my steps. Reveal Your will, give me strength and courage, and show me when and where to step out of my boat of comfort and walk on water with You. Help me to lovingly carry the burdens of others. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

James 1:2-4 NIV — Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Believe it or not, everyone has struggles. Everyone! No one’s life is perfect. If we allow it, our life on Earth is a constant learning lab, as we strive to be more like Christ. In the middle of difficulties, we often do not see how any good could possibly come from such storms. However, God never fails to use hardships to teach us and make us more Christ-like, if we allow Him. That is the catch, You and I have to allow ourselves to be vulnerable in order for God to mold us. We have to “let go and let God” lead us through the storms of life. Take a moment to listen to this song that is an oldie but goodie. “Eye of the Storm” by Ryan Stevenson reminds us that through the storms of life, God is with us. In the middle of difficulties we must lean into God, be vulnerable to His will, and trust that our perseverance will grow our faith.

Let’s pray. Dear God, help me to let go of control, be vulnerable to Your will, and trust Your guidance through the storms of life. May I allow You to mold and shape me to be more like Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

James 5:16 MSG — Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.

How open are you to sharing your struggles with Christian friends? Do you allow others to see your vulnerability or do you work hard to keep your struggles hidden? When thinking about how we hide our weaknesses I think of the scene from the Wizard of Oz when the characters see on the other side of the curtain the wizard has been hiding behind. Click here to watch the video.

Sharing our struggles is a way to connect and oftentimes witness to others. Allowing others to see how you react and respond to your troubles may reveal struggles you have in common. Being vulnerable also allows others to share your struggles so they may pray for you. I encourage you to let down the curtain around you instead of constructing a perfect looking facade. Being vulnerable and sharing with others can become a beautiful blessing for both of you.

Let’s pray. Dear God, give me strength to let down the curtain I use to cover my struggles. Use my vulnerability to witness and share with others. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV — But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

What does “vulnerable” mean to you? Being vulnerable seems negative when simply studying the meaning outside of the context of the Christian life. Vulnerable can mean being exposed and susceptible. This week let’s explore how being vulnerable in our relationship with God can be our biggest blessing. I encourage you to begin your devotion time each morning by being open and receptive to new ideas God may lay on your heart. Rely on the grace of Christ as you explore being vulnerable in your Christian walk.

Let’s pray. Dear God, open my mind, heart, and ears to Your individual message for me this week. May I be an open and willing vessel for You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen

Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬ — I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Join us for See You Saturday as we recap the week. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel while you’re here.

2 Corinthians‬ ‭8:11‬ ‭NIV — Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

As my emotions are higher this week, I am reminded that I don’t want to just rush through life, even when times are tough. No matter what each of us has going on in our lives, I encourage us all to finish this week strong. God has already covered our yesterdays with His grace. He has already gone before us in every task, milestone, and relationship. Let’s grab our cup of coffee or whatever drink you choose and let’s be eager to start our day. 

Do you own an adult coloring book? I encourage you to color as you reflect on this past week. Let’s not get stuck on worrying about coloring inside the lines. Life is messy, yet beautiful. Let’s be thankful for the grace that God extends to each of us, regardless of the mess.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank You for not expecting me to always color inside the lines. Help me to not rush through life and to worry less. Give me the love and grace I need to conquer this day and finish my week strong. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Isaiah‬ ‭30:21‬ ‭NIV — Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

When I look at the moon it always reminds me of a book my parents gave for our twins after they had moved four hours away called, I See the Moon and the Moon Sees Me by Jonathan London. No matter how far we are from our loved ones or even our God, we are all looking at the same moon. Just like the Magi followed the star to Bethlehem in Matthew 2:9 NIV, God is always guiding us. On this Thankful Thursday I am blessed with the reminder that God is guiding us always. We won’t hear an audible voice but we know He is saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Although He may seem distant at times, we are looking at the same moon. 

In my childlike mind, I giggle with a thought. What if our loved ones who have gone on before us are looking at the same moon from their heavenly home. It’s a thought that brings me joy. I hope you all can find something as big or small as the moon to be thankful for today and always!

Let’s pray through the song, Don’t Stop Praying by Matthew West.