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| Laura V. Hilton |
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Most of us have this verse memorized, and we use it to comfort ourselves when things are going wrong or not according to plan. There is security in knowing God has everything under control.
If you are anything like me, you have your day scheduled out. And perhaps, like me, you like to do it all in the same order. I don’t like it when my day deviates from the plan. I won’t go into every detail, but generally my day looks like this: get up, brush teeth, have breakfast, get dressed and make bed, start laundry, homeschool and marketing, lunch… and on we go. I make a list, every day, of things I want to do. And I check it off when it’s completed. My grocery lists are written down, and accompany me to the store. I make a menu every week and follow it. I like organization, knowing things are under control and going according to plan.
So, today, I had a plan. Written down. We started school, laundry . . . oh, and an extra load was thrown in and that threw me off. Then my son informed me the dryer was smoking. I got my son’s backpack and sleeping bag out of it, and let it cool down before starting the final load of the day. Then the land-line phone stopped working. I had to use the cell phone to call the phone company. It started working again when my son found the problem, and I had to recall the phone company. I was beginning to get a tension headache. Nothing was according to plan!
Then my son through another bombshell in the works. His car is dead. Well, dying. He needs to start looking now. I browsed online, we didn’t find anything he was especially interested in, but he has a place in mind. We’ll probably go car shopping on Monday. Likely multiple places. This stressed me out even more.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6, Laura’s rewording)
My son drives 100 miles a day to go to work. He needs a car that will get them there and back, one that won’t die and leave him stranded at work. Or in the middle of nowhere. God knows.
Are you, like me, so attached to your plans that when one thing changes it throws you off kilter? Do you accept the change as God’s will?
A century ago, Oswald Chambers said: “We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything. Wherever He puts us, our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him in that particular work.”
Lord, help me to love and serve You with all my heart, where you have placed me today.
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| About the Author |
Her publishing credits include three books in the Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House: Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts (winner of the 2012 Clash of the Titles Award in two categories), and Promised to Another. The Amish of Webster County series, Healing Love (finalist for the 2013 Christian Retail Awards). Surrendered Love and Awakened Love followed by her first Christmas novel, A White Christmas in Webster County, as well as a three book Amish series with Whitaker House, The Amish of Jamesport series, The Snow Globe, The Postcard, and The Bird House in September 2015. Other credits include Swept Away from Abingdon Press. Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a professional book reviewer.
Connect with Laura
http://www.amazon.com/Laura-V.-Hilton/e/B004IRSM5Q
visit her blogs: http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/ & http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @Laura_V_Hilton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Laura-V-Hilton/161478847242512
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/vernetlh/
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| The Bird House by Laura V. Hilton |
The Bird House
Twenty–year–old Greta Miller's daed has been injured in a farming accident during the summer. The supportive Amish community tries to help out, but Greta and her sister must work outside the home to make ends meet, and so Greta rents a booth at the farmers' market. Because Greta is still in her rumspringa and free to explore the world, her family selects her to sell her homemade jams, jellies, and preserves to Englischers. Josh Yoder wants to court Greta, but years ago, he made the mistake of rejecting her during a seemingly innocent game; which resulted in him leaving the Amish. Three years later, he's back, but Greta wants nothing to do with him. Josh struggles to fit in and rebuild relationships he destroyed. Knowing Greta's family needs help, he steps in, hoping to win her back. When Greta admires one of his birdhouses, he gives it to her, hoping that it will open the door to more. But as their friendship begins to grow, a series of unfortunate events pull Greta away from the Amish, leaving her rejected by those she loves. Will Greta get beyond her family's distrust and return home? Will she prove her innocence? Or will she remain outside her Amish community?
