We Can Be Part of Something Big by Zoe M. McCarthy

My seven-year-old grandson wanted to understand what he’d heard about our presidential candidates lying. I was saddened. What thoughts, opinions, and lessons was my grandson absorbing from the hubbub about two prominent people that he should be able to respect and follow as role models?

Zoe M. McCarthy

I felt helpless. What could I do to stop all the sinfulness this and other nations are choosing, the most harmful being the turning away from God?

Then I read two short devotionals on opposite pages in Today God Wants You to Know… You Are Loved by Laura Wegner.

The first devotional offered 1 Peter 5:10-11 from The Message. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.

Ms. Wegner titled the following devotional, “You Are Part of Something Big.” She wrote: “No circumstances or person will ever be strong enough to push our God out of the way. Even His haters will ultimately bow their knee before His throne. So when the going gets tough, always remember that, in the end, God wins.”

That was a comforting reminder, but that didn’t ease my helplessness to change things for the better.

Ms. Wegner titled the opposite page, “You Can Bring Heaven to Earth.” The Scripture she chose was Matthew 6:10 from the New Living Translation. “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” She followed the Scripture with the words below.

“God wants you to be a part of His work on earth. He longs for you to exercise your faith in His will. This is because God has included us in His plans through our prayers. Our prayers enable us to access God in heaven. What a privilege!

If you want something from heaven to come to earth, pray. Entreat God to make it happen.”

I believe in prayer. So, I turned up the heat in prayer for our country and other nations, for Christians, for my church, and for Jesus’ great commission*. Also, I can be a role model for my grandchildren and others, so I pray about that too. I am part of something big.

How are you part of something big?

*“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

About the Author

A full-time writer and speaker, Zoe M. McCarthy, author of Gift of the Magpie and Calculated Risk, writes contemporary Christian romances involving tenderness and humor. Believing that opposites distract, Zoe creates heroes and heroines who learn to embrace their differences. When she’s not writing, Zoe enjoys her five grandchildren, teaching Bible studies, leading workshops on writing, knitting and crocheting shawls for a prayer shawl ministry, gardening, and canoeing. She lives with her husband in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Zoe blogs regularly at www.zoemmccarthy.com.

Gift of the Magpie

Gift of the Magpie by Zoe M. McCarthy

Amanda Larrowe’s lack of trust sabotages her relationships. The English teacher and award-winning author of middle-grade adventure books for boys has shut off communication with friends and family to meet her January 2 book deadline. Now, in the deepest snow accumulation Richmond, Virginia has experienced in years, Camden Lancaster moves in across the street. After ten years, her heart still smarts from the humiliating aftermath of their perfect high school Valentine’s Day date. He may have transformed into a handsome, amiable man, but his likeability doesn’t instill trust in Amanda’s heart. When Cam doesn’t recognize her on their first two encounters, she thinks it’s safe to be his fair-weather neighbor. Boy, is she wrong.

Purchase link for Gift of the Magpie: https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Magpie-Zoe-M-McCarthy-ebook/dp/B073M8X4YZ/