Hold Onto Hope: A 5-Day Devotional for Encouragement and New BeginningsSample

As I continued to get closer to God, I began to understand that there was no need for me to apologize to anyone for my family’s many blessings, but it was our responsibility to share those blessings with others. Once I accepted that way of thinking, I didn’t spend much time questioning why all of the good things were happening to us. Instead, I just thanked the Lord for them.

I know so many of us fall into that same trap of feeling unworthy or less than adequate to receive all that God has to offer us. But how can we expect to receive God’s love, mercy, and grace if we’re not ready with open arms?

That epiphany also coincided with my search for a church to call home, where I could regularly worship. It had been so long since I attended weekly religious services that it turned into a much more arduous task than I thought it was going to be. It took nearly ten visits to churches all over Orlando before I found one that seemed to meet my list of needs.

At the top of my list was being able to worship and fellowship with people who saw me as Lucille O’Neal, their sister in Christ, and nothing more—not much to ask but extremely difficult to find in this star-crazed world.

Not that I consider myself a star, but even being related to one can get more attention than you’d imagine. I eventually found a little church called 910 Church of God near downtown Orlando. I love the people, and I know God meets me there every time I attend. I owe God so much because I have been a bad girl during my life. But we serve a forgiving and loving God.

Though I love to fellowship with the people in that old building, I learned that the church is not within those walls but inside me.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for Your love and forgiveness and thank You for abiding in me. Please help me to share Your love with others. Amen.