Beauty in Belonging: Anchoring in Christ in Every Season by Jenny ErlingssonНамуна

Day 5: Belonging in New Beginnings

None of us are exempt from feelings of loneliness or rejection or not belonging. Whether we are stepping into a new place, opportunity, or stage of life or acquiring a new skill, we may feel restless and unsettled and perhaps even disconnected. But a new season does not mean we need to dig a new foundation. As Christ's followers, we are called to build on the foundation that He gives us. Our lives should be built on Him, our Rock.

“My mom used to sing,” she whispered with a tentative smile, feeling vulnerable. “On Christ the solid Rock I stand . . .”

It came out no louder than a hum, a weighty hush, filling their private space.

"All other ground is sinking sand . . .” Adanne sang, inwardly stepping over her own tripping doubts to find her footing. Strength seeped from the lyrics. Settling her with peace.

Perhaps what is coming to you is not what you expected. Maybe what you’ve been praying for didn’t arrive in the package you thought it would. But that’s the beautiful part about belonging. As a child of God, you can trust that what God brings your way He will provide for and make a way through, and He will give you peace in the midst. You are His, and, dear one, He is yours. The new does not have to be scary when you know that there is One who goes before you and also walks with you. Although stormy winds may blow, or even on mountaintops or in valley lows, our core identity remains steady in Him. And that is a beautiful thing to behold.

This plan has been adapted from the book Her Part to Play by Jenny Erlingsson. Not only are the Scriptures in this plan good to meditate on, but some of them are also woven into this story. Experience more with Adanne, John, and the Hope Springs community in the novel Her Part to Play, available at Baker Book House and wherever books are sold.