Definition of adapt: Adjust to a different situation or condition.

Bible Definition of adapt: Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

Recently, I’ve found myself feeling tired and weighed down with the way my health has been and the situations I have found myself in. This is on top of the journey/waiting period I’m going through of finding who I am. Where do I fit in and what is God calling me to do? My mind has been working over time and spiralling down a slope.

I want to stop going down into the valleys and try and climb back up on top of the hill. I’m doing this by trying to adapt my mindset. It’s been super hard though, to say the least, and I am no where near to getting this under my belt.

Why do I find it so hard?

You see, I am not naturally a happy person, probably because of what I went through growing up as a child. (Part of my story is available to read here). You wouldn’t see me bounding through the doors, whistling a happy tune, and hollowing “Good morning everyone!”

What I went through when I was younger and into my teens has been engrained into me. As a result, my happiness set point is set quite low. It takes a lot for me to get to a high point and very little to bring me down. I only need to get a phone call telling me my hospital appointment has been delayed and I would start thinking the worst. My mood then gradually turns upside down (and this really did happen the other week!)

So, what can I do?

I want to change all this. I know I need to work on this and it’s going to require a lot of patience and perseverance. It’s going to take a whole heap of God doing some deep refining in me. I’m not looking forward to the process, but I am looking forward to seeing the outcome.

One of the ways in helping me to adapt my mind is to start the day in the right way. What better way is there to do this than spending time with the One who wants to do the refining and adapting with me? I find when I spend time with God reading His Word, it helps me to centre my thoughts on what is important.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…

2 Timothy 3:16

How can I spend time with God?

Making time to have moments with God has not been easy, especially when having three young children that seem to have more energy than I’ve had restful nights sleep! However, I came across a beautiful little book by Tammy Mashburn called “Mornings in the Word”.

Tammy spent years in a shallow relationship with God and wanted to go deeper with Him. She has used her own battle with chronic illness and the frustrating journey she has been on to create a devotional designed to get you spending time with God.

The short stories which Tammy writes, along with the poignant questions, are simple but so effective. They help me to reflect for the rest of the day how I can engage with God better, or how I can let Him work in my life.

If you are looking for a devotional to help kick start your morning, then look no further than Tammy’s book. It has only just been released and is available to buy through Amazon.

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Update…

Since writing this post a few years ago, my life has changed somewhat. I still go through these periods of wondering what I’m meant to do with my life. That’s not changed much. I also still have my health issues. Surprise, surprise! Currently, I am on the waiting list for an operation on a hernia I have. I was meant to receive the operation on 2nd April 2020, but hey, Covid-19 struck and lockdown kicked in!

As a result of lockdown, my operation got cancelled and I was moved from the urgent list to the elective list. I now have to wait, in pain, for anything up to 6 months instead of the 3 week wait I previously had. When I received this news, I just cried. The thought of having to wait, and without knowing when, was just too much.

But maybe this is the right timing? Being in hospital during the Coronavirus outbreak is not the best place to be right now. There are so many restrictions in place on who can be by your side in hospital. Only God knows what the timing will be, and that is what I need to trust in. 

The biggest change I have had in my life is the increase in it’s size. Since I wrote this, I have the added blessings of twins. Yes, I now have 5 children instead of 3! And yes, I am absolutely crazy, and flat out tired, but wonderfully blessed.

The increase in my family size has also meant I am even more busier than I was before. I find myself wanting to spend more time with God, but having less time to do it. As a result of neglecting my spiritual life, coping with what life throws at me is a little harder to manage. This is when I “stumbled” across this post. God has a way of bringing reminders at times when you need them most…like a Facebook memory from a few years ago!

What has changed?

Due to the God-felt prompting, I have changed a few things recently so I can at least try to start and end the day right. Firstly, I try to make it for our morning prayers at church. ‘What? Morning prayers?’ I hear you say. I bet you’re probably thinking… ‘how on Earth is this girl trying to make it for morning prayers with 5 kids?’

It’s simple. Lockdown has produced many ways for us to connect with other people via the internet. I physically would not have been able to make it to morning prayer before lockdown. Now, I can just turn up in my pyjamas whilst still feeding my kids their breakfast! No-one needs to see what I am wearing or hear the commotion going on in the background. I can turn up just as I am, and that’s how God wants me to be – Just as I am.

The second way I have tried to connect more with God is through a daily devotional. One I can hear though, as well as read. It’s ideal for busy people like me who find it hard to sit and focus for one minute. At the end of the day when I see the pile of washing up to be done, or the clothes that need folding from the dryer, I turn on LECTIO 365 on my phone.

Lectio 365 is a daily devotional resource that helps you pray the Bible every day. It’s written by leaders from a movement called the 24-7 Prayer movement. The idea is to help shape your life by engaging with scripture and inspiring prayer. I would recommend it for anyone who, like me, is looking for help to connect with God in this busy world.

I know it’s not easy trying to be connected with God when everything seems so disconnected. But if we try, and keep trying, it gets a little easier. There are so many different applications and online groups we can access, now more than ever. I have only given two possibilities – a search in google can bring up many more.

My prayer for you, and me, is that we keep on trying. Don’t ever give up on trying to connect with God. He never gives up on trying to connect with us.

Don't ever give up on trying to connect with God. He never gives up on trying to connect with us. Click To Tweet

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This weeks word prompt is ‘adapt’. Click here if you want to see what other people wrote. You can also have a go yourself. What do you think of when you hear the word ‘adapt’?

This was written for the Five Minute Friday Community, where a number of writers gather for a weekly writing challenge around a single word prompt and write to our hearts content, but only for five minutes (or there abouts – I took a little longer this week).