I lost my necklace, I couldn’t retrace my steps because I didn’t know how long it had been missing. Because I never took it off, I didn’t have to actively put it on. The gold statement piece had become just a piece and less a statement.
Some two weeks later, I find it gracefully curled up on the marble of my bathroom floor; I guess it had been sitting there the whole time.. just waiting for me to pick it back up, like I left it there on purpose. 
I guess I kind of did, though, in a not really kind-of way. 
When I’ve had a bad day, I run to the bathtub. I try to pull everything from that day off as quick as I can, ready to wash away a day of messes. I must have accidentally thrown the necklace off too, all piled up with my clothes and my sub-par attitude. I didn’t even know it was missing until I really needed it again.
There have been times in my walk with the Lord that have been just that. Somewhere along the way I sat Him down on accident only to find myself without His presence when I needed it.
Wait. When did that even happen, Katie? Don’t you hate when someone asks you “Well where’d you lose it at? Where did you sit it down?”
I’ve been busy. 
Busy chasing my toddlers. Busy doing laundry for seven. Busy working two jobs with crazy hours. Busy trying to diet. Busy trying to be my half of the partnership in my marriage. Busy trying to plan things and people I have no control over. Busy planning a plan for when those things don’t go according to plan. 
And so I’ve been reading my bible, saying all my prayers, and doing all of this stuff and the stuff crowded out my spirits, THE spirit. 
Does anyone else do that?? Just let life run all over you? The enemy feels like he has really big feet sometimes, don’t he? 
But things aren’t how they feel. It’s always what they are.
You may feel 50lbs heavier today because of your big lunch, but you’re not. You may feel like the kids ate your soul today- they didn’t. You may feel like her life is so much more perfect than yours- it’s not. Today may have felt like it was the end of the world, but it wasn’t. 
This is why Satan feeds off feelings. Let me distract her a little more today than yesterday. Let break her down a little more, kick her a little harder so she is so distracted by what she feels over who she is.
Satan works off feelings, God builds on truth. 
God says I chose you. (John 15:16)
God says you are more precious than jewels. (Proverbs 3:15
God says he is close to you (Jeremiah 23:23)
God says he’s even closer when we draw close (James 4:8) 
And God says I’m ahead of you, making a way for you. (Colossians 1:17)
He picked you, perfected you, stands beside you, draws even closer to you, and he’s even cleared the way.
He’s made a way to the coffee pot through the laundry, he’s made the way through the work day and the sick babies with snotty noses. He’s made a way through your feelings of inadequacy and brokenness. He’s made a way for your marriage. He’s made a way for you- to him- with him in the kingdom. 
Don’t let your feelings stand in the way of Jesus. Don’t make Him just a piece. When we approach Jesus unintentionally He has great potential to become unnoticed. 
I didn’t know my necklace was missing until I reached up to grab it and it wasn’t there. It didn’t require a conscious effort everyday to put it on. But Jesus does. 
If not, He will be no different than the necklace. 
In a world that attacks our weaknesses in what sometimes feels like an unending supply, we must also deliberately and intentionally prepare retaliation against feelings that aren’t, for truths that are. 
Jesus is always the statement, Satan is just a piece to run interference, and you are in control of both by what you choose to be attentive to. 
Life is busy and so are you, but it’s never too busy. Make a point to make purposeful time. 
Hugs
Katie