“What a glorious God! He gives us salvation over and over, then daily he carries our burdens!”

Psalm 68:19 TPT

Some seasons in life can feel suffocating. Pressures and problems seem to mount on nearly every side. Schedules can feel relentless, while stresses become overbearing. It’s like sinking, with burdens threatening to bury God’s promises of peace and joy. If I’m honest, I have spent far too many years feeling like I couldn’t catch my breath. 

I began my professional career as a tenth-grade World History teacher in some of the toughest schools in Texas.¹ Gang activity and riots were common occurrences. In my third year, my task was to help launch a virtual high school. This was during a time when online learning was beginning. We had to design the courses ourselves because the operating budget was limited. I was also pregnant with my first baby and starting a staff position at church. Stress seared my mind as I felt stretched beyond my limits.

Abbey was born five weeks before school started. My course was incomplete, and I dreaded leaving my baby for work. Abbey stayed with my parents during the first week of school because she was too young for daycare. Mom-guilt, work stress, and life pressures seemed suffocating.

In those days, life looked dark, but there were signs of growth beneath the surface. Because I was teaching online, I was able to work from home three days per week. One hundred percent of my students passed the state exams by my third year at that school. I used the skills I learned as a teacher to help launch churches, lead teams, and write Bible curriculum. If possible, I would tell my younger self, Relax. God’s grace carries you.

A sign hangs on our wall at home that reads, The will of God will never take you where the grace of God will not protect you. It was a gift from one of the founders of our church, Bishop Jimmy Davidson, who was also a source of inspiration for my writing career. One day, Bishop pointed his finger at me and said, “I want a book outline by next week.” I responded, “Well, I guess I better go pray then.” Bishop encouraged me to follow God’s path for my life and supported me along the way.

Not long after this conversation, Bishop preached a sermon titled, Grace Lifts Me. It was based on a verse from John 15, “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away…” (John 15:2 ESV) This passage seems harsh, but a hidden treasure lies within it. The phrase he takes away in Greek also means to lift up. God is not a cruel taskmaster but a gentle gardener who cares for the vines.

A trip to a vineyard inspired Bishop’s sermon. A vinedresser came by as Bishop stood in seemingly endless rows of grapevines. The vinedresser stepped back, stared at one of the plants, then knelt in the dirt. He said, “The vine is healthy, but this branch is not fruiting. Mud creates a coating that prevents it from absorbing sunlight. It has the capacity to produce a crop, but the debris is blocking the necessary nutrients. ” The vinedresser lifted the branch, washed it, and attached it to the supporting wire. It’s easy to see that in the same way, God’s grace lovingly lifts us. It cleanses off the heaviness of life and gently secures us back to God, our vine.

I was present with Bishop the day he passed away. The following week, I was scheduled to speak to our congregation. In his honor, I shared his sermon, Grace Lifts Me.

In the film, A Good Year, a wealthy stockbroker moves to the French wine country.² Henry, the stockbroker, is set to inherit his uncle’s vineyard, but experts had labeled the vines as worthless. Henry fusses with the difficult vinedresser, or vigneron in French, because of his strange methods. One day, he sees the vigneron singing over the vines. When Henry asks why he does such an odd thing, the Frenchman explains, “My whole life, people laughed at me for singing to the vines. I explained that, someday, the vines would sing back.”³ In the end, Henry learns that the worthless vines had been producing a private label of exquisite wine all along.

Tears are welling within as I write to you today. I can now see how those smothering pressures helped to develop a rich wisdom. As I encourage you, I sense the Lord reminding me that nothing in life is wasted. If I’m truly transparent, I still need that reminder. In the middle of the muck, it is difficult to see how God uses problems for his glory. Surrendering to God in the midst of heavy struggles produces depth of character. Through it all, the Father is always faithful.  

The Lord is singing over you today. Grace carries you in the same way that it steadied me during my teaching career. God cleanses the mud that life throws your way. The Holy Spirit helps keep you connected to the Lord and produces extraordinary fruit from your life. Grace is immeasurable, fully available, and unfailing. Allow grace to lift you today.

When life feels overwhelming, God’s grace lifts and steadies you. These free Peace Prayer Cards will help you pray through stress and find strength in Him. Download yours here.

Resources:

1. Excerpted from Grace to Grow: 40 Devotions to Release Anxiety and Dive into Purpose, BroadStreet, p. 31, Kristel Ward, 2022
2. A Good Year, directed by Ridley Scott (2006, Los Angeles: 20th Century Fox, 2007), DVD, 118 minutes.
3. A Good Year, directed by Ridley Scott

Kristel Ward’s devotional, Grace to Grow, was written to ditch anxiety and dive head-first into God’s purpose. Grace to Grow can be found on kristelward.com and all major book retailers.