May 30, 2007
When the Bubbles Pop
By Joanne Sampl, She Speaks Graduate
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35 NIV)
Devotion:
It’s a childish thing to do, but I still love to blow bubbles. I keep a bottle or two of that sticky, soapy, messy stuff with the plastic wand in the kitchen pantry near the back door. I even have a bottle in my minivan for those unplanned stops at the park.
Just like the bubbles drift away as I blow them, my mind drifts away watching them. I study them closely. Each one is a different size but they each reflect the colors of the rainbow. Some pop quickly while others linger and dance in the breeze. Some bubbles leave the wand with several bubble friends, while others start alone and end alone. Depending on how slow or forceful I breathe, I can try to create more or less bubbles at a time. However, I am constantly aware that even though my breath is important to starting a bubble, I have no idea where it will end up or how long it will last. I can only watch and see what happens.
Recently, I received devastating news. The shock and stages of grief are still wafting over me. Instinctively, I pulled out my bottle of bubbles and headed to the park. I was eager for my mind to drift away from my circumstances. The first bubbles were the hardest to blow that day. I barely had breath to exhale through my tears. “Keep trying. Keep blowing,” my mind coached me that day. Or, was it God’s voice coaching me?
The principles of blowing bubbles seem to apply to so many circumstances in life. “Keep trying. Keep blowing.” These words are another way to express the principles of 1 Timothy 4:15-16: “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (NIV)
I am still trying to see the colors of the rainbow in my situation. God keeps His promises (Gen
And, when the bubbles of life pop, I get to take another breath and start again.
Dear Lord, you breathed life into me first and now I pray every breath I have gives you glory and honor. You are the Creator, and all things start and end with You. Give me your eyes to appreciate those around me, your strength to keep going through my circumstances, and your breath of hope to share with others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Breathe by Keri Wyatt Kent
Application Steps:
Simplify your life so you can have time to meet with God through studying the Bible and prayer. Then talk to God about the areas in your life where you are struggling to have hope and confidence in Him to work things out as He sees fit.
Reflections:
What circumstances in your life does God want you to keep your eyes on what He is doing around you?
What makes you dance in the breeze?
Power Verses:
Psalm 31:24, “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.” (NIV)
Psalm 71:14-15, “But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.” (NIV)
2 Corinthians 5:17-18, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (NIV)
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G,
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org