The Connection Corner

When You Think You Can’t, God Says You Can

Daily Devotional, Lauren Kitchens-Steward

Luke 1:37 – “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

When we adopted Knox, we thought we knew what we were getting into. The paperwork said he had cochlear implants, spoke a little English, and was fluent in Chinese. But the minute we met him, we realized real quick—that was simply not true.

And suddenly, we weren’t just new parents. We were new parents with no idea how to communicate with our son.

I won’t lie to you. It was overwhelming. If we had known upfront how much we would be stretched, I don’t know if we would have had the courage to say yes. That is just the honest truth.

But here’s the thing—God knew. And He had a plan far greater than ours.

Now, years later, Knox is the most incredible kid. He is bright, funny, and kind. And while we still have plenty to figure out, I know now that he was always meant to be ours.

Looking back, I see it so clearly—God knew we could handle more than we thought. And I think that’s true for you, too. Right now, you may feel overwhelmed by what’s in front of you.

You may be looking at something and thinking, “There’s no way I can do this.” But friend, God has already gone ahead of you. He sees the full picture, and He knows exactly what you are capable of even when you don’t.

And one day, you will look back and see—it was never impossible. It was just bigger than you.

And bigger than you is where God does His best work.

April 30, 2025/by Lauren Kitchens-Steward

Prioritizing Peace in Pressure

Daily Devotional, Sarah Hall

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Eight days. Just eight more days until I walk down the aisle and say, “I do.” Eight days until a thousand tiny details—flower arrangements, last-minute Amazon deliveries, and seating charts—would either come together or fall apart.

And I felt like I was drowning in all of it.

I would wake up each morning before the wedding already feeling behind. My mind would sprint through the day’s tasks before my feet even hit the floor. I wanted to start my mornings with God—I knew that was the right thing to do—but instead, I reached for my phone or for my planner for control.

Then, one morning, in the middle of my mental storm, a thought cut through the chaos:

“Is this how you want to enter marriage? Frazzled? Exhausted? Trying to hold everything together by yourself?”

I sat there, phone in hand, convicted. I had been so focused on making everything perfect that I had left God out of the picture. I had forgotten to take a moment to breathe and center myself on Him.

So, I did something different. I put the phone down. I closed my eyes. And I prayed, not for my list to magically disappear, but for my heart to be re-centered on Him.

I reminded myself that with Him, I could face anything.

It is funny—nothing about my circumstances changed in that moment. But I did. Whenever I placed God as my priority, the knots in my stomach loosened, and I felt strengthened to tackle each day’s task.

Is there something in your life that is weighing you down? Perhaps it is a to-do list or an overwhelming task you’re trying to manage on your own. If your mind is crowded and your heart overwhelmed, take a step back. Pause. And give it to God.

Because when we put Him first, everything else falls right into place.

April 29, 2025/by Sarah Hall

Love that Lifts Us Up Again

Andy Youso, Daily Devotional

Proverbs 24:16 – “For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.”

Hadassah sat at the top of the hill, gripping her handlebars with all the confidence in the world. Her legs bounced with excitement, her feet barely staying on the pedals. I crouched beside her.

“You ready?” I asked, resting a steadying hand on her back.

She nodded eagerly. “I’m ready, Daddy!”

“Okay,” I said. “Just remember—”

But before I could finish, she launched forward, her laughter trailing behind like a banner. For a few glorious seconds, she was weightless. Fearless.

And then I saw it—the hesitation in her shoulders, the slight panic in her grip.

She did not know how to stop.

“Hadassah!” My voice cut through the air. “Squeeze the brakes!”

She didn’t. Instead, her feet shot out, dragging against the road.

“Not your shoes!” I winced. “Those are brand new!”

Her bike wobbled and swerved, and then she crashed. I was running before she hit the ground. By the time I reached her, she was crumpled in a heap. Her scraped knees were pulled up to her chest, and hot tears spilled down her cheeks.

I knelt, scooping her into my arms. “Oh, sweetheart. I’ve got you. You’re okay.”

Her sobs hiccupped as she clung to me. I held her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“That was scary, huh?”

She gave the tiniest nod. I squeezed her a little tighter. “I know. But you were so brave.”

She sniffled. “I didn’t know how to stop.”

I smiled, smoothing a hand over her back. “That’s okay. You’ll get it. You’re still learning, and that’s what matters.”

And isn’t that how life goes? We take off, thinking we have got everything figured out. We stumble. We fall. We scrape ourselves up in ways we never saw coming.

But, every single time, our Heavenly Father comes running.

Not with anger. But with arms open wide. His grace meets us in the dirt, not with disappointment, but with love.

Hadassah would ride again, and next time, she’d remember how to stop. And when life throws you and me off balance and we stumble, I believe we will too because…

“You’re still learning, and that’s what matters.”

April 28, 2025/by Andy Youso