The Connection Corner

Stay Sharp, Embrace Growth

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

Proverbs 27:17

The knife glided cleanly through the onion. Slice. Chop. Repeat. At least something in this house was working the way it should.

I, on the other hand, felt anything but sharp.

Lately, my mind felt sluggish and foggy. Simple conversations took more effort. Work felt harder. Even at church, where I usually felt confident, I found myself struggling. I did not feel as clever or creative as I normally am. I knew it was just part of this postpartum season, but it was frustrating all the same.

My husband Chris walked in the kitchen and asked how I was feeling. So I began to share.

Though I was not speaking well about myself or my current situation, he did not dismiss my feelings. In fact, instead he leaned across the counter and reminded me of what the Word of God says. He continued by making sure I knew how important I am to him and to the Lord.

“Look, I know how you are feeling,” he said gently. “But, Bri, your faith and your words have to match! You are still working to where you want to be.”

Something about his words cut straight through the noise in my head. It was a simple statement loaded with so much truth. I wanted to argue, to explain why I felt justified in my discouragement. But deep down, I knew he was right.

Later, as I picked up the knife again, I thought about what it takes to keep a blade like this sharp. It does not happen by accident. It has to be sharpened, honed, and pressed against something that refines it.

I closed my eyes for a moment. “Thank You, Lord, for a husband who sharpens me every time instead of letting me stay stuck.”

Being sharpened is not always comfortable. It takes truth, challenge, and people willing to say the hard things in love. It is easy to resist sharpening because it requires friction. But dullness is not what we were made for. The people who love us enough to challenge us—those are the ones who help us become who God intends us to be.

Do not push them away. Embrace it, and let God give you the edge to be exactly who He has called you to be.

February 25, 2025/by Bri Dunn

How God Provides Abundantly

Daily Devotional

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

Malachi 3:10

Have you ever felt a pit in your stomach when you take leaps of faith? That is exactly what happened to our friend Kristie. Here is her story of generosity.

“‘Honey,’ I said hesitantly across the kitchen table, ‘once this goes through, we will barely have enough money to make it this month.’

My husband did not flinch. ‘God has us.’

I wanted to believe that. Truly, I did. However, tithing—giving ten percent of our income—felt like standing at the edge of a cliff with no safety net. Still, I took a shaky breath and pressed submit. Faith over fear.

The next morning, the knot in my chest had not loosened. But as I listened to my comfort station, 88.7 The Cross, I felt a different ache in my heart to give to the ministry.

‘God, you are in control,’ I whispered, knuckles white on the steering wheel. ‘You will provide.’

It felt like jumping out of an airplane with no parachute, but before I could talk myself out of it, I called and made a monthly donation.

As soon as I hung up, panic rushed in. What did I just do?

That afternoon, there was a knock at my office door. My husband stood there, eyes shining, holding a check.

‘Grandma sent this. She said God put it on her heart.’

I stared at the check. It was more than we had given and more than we needed! Tears welled up. This wasn’t just blind faith anymore. This was proof. God didn’t just ask me to trust Him—He showed me why I could.”

Perhaps today, you are standing at your own kitchen table, staring at a decision that feels impossible. Let this be your reminder. On the other side of obedience, you are falling into the hands of a God who always provides. He has never failed, and he will not start now.

February 24, 2025/by Linda Meyers

Jesus Walks with You

Daily Devotional

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Psalms 23:4

Charles had always believed in God, but he had never felt His presence quite like this.

One evening, he sat in his study, flipping through his well-worn Bible, and found himself lost in the story of Mary Magdalene. Closing his eyes, he let his imagination take over.

He pictured her standing in a garden, heartbroken. He could almost hear the rustling leaves and feel the damp earth beneath Mary’s feet as she wept outside of Jesus’ empty tomb.

She thought everything was lost. Through her tears, she barely noticed the man standing near her—until He spoke.

“Mary.”

It was one word. One moment. One voice she never thought she would hear again. It was Jesus, and that changed everything! He had been there all along, closer than she had realized.

Charles leaned over his desk, and in that instant, the presence of God was so real to him. It was so close. It was as if he himself were standing in that garden. He could even feel Mary’s heart leap as she realized—Jesus was alive.

His own heart pounded because this wasn’t just Mary’s story. It was his along with every believer’s story. Inspired, he reached for a pen and began to write a hymn.

” I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses…And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own…”

Over the years, “In the Garden” became more than just a song. It played at funerals, in church pews, and in hospital rooms where the weight of the world felt unbearable. The words were a reminder that Jesus was always near.

Perhaps today, you too feel like Mary, searching for hope, wondering where God is. Please know this—He is with you. When the weight of the world feels like too much, and when you can’t see the way ahead, He is there, closer than you think.

February 23, 2025/by David Hall