The Connection Corner

The Beauty in the Broken Road

Psalms 103:2-4 — Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

Have you ever driven through a construction zone and thought, This is such a mess. Who planned this?

Lanes suddenly shift. Orange barrels are everywhere. Traffic slows to a crawl. Dust is flying, and nothing looks finished. Then you come back six months later, and there’s a new road, fresh pavement, and a bridge where there wasn’t one before.

Suddenly, the mess starts making sense.

Peter Burton’s song “Where Would I Be” comes from a deeply personal place, and it reminds me of that kind of roadwork. He has talked openly about his struggles with mental health and how God walked with him through every step of recovery.

He calls the song his testimony—a reminder that Jesus changes everything, and even in the mess, God is still at work.

Maybe that’s why the song hits home for so many people.

It’s your testimony and mine too.

We all have chapters we’d rather skip. Seasons where you felt buried under shame. Choices you wish you could erase. Anxiety, fear, bitterness you didn’t know how to shake.

But then Jesus steps into the mess. He starts breaking ground, healing hearts, doing a deep work in us. And one day you look back and barely recognize who you used to be.

He’s that good.

He’s the God who forgives all your sins, heals your diseases, redeems your life from destruction, and crowns you with love and tender mercies. Don’t forget that.

Because those moments that felt like falling apart were often the very places God was quietly rebuilding you.

And somewhere along the way, you may find yourself asking what Peter Burton asks in the song:

“Where would I be? Where would I be if it wasn’t for the love of God?”

…and honestly, thank God we’ll never know.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

What “construction zone” season of your life can you only now see God was working through?
Where do you need to remember (not just believe, but remember) that God has forgiven, healed, and redeemed you?
Is there a part of your story you tend to skip over or feel ashamed of—how might God be inviting you to see it differently?
How has your testimony changed as you’ve looked back and recognized God’s presence in the middle of the mess?
Who in your life might need to hear your story of how God met you in a difficult season?

Lyrics:

Standing where I stand now
I know that He’s the reason
I almost can’t believe it

Every wrong turn He turned around
and I can just imagine
If it didn’t happen
How it happened

Oh
Seeing how good He’s been to me
Oh
I can’t help but think

Where would I be if I didn’t have Jesus
Pulling me outta that grave
Where would I be if I didn’t have mercy
Pulling me away from my ways
I’d probably crash and burn
Stay stuck down in that dirt
Like a prodigal running from home
Where would I be if I didn’t have Jesus
Thank God, thank God, thank God
I’ll never know

I used to feel the weight
Of the chains that I was holding
Til my savior came and broke em

I used to walk with shame
I was living at a loss
Til he settled up my cost
At the cross

Oh
Giving His life so I could live
Oh
Didn’t leave me where I’ve been

Where would I be if I didn’t have Jesus
Pulling me outta that grave
Where would I be if I didn’t have mercy
Pulling me away from my ways
I’d probably crash and burn
Stay stuck down in that dirt
Like a prodigal running from home
Where would I be if I didn’t have Jesus
Thank God, thank God, thank God
I’ll never know

Thank God
I’ll never know

Where would I be if I didn’t have Jesus
Pulling me outta that grave
Where would I be if I didn’t have mercy
Pulling me away from my ways
I’d probably crash and burn
Stay stuck down in that dirt
Like a prodigal running from home
Where would I be if I didn’t have Jesus
Thank God, thank God, thank God
I’ll never know

Thank God
I’ll never know
Thank God
I’ll never know

Written by Peter Burton, Matt Armstrong, AJ Pruis

June 28, 2026/by David Hall

Alone Was Never the Answer

Daily Devotional, Tammi Arender

Genesis 2:18 — Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for Him.”

Call me crazy, but one summer I traveled to Europe alone.

Yep. I knew no foreign languages, had very little money, and already knew I would be high maintenance with my weird eating and sleep schedule. Not to mention, I had never traveled to a time zone that was seven or eight hours different from mine.

I got jet lag just flying to Atlanta and back. So I thought, “Well, I’m not subjecting somebody else to that. My crazy would probably make their crazy, crazier.”

Bless it.

But going alone, knowing nothing besides the King’s English, left me in quite a lurch. This was before smartphones could magically translate everything for you. So buying train tickets was hard, ordering food was hard, and even figuring out where I was supposed to be was hard.

I ended up broke, exhausted, and lonely, and my twenty-one day trip turned into a seven day trip.

Looking back, I think part of what made it so hard was simply this: I chose to do it alone. I made it about my schedule, my comfort, and my preferences, and I didn’t want anyone slowing me down. But I’ve learned something since then—life loses a lot of its sweetness when there’s nobody beside you to share it with.

From the beginning, God knew that. He looked at Adam in a world that was otherwise good and said, “It is not good for man to be alone.”

Human beings were never meant to carry life in isolation. We were created with room in us for community.

You don’t have to be married to live that out, but you do need people. Maybe that’s family, maybe it’s a church, maybe it’s new friendships, a small group, or even a place to start again.

Because who cares if you see the Eiffel Tower in person if you can’t turn to somebody and say, “Would you look at that?”

Experiences were meant to be shared. And no, scrolling through them later doesn’t quite count.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Where in your life are you currently trying to “do it alone” instead of inviting others in?
Who has God already placed around you that you might need to reconnect with or lean on more intentionally?
What is one simple step you could take this week to build or strengthen community—join something, reach out, or say yes to connection?
When was the last time you shared a meaningful moment with someone instead of just experiencing it alone or online?
How might your daily life look different if you truly believed that community isn’t optional—but part of God’s design for you?

June 27, 2026/by Tammi Arender

Packing Blessings Till They Overflow

Daily Devotional, Kirstie Ford

Luke 6:38 — Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.

Recently I was reminded of Luke 6:38.

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

I’ve read that verse many times, but this time the phrase “pressed down, shaken together and running over” stood out. Honestly, I didn’t fully understand it, so I decided to dig deeper.

God tells us to seek, and we will find.

I discovered that in biblical times, when people bought dry goods, merchants would press and shake the contents to fit as much as possible into the container—so full that it would overflow into the buyer’s lap. That was considered a generous, abundant measure.

The first thing that came to mind when I learned this was getting an Icee.

I know. I know. Stay with me.

On a hot summer day, I would fill the cup halfway, shake it down, tap it on the counter, and pack it in tight. Then I’d keep filling it until it overflowed. Because isn’t that the goal? To fit as much as possible into the cup.

It made me think about what God is inviting us into.

He calls us to give freely—of our time, love, prayers, and resources—holding nothing back. And in return, He is not outdone in generosity. He fills our lives in ways we could never manufacture or contain.

So today, choose to give freely—whether it’s kindness, encouragement, or simple faithfulness in front of you. Trust that nothing poured out in love is ever wasted.

And God sees it. He is faithful to meet you again and again… pressed down, shaken together, and running over.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Where in your life are you tempted to hold back instead of giving freely—your time, kindness, patience, or encouragement?
When you think about God’s generosity toward you, does it change the way you approach generosity toward others? Why or why not?
Is there someone in your life right now who could be encouraged by something simple you already have to give?
Do you tend to see giving as loss… or as trust in God’s ability to refill what you release?
What would it look like today to live open-handed instead of tightly holding on?

June 26, 2026/by Kirstie Ford

The Beauty in the Broken Road

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Alone Was Never the Answer

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Packing Blessings Till They Overflow

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

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