The Connection Corner

God Is Always Cheering For You

Daily Devotional, Lauren Kitchens-Steward

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.”

Psalms 139:1-3

I was a Bali Ha’i girl.

Not the lead. Not even a sidekick. Just a nameless background character in my high school’s production of South Pacific, swaying in unison with a dozen other girls who had also been too nervous to audition.

It was opening night, and my parents were sitting proudly in the audience.

“Where’s Lauren? I don’t see her,” my dad whispered, scanning the stage.

Mom gasped. “You think she got sick?”

Y’all. They thought I was home with the flu. Meanwhile, I was fifteen feet away, swaying my heart out, grinning at the spotlight, and being completely, spectacularly unnoticed by the people who raised me.

After the curtain dropped, they rushed backstage to look for me.

“Lauren? Lauren?”

I turned around, makeup smeared and hair half-unpinned. They gasped.

“Oh! There you are! We thought you had the flu!”

I blinked. “You—what?”

“We couldn’t find you! But we cheered anyway.”

And cheer they did. Night after night, through every show, they clapped like I was the star. It didn’t matter that I never had a single line.

Because that’s what love does. It shows up, over and over, even when you think no one sees you. And if human parents can love like that, imagine how much more God does.

He never loses sight of you. He never mistakes you for someone else. He’s right there, front row, cheering louder than anyone else in the room.

April 10, 2025/by Lauren Kitchens-Steward

When Hope Feels Impossible

Daily Devotional, Lisa Williams

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23

Courtney reached for the stuffed giraffe, waving it in front of the baby in front of her. He let out a squeal as his tiny arms reached up to grab it, fingers barely able to close around its soft body.

She laughed, brushing a curl off his forehead. “You like that one, huh?”

He giggled in response. A tube ran from his nose, looping over his chubby cheek. Another fed into his stomach, connected to the machine beside him. A year ago, the sight of it would’ve sent a lump straight to her throat.

Now?

Now she just saw him.

Her miracle boy.

She hugged him close, rocking back and forth, soaking in the warmth of him, the weight of him.

She remembered sitting in a doctor’s office, gripping her husband’s hand like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.

“Your son has a rare form of dwarfism. He will not live.”

The words landed like bricks, one after another. No hope. No future. Just impossible decisions no parent should ever have to make.

Except—something in her refused to accept that. So, she fought.

She dug into research, spent late nights scouring medical journals, and prayed like never before. And somewhere in that searching, she felt it—that quiet nudge, that voice that said, Keep going. Don’t be afraid.

After six months in the hospital, against all odds, they brought him home.

Now, here he was—laughing, playing, thriving.

Courtney knew the road ahead wouldn’t be easy. There would be more hospital visits, more scary nights, more unknowns.

But she also knew this—God had been better to them than she had ever dared to hope.

It’s easy to get caught up in the fear of what’s ahead. To wonder if you’ll have enough strength or faith to make it through.

But today, she wasn’t looking forward. She was looking back.

At every time, God had provided. At every moment, she thought they wouldn’t make it—but did. And if God had carried them this far, He wasn’t about to stop now.

Maybe that’s something we all need to remember. When fear whispers about the future, look back. Look at all He has done. And dare to believe He will still be good in the days to come.

April 9, 2025/by Lisa Williams

Bloom Where You’re Planted

Daily Devotional, Sarah Hall

“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

John 15:2

I don’t know why I thought keeping plants alive would be easy. Water, sunlight, and a little love—how hard could it be?

I envisioned a home filled with thriving greenery and blooming flowers. So, I headed to the store to buy all the supplies: pots, soil, a watering can, and a few plants I had no idea how to care for.

But I was confident I would become a plant mom in no time.

But as you might guess, things didn’t go as planned. I either watered them too much or too little, put them in too much sun or not enough. Despite my best efforts, a few of them started to wither.

I felt a little defeated—why was this so hard?

After doing a little research, I quickly realized my mistake. I had not taken the time to learn what each plant needed to grow. Some love sunlight, and some love shade. Some want constant watering, while others prefer dry soil. I had been treating them all the same—assuming what worked for one should work for another.

Life with God isn’t so different. How often do I make my plans, set my expectations, and assume things should grow a certain way? But when something withers—when relationships change, when opportunities don’t work out, or when life takes an unexpected turn—I feel lost.

But God is the Master Gardener, not me.

He knows exactly what He’s doing. Sometimes He prunes things I thought were good. Sometimes, He allows seasons of waiting, where nothing seems to be happening. And sometimes, He uproots me entirely and plants me somewhere unexpected. Just like with my plants, I may not always understand why—but that does not mean He isn’t working in my life.

Maybe you are in a season of your life that does not make sense. Can I encourage you?

Trust the Gardener. After all, a plant can’t see the full picture—but it does not have to. It simply needs to trust that the gardener knows how to make it bloom.

April 8, 2025/by Sarah Hall