The Connection Corner

A daily source of encouragement and inspiration to connect your heart to hope and faith.

Detours, Delays, and a Faithful God

Philippians 1:6 — And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

He hasn’t failed me yet, and He’s not about to start on a random Tuesday in Monroe.

I’m driving downtown on the way to work, just me and the steady hum of my tires, when I realize something feels different. I’m not slowing down for cones. I’m also not squinting at orange signs trying to figure out which surprise detour I’ve been assigned today.

I’m just… driving. Straight through downtown. No construction. No rerouting. No frustration rising in my chest. If you’ve lived here the last few years, you know that’s kind of a miracle.

For the longest time, downtown felt like a maze. Constant construction. Constant “nope, not this way.” Shortcut here. Detour there. Reroute, reroute, reroute. It got so familiar that it felt permanent. This was just how things were now.

I even remember, a little over a year ago, getting out of the car to move and replace cones just so I could get to work. And I was pregnant! But that’s how badly I wanted and needed this construction to move forward.

But today as I drove through the beautiful, finished streets, gratitude washed over me. No, not because the wait was easy, but because it finally made sense. The construction wasn’t punishment. It wasn’t neglect. It was preparation. It was necessary work beneath the surface so the road could actually be ready for what was coming next.

Haven’t we all had seasons like that? Where life feels permanently under construction. Where you’re asking God, “Am I ever going to get to use what You’ve put in me? Or am I just always going to be a work in progress?” Where it feels like everyone else is cruising and you’re still dodging caution cones.

Philippians 1:6 says it plainly: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” He will not abandon it. Not rush it. Complete it.

That verse isn’t just comforting—it’s a firm foundation. It means God doesn’t leave projects half-finished, and it means the season you’re in right now is not wasted, even if it’s inconvenient and slow.

So, here’s the invitation. I’m taking it, and I hope you will too. Let God do His work in you. Don’t rush the cones out of the way. Don’t despise the detours. Trust that the road will open when it’s ready—and when it does, it will be strong enough to carry everything God’s prepared for you.

The wait is part of the goodness. And the finished work will be worth it.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Where in your life does it feel like you’re stuck in a season of “constant construction” right now?
How have you been tempted to rush God’s process or compare your progress to others’?
What would it look like to trust that the delays and detours are part of God’s preparation, not His absence?
How does believing that God always finishes what He starts change the way you view your current season?

January 27, 2026/by Bri Dunn

The Road That Let Me Breathe Again

Brenda Price, Daily Devotional

Psalms 31:7-8 — I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place.

Sometimes you don’t need a five-year plan. You just need your keys and a full tank of gas.

That’s where I was that weekend. Life felt crazy. School deadlines stacked up, responsibilities kept tugging at my sleeve, and even though I go to college online, the pressure still somehow followed me everywhere. I was tired in that way that sleep doesn’t fix, where your soul just wants to exhale.

I didn’t need answers. I needed air.

So late Friday afternoon, I did something mildly irresponsible on paper but wildly responsible for my sanity. I jumped in my car. No big speech or overthinking. Just me and my dog, riding shotgun with that goofy smile dogs get when they know something good is about to happen.

The road stretched out in front of us. We were Oklahoma-bound, toward my best friend from high school and her little farm.

As the miles passed, the mental noise didn’t immediately quiet down. My mind tried to drag school assignments and stress into the passenger seat. Part of me wondered if I should’ve stayed home and pushed through. But another part of me—quieter, wiser—knew this wasn’t avoidance. It was permission. Permission to pause. Permission to breathe. Permission to trust that God doesn’t only meet us in productivity.

When I finally pulled onto that gravel drive, something changed. Laughter came easier. The air felt lighter. We talked, we rested, we did nothing important, and somehow, that was everything. I didn’t have to manufacture joy. It met me there. It always does when I stop gripping life so tightly.

That night, sitting still for the first time in weeks, I was reminded of words I’ve known for a long time but needed to feel again:

“I will rejoice and be glad in your faithful love because you have seen my affliction. You know the troubles of my soul and have not handed me over to the enemy. You have set my feet in a spacious place.” Psalm 31:7–8

That’s it. God sees the tired places. He knows the weight we carry. And sometimes His kindness looks like open roads, old friends, and wide open, holy space for your heart to rest.

I came home refreshed, not because I escaped my responsibilities, but because God met me right in the middle of them. He knew what I needed before I did.

So here’s the invitation—simple and real. Pay attention to your weariness. Let yourself take a small, intentional pause. Call the friend. Step outside. Take the drive. Trust that God is not disappointed in your need for rest. He is the One who sets your feet in spacious places, and He delights in refreshing the souls He loves.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Where do you feel most weary or overwhelmed right now, and how have you been responding to that weight?
What does a “spacious place” look like for you in this season—physically, emotionally, or spiritually?
Are there ways God may be inviting you to pause or rest that you’ve been resisting out of responsibility or guilt?
How does knowing that God sees the anguish of your soul change the way you approach your need for rest today?

January 26, 2026/by Brenda Price

Closer Than You Think

Daily Devotional, David Hall

Psalm 145:18 — The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

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 the 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. It was as if he himself were standing in that garden. It felt so close. The knowledge of the nearness of God presses into the room with him. Scripture has said it all along—“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18).

More than that, he could feel Mary’s heart leap as she realized—Jesus was alive.

His heart pounded. It wasn’t just Mary’s story. It was his. It was 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. Maybe you’ve prayed and wondered if God heard you. Know this—He is with you. When the weight of the world feels too much, when you can’t see the way ahead, He is there, closer than you think.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Have you ever had a moment when God felt closer than you expected? What was happening in that season?
Where in your life might you be searching for God, not realizing He is already near?
What does it look like for you to “call on Him in truth” right now—honestly, without pretense?
How does knowing God is near, even in grief or uncertainty, change the way you face today?