The Connection Corner

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

Protect What God Is Growing

Proverbs 4:23 — Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

The Bible tells us to guard our hearts, and lately I’ve realized I apparently need to guard my strawberries too.

Yeah, I planted this little strawberry patch in my backyard, and I live in town, okay? I’ve babied those things and encouraged them like they were family members.

But I walked out there in the morning, and just before they turned that perfect shade of red, some little critter had already come in during the night and eaten the whole thing… or just taken a bite out of it. And I was so frustrated.

Now I’m basically a detective going, “Okay, wait a minute. Was that a squirrel, a bird, a raccoon, or somebody’s freeloading cousin?”

But then it hit me: I’m not upset just because the strawberries are gone. I’m upset because something keeps getting to what’s growing.

Isn’t that true of our hearts too? What grows unguarded rarely grows unharmed.

Just like we protect things that are growing, the seemingly small negative influences can quietly steal our joy. Fear, bitterness, jealousy, and resentment. They don’t usually show up all at once. They sneak in a little at a time and start taking bites out of the good things God is growing in us.

That’s why Scripture tells us to watch over the wellspring of our lives, because everything else flows from there. Guard the source, and you’ll protect the fruit.

So maybe today, before you go looking for what’s wrong around you, just ask what’s been nibbling away at your heart. Then you can deal with it before it steals any more joy.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

What are some things that have been “taking bites” out of your heart lately—fear, worry, resentment, comparison, or something else?
Proverbs 4:23 says to “guard your heart above all else.” What does guarding your heart look like practically in your daily life?
Are there any influences, habits, or thoughts you need to remove because they are affecting what God is growing in you?
What is one “fruit” you want God to grow in your heart right now—peace, patience, kindness, forgiveness, joy, or something else?
How can you invite God to help you protect your heart this week?

July 22, 2026/by Tammi Arender

Convicted by a Kindergartener

Daily Devotional, Kirstie Ford

Proverbs 16:32 — Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.

The Lord has a funny way of using my children to teach—and convict—me.

Let me explain.

On Thursdays, my daughter Stella takes piano lessons, and I usually stay while she practices. Recently, though, I needed to run a quick errand during her lesson.

As we were walking out the door, my youngest daughter, Ada, announced she needed to use the bathroom.

No problem.

Ten minutes passed.

Then fifteen.

I kept calling through the door, “Ada… are you almost finished?”

I even walked in to check on her.

Keep in mind, piano lessons are only thirty minutes long.

Finally, I said, “Okay, Ada, Mama needs you to hurry because I have to run an errand.”

Without missing a beat, my five-year-old looked at me with the most matter-of-fact expression and said,

“Patience, Mom. You know what that is?”

Whew.

I almost came unglued.

The Holy Spirit stepped into that bathroom with holy conviction and completely dropped the mic.

Looking back, I’m so grateful God helped me pause instead of react.

Because Ada was right.

I thought I was being patient simply because I wasn’t raising my voice.

But God showed me there was still a deeper place for me to grow.

Proverbs says,

“Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.”

Sometimes the greatest victory isn’t getting control of your schedule.

It’s surrendering your spirit.

The very thing I thought was delaying my day became the thing God used to shape my heart.

What I saw as an interruption…

God used for transformation.

And honestly?

My errand wasn’t nearly as urgent as I thought it was.

Time was never mine to control anyway.

Sometimes the growth we’re praying for doesn’t come through a sermon…

Or a Bible study…

Or a major life event.

Sometimes it comes through a five-year-old sitting in a bathroom.

So the next time life slows your plans, don’t rush past the moment.

God may be doing a deeper work in you than the work you’re trying to get done.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

What recent interruption or delay might God be using to grow your patience and self-control?
When your plans are disrupted, do you tend to react with frustration or surrender?
What would it look like today to value Christlike character more than staying on schedule?

July 21, 2026/by Kirstie Ford

The Moments That Matter Most

Daily Devotional, Denise Pagano

Micah 7:7 — As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.

I used to take my boys to the library all the time.

I’m talking sticky fingers, stacks of books we could barely carry… and yes, walking out with a pile of VHS tapes to rent.

That tells you how long ago this was.

With my son Brandon being on the spectrum, those trips weren’t always easy.

Sometimes they were loud.

Sometimes they were overwhelming.

Sometimes I’d leave feeling more exhausted than encouraged.

And in those moments, I’d wonder if I was doing any of it right.

Was I being the kind of mom they needed?

Would these little moments matter in the long run?

Most days, it just felt like I was trying to hold everything together.

Looking back, I realize there were a lot of prayers during those years.

A lot of looking to God for help.

A lot of waiting and trusting Him with things I couldn’t yet see.

Recently, I found myself back at that same library… this time by myself.

I watched a young mom trying to manage the noise, the movement, and the chaos of her little ones.

And suddenly…

I saw me.

It brought back the love.

The exhaustion.

The questions.

The quiet prayers.

Standing there between those bookshelves, I felt God gently remind me of something.

He had been there all along.

Micah writes, “As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.”

That’s exactly what those years looked like.

I didn’t always know what God was doing.

But He heard every prayer.

He saw every ordinary day.

Every library trip.

Every moment that felt unnoticed.

I couldn’t see it then, but now I can.

God was using those ordinary, stretched-thin days to shape my boys…

And He was shaping me, too.

So if you’re in a season that feels messy…

Or exhausting…

Or unseen…

Keep looking to the Lord.

Keep trusting Him.

Keep showing up.

Because the God who hears you is working in ways you can’t yet see.

What feels ordinary to you may be accomplishing something eternal.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

What ordinary responsibility or season of life is requiring you to trust God right now?
Where is God inviting you to wait confidently instead of demanding immediate results?
How can remembering that God hears every prayer encourage you to keep showing up faithfully today?

July 20, 2026/by Denise Pagano