The Connection Corner

Why I Stopped Running My Life

Psalms 37:5 – “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.”

That summer, I packed for camp hoping for a little break—one last deep breath before senior year swept in with all its questions. College applications, future plans, expectations from every direction—I was already feeling overwhelmed.

Towards the end of the week, I found myself standing among other campers in the sanctuary. The worship band played gentle music as the pastor delivered the closing of his sermon. Then he paused to let these words hang in the air.

“There is someone,” he said, “who needs to completely surrender their life plans to the Lord.”

I froze. My throat tightened. That was me.

Still, I didn’t rush to respond. I was scared. Surrender sounded beautiful in theory, but terrifying in practice. What if God’s plans were different than mine? What if surrender meant giving up something good?

Later, I sat across from my camp leader and let the tears come. I confessed I didn’t know what to do next. My mentor listened with compassion, guiding me through my doubts and helping me understand what true surrender meant.

It wasn’t about giving up my future; it was about trusting God with it, believing that He knew better than I ever could.

Looking back, it has not always been easy. Trusting God can be hard, especially when the future still feels so unknown. But over time, I have learned that surrender isn’t about giving up my dreams—it’s about trusting that He will guide me.

And for you? Maybe it is not your whole future you are wrestling with. Maybe it is just one decision. One burden. One thing you have gripped too tightly. What if your next right step is simply choosing to trust the One who has already seen the rest of your story—and loves you enough to walk with you every step of the way.

May 26, 2025/by Sarah Hall

Only God Could Do This

Daily Devotional, David Hall, Stories About Songs

Zechariah 4:6 – “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

There were no backup singers. No retakes. Just one quiet studio, one open mic, and one woman asking God to do what only He could.

Taya had no idea that day would change her life.

She was not trying to amaze anyone. In fact, she was a little unsure why she had been asked to sing this new song at all. But she showed up, steady and open, hoping the Holy Spirit would meet her in the moment.

They pressed record.

And she sang.

“You call me out upon the waters…”

Each line asked something deeper of her, and she felt it.

She continued, “Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders”

At this point she was praying. Every note felt like walking further out on water. Her heart raced, but she kept going. Just obedience. One step. Then another.

When it ended, no one said much. There was no breakdown of how to fix it. No call for a second take. Just a quiet kind of peace that settled in the room.

So, they left it. One take. Done.

And somehow, that raw, trembling take spread farther than anyone could have dreamed. Not for a week. Not for a month. But for 61 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the charts.

But maybe that was the point.

The track wasn’t impressive. It was honest, Spirit-led, and that made all the difference.

People ask her now what it felt like to sing a song that became a global anthem. She smiles, sometimes a little stunned. Because she knows—that wasn’t me.

It was never about her voice. It was about what the Spirit was doing behind the scenes—moving hearts, calming storms, calling people out onto deep waters.

And maybe that’s where God meets us best—not when we’re confident, but when we’re completely out of our depth.

Because the world doesn’t need more perfect voices.

It needs more people willing to step in faith.

Oceans (where feet may fail)

VERSE 1:
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand

CHORUS:
I will call upon Your Name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

VERSE 2:
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

BRIDGE:
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour

LAST CHORUS:
I will call upon Your Name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

May 25, 2025/by David Hall

It Should Have Been Me

Daily Devotional, Linda Meyers

1 Peter 2:24 – “He Himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

The pain was instant.

Lacey had only taken two steps into the bathroom when something sliced deep into the heel of her foot. She gasped, stumbled backward, and gripped the sink to keep from falling. It took a moment to even register what had happened. Then she saw it—the razor, fallen unnoticed from the edge of the tub, now streaked with her blood.

She sat down slowly, trying to breathe through the sharp sting, a wad of tissue pressed against the cut. Her mind raced—what if it had been Max? Or Dallas? They run barefoot through here every single day.

And then, just like that, a strange, quiet thought settled into her: “I’m thankful it was me.”

She meant it. Every word.

If someone had to be hurt, if someone had to feel this pain, let it be her. She could handle it. Not her boys. She would take it a thousand times over for them.

And as she sat there in the stillness, something even deeper hit her. This is what Jesus did.

He saw the suffering. The agony. The unthinkable pain ahead. And still, He stepped toward it—on purpose. Not because He had to. But because He loved us. Because He wanted to shield us from it.

In that quiet, blood-streaked moment, Lacey realized something she had known all her life but had never truly felt—Jesus didn’t just die for the world. He chose the pain for her.

She sat there, not just hurting—but grateful. And deeply moved.

That is what love does. It steps in. It says, “Let it be me.”

So, what if we lived like that was true? What if today was shaped by gratitude, not guilt? Because the pain we were spared was no accident. It was love. And it was on purpose.

May 24, 2025/by Linda Meyers