Greater Things by Jenna V. Hilton

Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)

 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

 My pit bull lab mix, Skye, is not big on store bought toys. She just won’t play with them. But give her a stick and she’ll chew it to splinters. When its cold outside, we have lots of sticks inside for the fire. So Skye decimates one and grabs another from the box. She also loves playing tug of war and she wins every time. It’s her stick and she’ll keep it, thank you! 

We all have our “stick” don’t we? A certain habit that maybe we shouldn’t have. Maybe it’s one we’ve had so long that it’s nearly impossible to give up. But God has greater things in store, and He wants every part of us, bad habits, good habits, quirks. 

It’s good to have a routine. Sometimes it’s necessary, depending on how hectic your life gets. But maybe you have that one part of your routine that’s not Bad, but it’s also not something you should be indulging. Be that what it may. God knows already. He just wants to hear it from you. 

We tend to live like God isn’t omnipresent. We think, “oh, one time won’t hurt.” But God sees us. Like a loving father, he can’t take his eyes off us. But he gave us free will. He lets us do what we want, whether or not it takes us off the narrow way. God still loves us, and he’ll give us people to kinda nudge our conscience, but it’s up to us to listen and come back. No matter how long it takes, God is right there, waiting for us to come back with the mess we made. And without fail, God takes us back, clean us up, and reminds us how much we are loved.  

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us so much. Help us to remember that you only have good things in store. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Jenna V. Hilton is eighteen, and lives in Arkansas with her parents, two sisters, a brother, and dog.  She is a senior in high school and planning to attend college to become a veterinarian.