Valley Princess

Learning to Love: Day 24

The day I reposted this devotional from my book, my dad had a heart attack. Can that be a coincidence? This poem of mine was such a reminder to me that God is in control and He is there for my dad just like He’s been there for me. It is absolutely insane to me that the day I re-posted this, my family experienced such a literal expression of the words of the poem. If you are a believer, I would appreciate your prayers for his ongoing treatment and recovery. Thank you. I may not know it this side of heaven, but one day I’ll know what you did for me and for him and my whole family by a prayer to our Father.

The Illusion

Days when I feel the most weary
Are when I most need You near me.
That's what my mind would like to think,
But You're ever my Daily Drink.
Some days I feel I hold my reins
But it's still You inside my veins.
You pump my life, You breathe my breath
The same each day on Earth, in death.

Day 24

“In him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said, “For we are indeed his offspring” (Acts 17:28).

And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me” (Daniel 10:19).

When I became a mother of two, in my utterly sleep deprived state, struggling with adult-onset asthma that did not respond to medication, I believe I became more consciously dependent upon God in those days than ever before. There was no time for a lengthy devotional in the morning. It was time to hit the ground running when I woke to a crying baby and all I could do was pitifully pray, “Help!” This was the time for what my friends call breath prayers or arrow prayers. But my small breath prayers turned into a prayer pattern that I would say each day. Good morning, God. Thank You for today. Thank You for Your goodness toward me. Please may I be the mother and wife I need to be. Let me drink from Your Living Water, and may I eat Your bread of Life to give me strength for the day. May I produce the fruit of Your Holy Spirit in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. May I be clothed in Your full armor, that I may be prepared for any challenges today: the belt of truth (which is Your Word), the breastplate of righteousness (which is Christ on my behalf), the shield of faith (which You measure to me), the helmet of salvation (for You are my salvation), the shoes of full readiness for the gospel of peace (for I am to make peace before I fight, and I carry Your message that brings peace and provides and pleads for peace between You and men), and the sword (which is Your Scripture, my only weapon, for You rebuked all the devil’s attacks with Scripture). Stay with me all day long. I need you every moment. You are my Food and Clothing. Now, when I get more sleep and I’m healthier, I don’t depend on Him like I used to. Let’s learn to lean on Him regardless.

If you enjoyed this material, please leave a like or comment on my blog, share, and you can purchase my book, Learning to Love: A Collection of Poetry and 40 Daily Devotions, on Amazon. Until next time, God bless.

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Valley Princess
Sara DuVall is a wife and homeschool mom. She lives in the Tennessee Valley of North Alabama with her husband and four children. Originally from the Florida Gulf Coast, she was raised in the church and worked for the church for some time. Sara has a MA in English literature and certificate in technical communication, having work experience in the field of technical communication and technical editing. Her BA is in cultural anthropology and English writing. Sara has been writing poetry since she was about 13 years old. Inspired by a poem written by her great-grandmother, Sara has studied and enjoyed the art of poetry ever since. She is a published short story author in Northwest Florida State College’s Blackwater Review (2006 and 2007). She is also an award-winning short story author at the University of West Florida (2009). She published her first book, Learning to Love: a Collection of Poetry and 40 Daily Devotions, in 2021. The daughter of a choir director and college music teacher with an MA in voice, Sara was regularly exposed to music from an early age. Although she is a far cry from the vocal qualifications of her mother, and although she is not nearly as proficient a pianist as she should be from her tutelage, Sara has maintained her musical background by expressing herself through acoustic and classical guitar and the Native American style flute, composing many of her own songs. Besides writing and music, one of Sara’s favorite work experiences was as assistant curator of the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida where she got to accession people’s old stuff and guide tours about it. They just don’t make things like they used to.
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