Power Up!

 In our technology driven world, it is essential that our electronic devices stay charged up. Most people charge their devices at least once or more throughout the day. The lower the battery percentage, the slower your device may operate. We can use our device for a certain time without being plugged in, but eventually, we will need to plug it in again. In my homeroom class at school this past year, there was a laptop cart where students could put their Chromebooks at the end of each day. The computers would be able to charge overnight and then be all ready for the students the following day. You see, the big cords from the cart was plugged into the wall socket, but the students still had to plug in individual chargers to their computer. If not, the computer would just sit there and not be powered up. At the end of the day, I would always check the cart to make sure chargers were plugged into computers. Some computers had not been used much, so it wasn't a huge problem. However, some computers were very low on the battery life and that would pose a problem when the students tried to use it the next day. One time not long ago, I found a charger sitting on top of the laptop cart. I had to explain to the student who brought it that they needed to plug the charger into the computer. I made sure to say that I was glad the charger was back at school, but now we need to go to the next step and plug it into the computer so it can be charged. When a computer or any electronic device in general is being charged, it is being given more battery life to function as needed. It is receiving the power it needs to continue on. Just like an electronic device needs to be powered up daily, we too need to be powered up in our daily lives. We need to be able to function and be at our best. We can tell when we are slowing down like the device does. In our daily lives, we need to be plugged into rest every day. We need to take time to be still and practice the pause 💛. If you haven't checked out my "Practice The Pause" post I wrote a while back, be sure to go back and check it out 😀. We also need to be plugged into God's Word. God's Word will strengthen, help and empower us (John 1:1, Isaiah 41:10). Getting to know God's Word means getting to know Him. Choosing to live the Word day to day will help guide us on the right path (Psalms 119:105) 🙏. It will help us keep going and function as we need to with our families, at our jobs, in our every day moments. We also need to get plugged into a community where we can grow and be encouraged (2 Peter 3:18). Being around the right people will not drain you, but add to you. Have you ever noticed that certain apps/ programs that you use on your device take up a lot more battery life than others? I have! Then we have to ask ourselves should we even be accessing it and is it worth our time. We all need to do a self check and see what group of people we have been connected to. I am learning the importance of being in a healthy community and not being part of a group that is toxic and leaves you feel exhausted. This year, God has placed me in a wonderful community of believers in a Bible Study class I take part in twice a week and I am forever grateful 💗! The new connections have been amazing 😀. My new community teaches the Word of God and empowers and challenges me. I am being stretched out of my comfort zone and growing and learning so much. Let's not be like the charger that I found sitting on top of the laptop cart in my class that was just sitting there. We know that we should plug into rest, God's Word and a healthy community, but for some reason, we don't. Maybe we get busy and don't set aside time as we should. Maybe we're waiting for someone else to do it for us. Maybe we haven't asked the questions we need to and don't know what to do. I do need to mention that the charger sitting on the laptop cart was brought back to school on a day when I was absent and I saw it the next day I returned. I did help the student get it plugged into the computer as it does take teamwork. Whenever a charger needed to be plugged in the cart, I would always get a student go on the other end of the cart and help me plug in the computer. You see, in order for us to stay powered up, we need help from God and others 🙏. We can't live in isolation. In the Bible, I Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing." I pray that you are already plugged into a healthy community that encourages you and not discourages you and helps you grow. If not, I encourage you to begin that journey today and ask questions and reach out to people you trust  to get connected (Proverbs 12:15). I also pray that you will "be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience (Colossians 1:11)." Plug into God's Word daily. Make sure you are taking time to rest, reset, regroup and most importantly, being powered up! God bless you 💗!