I’m pleased to introduce you to my sweet friend, Marilyn Nutter. Marilyn and I met several years ago at a writers conference. She was coming to grips with the unexpected and sudden death of her beloved husband, and navigating the changes with grace and faith. She’s been a model to me and many others.

Thankfully, most of us haven’t lost a spouse, but we all experience unexpected losses. It’s my pleasure to share my corner of the blogging world with her today.

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Looking for Hope When Life Takes a Turn

by Marilyn Nutter

My seven-year-old grandson gripped the golf club, then looked up, distracted by golfers approaching in a cart.

“Keep your focus,” his dad coached. “If you want to hit the ball in the right direction, focus. Try again.” 

My grandson took his stance, eyed the direction, focused on the ball, and swung. The ball went farther than his earlier attempts. A smile creased his face, and he high fived his dad. As they walked the course, he repeated the same steps at each hole. His final score reflected the difference. He was determined, and focus played a big part.

As adults, we know focus makes a difference. We focus on ingredient proportions if we modify a recipe. We look at options and room measurements when purchasing paint or carpet. Without focus, we don’t get our desired outcomes. Some are disappointing. Others are disastrous.

Those we face with disappointment, uncertainty, or even fear? When we’re overwhelmed, and we focus on our circumstances?

How and where we look means more than keeping our eye on the ball to have a fun afternoon and an improved golf score. It’s more than adding the right proportions when we follow a recipe so a cake doesn’t flop. Focus begins with deciding where to look and how we respond. Where we look during life interruptions can lead to security and hope even when changes bring tears.

 Let’s focus by:

• Going to prayer as our first response, not our last resort. James 1:5 tells us God gives wisdom when we ask. God knows us better than we know ourselves. He designed us. He holds the blueprint (Psalm 139) and knows how we move during my day and when we sleep at night. In prayer, we can ask Him to show us:  Are my words responsible for a broken relationship? Are my habits the cause for financial troubles?  What is my responsibility for harmony in my family and workplace? Do I need to develop habits that lead to improved health? Do I allow the negative and unpleasant circumstance take precedence and obscure everything else? Our disappointment may be real, but there is truth in God’s comfort and prompting for necessary change.
• Going to the truth of God’s Word. Psalm 119:114. “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.” God is trustworthy to tell us to wait or how to move. He is trustworthy to bring comfort (Matthew 11: 28-29)
• Clinging to the character and promises of God. We can trust that God’s character doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6). He keeps His promises.

      Psalm 46:1-3: reminds us God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. …    

      Psalm 34:10b: assures us those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

      Isaiah 26: 3-4: tells us he gives us peace when we focus and trust Him.

• Not last, but always: praising and thanking God for His faithfulness and love that never stop regardless of our day (Lamentations 3: 21-23).

Where are you today? Are you in the midst of a life script you wouldn’t have written? Are your tears flowing so much that you need another box of tissues? Are you puzzled about what to do?

We may not see a change in circumstances, but there can be a change in us when we “fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

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About the Author

Marilyn Nutter loves finding treasures in unexpected places: gratitude in mulch, conversations with grandchildren, and secrets in an old trunk. Most of all she has found the treasure of hope in loss. Unexpectedly widowed after forty-two years of marriage, Lamentations 3:22-23 has been a brilliant treasure in her new season. She’s the author of three devotional books and a contributor to print, on-line publications, and compilations. Marilyn serves with women’s ministry and is a facilitator for grief support for spouses at her church. You can find her at http:/marilynnutter.com and on her Facebook Author page. Her book, Destination Hope: A Travel Companion When Life Falls Apart, written with April White, released in September 2021. Visit www.marilynnutter.com to find encouragement for hopeful living in ordinary and challenging days.

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