Tell a Good Story

In loving memory of JMR

Six years ago, the Lord wrecked my life in ways I never imagined. The person I looked up to most as an example of what true joy in Christ looked like tragically passed away. John Michael Ritchey was a teacher, a musician, an avid lover of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, but above all he was a man that sought-after God’s heart. He often told us that if he could show just one person the love the Lord has for them then his life would be fulfilled— and he did just that. From dive-rolling into the room to making us laugh over vocabulary words he showed us what it was like to seek joy in the Lord alone. When he passed, my world shattered and, in my despair, I begged God to be able to feel the same excitement and zeal for life that I had seen so evidently in JMR. Through this desperate faith, I began to truly trust God with my life rather than attempt to cultivate it into what I wanted it to look like.
 
Giving up my grasp on control and placing faith that God has this ultimate and beautiful plan that is far greater than anything I could imagine, let alone create myself, was one of the hardest paths I endured. Ephesians 4 pertains to seeking after God despite the circumstances and despite the hardships which in turn builds trust and faith in Him. Those “But God” moments are when things seem to be out of control, are failing miserably, or when anxiety and worry set in and we have no option but to turn to God alone to redeem and restore us from these dark places. Everything can be going wrong, BUT GOD is the Prince of Peace and promises us comfort (Isaiah 9:6). Life can seem confusing and you don’t know what to do next BUT GOD is a wonderful counselor who promises to guide our lives and uses every situation for our good (Romans 8:28). Trusting God with my future has been a beautiful process with cyclical tendencies as the more I seek after Him, the more I understand His character, the more I am in tune with His voice, and the more I give everything up and rely on Him solely.

I trusted God to somehow merge my passion for medicine, children, and desire to share God’s love with others and he came through on all of His promises—as always. He fulfilled His promise of guiding my future as He provided a path where I have been able to work with Pediatric Oncology patients as well as in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Through these opportunities I have invited God into these areas of my life and ask him to equip me with the ability to bring some light in some of the darkest areas of the hospital. Could we navigate life without Him? The easy answer is yes, but will it be overflowing with fulfillment, deep satisfaction, and pure joy in any way? Absolutely not. Simply because God is the foundation for all these things, and in John 15:5 we see that, “apart from Him we are nothing”. If we choose to place our trust merely in ourselves then we are partnering with the enemy and excluding God from moving in these areas of our lives. He is our trustworthy foundation, so no matter life’s circumstances we can feel broken, but we will not be shattered—that is a promise He makes us (Psalm 147:3).
 
It has been made apparent in my life that God truly responds to desperate, audacious, reliant faith and that apart from Him we are helpless. As Mr. Ritchey once said “I want others to know the treasure they stand to gain in Jesus. If I accomplish nothing but that in life, even for one person, it would be worth it”. This belief was one that allowed me to experience the love of God as well as many others and since then it has been my passion to do the same. The journey ahead of me is by no means easy, God does not promise us that, but he does promise that if we commit our ways to Him and trust in Him that He will take action that results in our gain and ultimately glorifies Him (Psalm 37:5).

“Tell a Good Story.”

Author | Chloe Glass

Recent

Archive

 2021

Categories

no categories

Tags

1 Corinthians 1 Kings 1 Peter 2 Corinthians 2 Peter Aaron Vickroy Abba Abiding Abigail Bradley Abundance Accountability Actions Adam Salway Addiction Adoration Adventure Alafia Adeleke Alex Hinton Alignment Andrew Elder Andrew Smith Anger Anna DiCosty Anna Goellner Anointing Ansley Davenport Anxiety Armor of God Ashlyn Williams Ashton Brantley Asian American and Pacific Islander Month Aubrey Gold Authority Autumn Pressley Awakening Bailey Meyne Balance Beauty Becca Johnstone Becca Morgan Being Uncomfortable Being mortal Beloved Ben Gill Benji Johnston Bentley Clark Bethel Black History Month Blessing Body Image Body of Christ Boldness Boundaries Brad Schiebel Bravery Breakthrough Brittany Futch Brokenness Brooke DeLoach Brooklyn Holloway COVID-19 Caitlin Cooper Calling Calvary Cam Pace Caroline Barnes Caroline Beasley Caroline Newton Carolyn McLain Celebration Change Charlie Knox Child-like Chloe Glass Chosen Christina Hensley Christlikeness Christmas Survival Guide Christmas Claire Jordan Clarity Colorado Comfort Commitment Communion Community Comparison Compassion Complacency Confidence Connection Consistency Contentment Control Conviction Correction Counseling Courage Covenants Creativity Cristina Rosiles Dating Decisions Dependency Depth Desperation Devon Radford Disappointment Discernment Discipleship Leadership Blog Discipleship Discipline Distraction Diversity Division Doubt Dreams Dutch Williams Easter Eat the Book El Roi El Shaddai Elders Elijah Elizabeth Sprinkle Ellie Knight Ellyzsa Valencia Emily Baker Emily Goldin Emily Helton Emily Summers Emma Kate Shelton Emma Whitmer Emmanuel Fortuchang Emotions Empathy Emptiness Encountering God Encounter Encouragement Rooms Endurance Enough Environment Envy Erin Gilleland Eternity Evan Correa Evangelism Exodus Expectation Faithfulness Faith Family Fear of the Lord Fear Feeling Lost Feeling Safe Fernanda Lima Forgiveness Fredom Freedom Freely Given Freshley Friendship Fruits of the Spirit Fun Future Garner Gay Generosity Genesis Gentleness Gift Giving Giving Glory of God Goals God as a Father God is Smart God is with us God's Character God's Heart God's Names God's Plans God's Plan God's Power God's Presence God's Promises God's Timing God's Voice God's Will God\'s Character God\'s Heart God\'s Names God\'s Plans God\'s Plan God\'s Power God\'s Presence God\'s Promises God\'s Timing God\'s Voice God\'s Will God\\\'s Character God\\\'s Heart God\\\'s Names God\\\'s Plans God\\\'s Plan God\\\'s Power God\\\'s Presence God\\\'s Promises God\\\'s Voice God\\\'s Will God\\\\\\\'s Character God\\\\\\\'s Presence God\\\\\\\'s Voice Government Grace Gratitude Guatemala Guidance Haley Blanchard Haley Hall Hallie Turner Hannah Cole Healing Heart Posture Heaven Hinds Feet on High Places Hispanic Heritage Month History of Prayer History of Revival History of Wesley Holidays Holiness Holly Avera Holy Spirit Holy Week Home Honor Hope Hospitality Humility Hunger Hunter MacInnis I Am Ian Burkes Identity Idols Image of God Imagination Influence Inheritance Intention Intercession Interning Intimacy Isolation Jake Stephens Jamaica Jamie Cherf Jealousy Jennifer Daniel Jessie Thomas Jesus John Wesley John Joseph Josh DeRamus Journaling Joy Judgment Julia Baughn Justice Justin Patton Kalli Drake Karla Sanchez Tavera Katherine Burnette Katie Courson Katie Pilson Katie Pitner Katy Smith Kelley Losinger Kelly Losinger Kelsey Parham Kennedy Browning Kimberly Klaer Kindness Kingdom Knowing God Knowledge Known Kourtney Axelberg Kristen Fikse Kyle Pickett Language Latinx Heritage Month Lauren Forbes Leadership Legacy Lia Herrera Life Light Lindsey Conway Listening Living Water Living with God Logic Loneliness Longing Los Angeles Loss Love Languages Love Luke Luvlan Lee Mackenzie Wells Maddie Marsh Madeline Current Madelyn Livingston Madison Davis Madison McManners Makinizi Hoover Mariah Foote Mariah Taylor Marlena Sculac Marriage Martin Luther King Jr. Matthew Maturity Melissa Merrick Mental Health Mercy Meredith Ashburn Messiah Michael Weidner Miracles Missions Morgan Attebery Mourning Names Narnia Nashville Natalie Mata Nathan DeYoung New Covenant New Year Obedience Old Covenant Olivia Beals Olivia Ellis Openness Outreach Pain Partnership Passover Past Paul Peace Perfection Perseverance Perspective Peter Pharisees Philippians Power Praise Prayer Guide Prayer Meetings Prayer Pride Processing Prophecy Protection Provision Psalm 23 Psalms Purity Purpose Rachel Dow Rachel Erin Taylor Rachel Henderson Rachel Jones Racial Healing Racial Reconciliation Rebecca Mejia Recipes Reconciliation Red Rising Redemption Refinement Reflection Reform Refreshing Relationship Remedy Repentance Resolutions Resources Responsibility Restoration Rest Resurrection Reverence Revival Rhythm Righteousness Riley Orr Risk Romance Romans 8 Romans Rosalie Vendrell Ruth Sabbath Sacred Rhythms Sacrifice Salvation Sam Adams Sam Carroll Sam Darby Samantha Forbes Samantha Richey Sanctification Sarah Savoie Savannah Hill Savannah Shaw Savannah Ugan Scripture Seasons Secrets of the Secret Place Seeking God Selah Self-love Sermon on the Mount Serving Shaking Shame Sidney Counsell Simplicity Singleness Sin Slowing Solitude Sorrow Sovereignty Spiritual Disciplines Spiritual Gifts Spiritual Health Spiritual Themes Spiritual Warfare Status Steadfastness Stephanie Seda Stephanie Stewart Strength Stress Struggles Suffering Summer Survival Guide Summer of Psalms Summer Surrender Temple Temptation Tenderness Tension Testimony Thankfulness The Beatitudes The Church The Cross The Gospel The Law The Lord's Prayer The Lord\'s Prayer The Lord\\\'s Prayer The Prodigal Son The Road to Life The Secret Place The Shack The Ten Commandments The Trinity The Word of God Therapy Tori Kramer Transformation Transition Trust Truth Uncertainty Unity Urgency Values Victory Vision Vulnerability Wandering Wednesday Night Recap Who Am I Wilderness Wisdom Wonder Word for the Year Words Worship Worth