The theme of this first issue of Kaleidoscope in 2020 is Foundations, the beginning of time when heaven came to earth in the form of Christ Jesus—Yeshua.
My outreach ministry is all about making meaningful connections with troubled adult children, and in most cases, the only way to build strong bridges and set healthy boundaries in these relationships is to start with a firm foundation and a clear plumb line.
And that firm foundation is to Trust in the Holy Spirit… the “T” Step in SANITY.
Scripture tells us, “…the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT)!
To that end, let’s pray…
God, I desperately want to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. I pray I am courteous, considerate, gentle, and full of compassion with those I meet. I long to express love to others like Jesus loves me. Sadly, I have not always been successful in this endeavor.
I think this stems from my inability to say yes with honest authenticity and no with firmness and love. I often find myself saying and doing things I really don’t want to say or do—simply because I don’t want to rock any boats, hurt anyone’s feelings, or cause anyone problems. I do what I think others expect of me. Because of that, I’ve been carrying around a lot of pent-up frustration, anger, and resentment at the difficult people in my life. However, the reality is that I was one of the most difficult of them all.
No wonder my life wasn’t producing wholesome fruit.
But that is changing, and it started with the conviction You placed on my heart to begin responding differently to people who push my buttons—particularly my adult child. With Your help, guidance, and wisdom, I’m learning I can set healthy boundaries in loving ways that bring glory, honor, and praise to You. Being able to jump off the gerbil wheel of insanity and allow my roots to grow deep into Your Word and will have begun to produce a rich harvest of fruit.
Thank You, Jesus!
Lord, I pray I will always be a doer, not just a hearer of God’s Word.
Remember, SANITY IS possible, and I want to help YOU find it!
God’s Peace,
Allison Bottke
For more information on the 6-Steps to SANITY and on her books in the bestselling Setting Boundaries series, visit Allison’s website at AllisonBottke.com
*Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the New International Version (NIV).
