October 4th, 2022
Devotional by Chiara Talluto
Image courtisy of PDPics from Pixabay
… “Do not be afraid; only believe.” Mark 5: 36
That verse has been on my mind for a while now. I’ve read Chapter 5 in the Book of Mark in the Bible, several times. It has three intense stories packed into forty-three verses: The demon-possessed man who was healed, the synagogue’s ruler’s daughter who was dying, but was resuscitated, and the woman with the twelve-year flow cured of her affliction.
That’s what I feel
My two teen daughters have been in school a little over a month, and sometimes I feel like Jesus in verse thirty… “Immediately knowing in himself that power had gone out…”. Drained. That’s what I feel. My identity, “Mom” is overused and called upon many, many times a day. From homework to soccer practice and games, to keeping up with the latest cool school dress, and all the social drama of middle school, it’s no wonder I have “no power” at the end of the day. A parent’s job is never finished. I love being a mom, don’t get me wrong. It’s the best blessing I’ve ever received from God, and it took many years in the making.
One of my biggest responsibilities
One of my biggest responsibilities as a mother is to guide my girls in the right direction. Be their example and role model so that they grow up loving the Lord in all their ways, never veering off the righteous path. It’s a hard job to fulfill. I’m far from perfect. I sin, I’m broken, and I’m constantly longing for Jesus to restore me. I desire the faith of the woman with the flow. I desire the courage of the demon-possessed man to seek Jesus out and be truthful in his affliction. It takes honesty, integrity, and sincere introspection to admit fault, addiction, and pain.
A roadmap for life
We are living in a time of worldly trouble, it’s no doubt about that. I’m constantly concerned and consumed with news; it worries me. And then, I read the Bible. A roadmap for life. Jesus overcame the world. We know how the story ends in the Book of Revelation, and I’m comforted. We can’t live in fear. We must put on the “Whole Armor of God”. We have to live. This means parenting my children to the best way I can, being a wife to my husband, and writing the tales and the stories God lays on my heart to tell. Not fearing, not fretting, living by faith, that is what I’m supposed to do.
Jesus didn’t promise us a pain free life on earth, He promised Himself to each of us. We just need to take courage and…
… “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
ღ About Chiara Talluto ღ
Chiara Talluto is a wife, busy mom, author, and a woman after God’s heart. She writes Inspirational/Christian drama empowering women to discover their faith, use perseverance to overcome adversity, and become heroes of their own destinies. Ms. Talluto also has written middle-grade fantasy-fairy tales to encourage girls to develop strong morals and values, and to always stand up for what is right.
You can find her at www.chiaratalluto.com
Find her book on her website or on Amazon
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