Friday, February 20, 2026

Held and Becoming

"Be still and know that I am God." – Psalms 46:10
"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion." – Philippians 1:6

This morning, many of us awakened to begin a new day carrying more than anyone can see. We carry responsibilities, worries, unanswered prayers, grief, hope, exhaustion, joy, and sometimes all of it at once. We are a congregation that loves deeply, and gives generously, yet sometimes forgets to rest in the truth that we are already held by God.

God does not love us for what we accomplish. He loves us because we are His. Before we fix anything, before we serve anyone, before we prove ourselves worthy, God tells us to, "Be still" – not because He wants us passive, but because He wants us to remember who is really in control.

Stillness is not weakness. Stillness is trust.

And here's the beautiful truth: We are not finished products. God is still working. Still shaping. Still healing. Still restoring.

The places in your life that feel incomplete or broken are not evidence of failure, they are evidence of ongoing grace.

Some of us need permission today to stop striving. Some of us need reassurance that our prayers are not wasted. Some of us need to hear that God is not disappointed in us. He is patient, faithful, and near.

You are allowed to exhale.
You are allowed to rest.

You are allowed to trust that God is doing far more than you can see.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank you for meeting us right where we are – not where we think we should be. Teach us to be still in a world that demands constant motion. Remind us that you are faithful to complete the work you began in us. Help us release what we cannot control and trust you with what we cannot see. Strengthen our hearts, quiet our fears, and renew our spirits as we walk forward together. We ask these things in your precious name. Amen.

Cindy Rolka