I could hear the tears in the little quivering voice.

 

“Mama,” she whispered through the phone, “I didn’t make it to the bathroom, and I had an accident.”

 

It was the fall of 2002. Autumn, my oldest daughter, had just started kindergarten at the Christian school. It was not even a month into school that I received that devastating call from my little five-year-old. Bless her heart—I wasn’t concerned at first, thinking that she had just had a bad lower intestinal bug. However, as the days turned to weeks, we became more alarmed. She began to lose weight as the bowel movements increased to upwards of 20 times a day and 5 times at night. By the time we were introduced to a gastrointestinal doctor at Columbus Children’s Hospital, her stools had turned to blood.

 

I will never forget.

 

We arrived at the hospital for her first of many colonoscopies. Her large round brown eyes, sprinkled with tears and scared questions, were written all over her face as she changed into her tiny gown. We waited for nurses to take her away for her procedure. You could see her lips beginning to tremble, and a tiny look of fear spread across her face. Her daddy gently picked her up and sat her on his lap, with her head resting gently on his chest, and just rocked her.

 

This is the picture that is burned in my mind.

 

The picture of resting in her daddy’s comforting arms.

 

The procedure was still going to happen; the unknown was still going to unfold. However, because she had the confidence that her daddy was with her at that very moment and that he would be with her again when this was finished, she was comforted.

 

As a child of God, our Heavenly Father promises that same comfort and much more.

 

Every morning as I sit on my couch, I come to my Heavenly Father, my Abba Daddy, with my Bible in my hand, just like my five-year-old sat with her daddy. I picture myself sitting at the feet of Jesus and asking Him, “What do you want me to do today? Is there anything in my life that you need me to change? How can I praise you today?”

 

The Bible says, “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, (Daddy) Father!’ For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, (Daddy) Father.’” Romans 8:14-15

 

And through the words of God’s Word, the Bible, He gently teaches me doctrine (what is right), reproof (what is wrong), correction (how to make it right), and instruction in righteousness (how to live right), 2 Timothy 3:15-16.

 

How can I know what God wants me to do every single day if I don’t spend time in His Word?

 

According to Lifeway.com, the majority of churchgoers desire to honor Christ with their lives and even profess to think on biblical truths. A recent study found only 19% actually engaged in personal reading and study of the Scriptures.

 

Those who do read our Bibles, I believe many of us have come to think of having our “devotions” as a quick reading so we can check it off our to-do list. However, I believe we should have a fundamental mind shift of calling it what it really is: spending time with Jesus.

 

If I’m going to seek after the Lord, I need to seek Him with all my heart; that might take time—to get my heart prepared, to read what the Lord has to say, to let Him show Himself to me through His Word, to respond, and let what He has revealed to me really take root in my heart.

 

In 2014, after the birth of my youngest, I went through a very dark period in my life. I had just had my 11th baby. Although I did not realize it at the time, I was going through postpartum depression.

 

My three older girls were a blessing by helping to care for my new little baby girl. That probably sounds terrible for a pastor's wife to say, but that was my reality. I built an invisible wall. It felt safer, tucked away behind a seemingly impenetrable surface.

 

Everything felt dark and overwhelming. The last place I wanted to be was church... I did not want anyone to see my weakness, my brokenness.

 

There is a lot more to the story, but I needed help physically, mentally, and spiritually.

 

My physical weakness affected my mental state, which in turn affected my spiritual state. It was a physical manifestation of hormones going crazy in my body—building up walls for my insecurity felt safe.

 

However, because of my weakness and because of my brokenness, I began to see my lack of spiritual depth...I needed to learn that there is only one place to find true safety—ONE Person who is utterly trustworthy.

 

As I hit bottom, I realized that I had not kept my anchor and stability daily in His Word. I came to a point after I had my last baby that I couldn’t continue life in my own power. I did not have that anchor that was securing my soul during this storm.

 

I think of the hymn, "Will Your Anchor Hold in the Storms of Life" by Priscilla J. Owens:

 

We have an anchor that keeps the soul

steadfast and sure while the billows roll;

fastened to the Rock which cannot move,

grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love!

 

I cried out for help. It was my sister who encouraged me to only do ONE thing.

 

Every day, I would read ONE verse, sentence, or paragraph of my Bible, rephrase it into my own words, and make ONE “I will” statement based on ONE truth.

 

ONE verse. ONE truth. ONE Person. Nothing more.

 

I began to look forward to my time with Jesus. I fell in love with His Word. I began a relationship through the reading of God’s Word that has continued to this day.

 

I could read just ONE verse. I loved taking action on my ONE verse and writing ONE “I will” statement.

 

Each verse. Every day. One a day.

 

The truth began to get inside of me and anchor my heart. God began to transform me from the inside out.

 

I was slowly learning that ONE thing was necessary—spending time with Jesus!

 

Simple.

 

I begged God to fill my broken heart. He did that. He held my heart in His hand so gently.

 

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations (you have to suffer various trials): That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto (to result in) praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6-7

 

I serve a big God. He can take my illness, my disappointments, my weakness, my anger, and anything else. He will always love me and cherish me, no matter what—God never leaves.

 

I am learning that “anything that makes me need God is ultimately a blessing” — Nancy Wolgemuth.

 

I'm finally beginning to understand that my greatest ministries come out of my greatest weaknesses: the things that humble me and bring me to my knees.

 

It is a wonderful mystery how my Lord takes broken people and uses them to further His gospel.

 

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 

 

These hidden places—on my knees, through tears—these are the places I find Him, know Him, love Him.

 

These are the places that God wants us to be—in desperate need of Him.

 

My inabilities. My failures. My sufferings.

 

The One Thing was developed because as I began to speak to other women and share my story, many women opened up about their own failures. They too were living their day-to-day lives without taking the time to start it with Jesus, yet longed to really meet with Jesus.

 

Join me as together we discover “ONE THING” is needful—sitting at the feet of Jesus. Luke 10:42.