Why theONEthing?

This is His story.

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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 wasn’t even a month into school when I received that devastating call from my little five-year-old.

Bless her heart—I wasn’t concerned at first, thinking she had just come down with a bad intestinal bug. However, as the days turned into weeks, we became more alarmed. She began to lose weight as the bowel movements increased to upwards of twenty times a day and five times at night. By the time we were introduced to a gastrointestinal doctor at Nationwide 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 brown eyes were sprinkled with tears. Scared questions were written all over her face as she changed into her tiny gown. We waited for the nurses to take her away for her procedure. You could see her lips begin to tremble, and a tiny look of fear spread across her face. Her daddy gently picked her up, 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 unknowns were 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 it was finished—she was comforted.

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

Every morning as I sit on my couch, I come to my Heavenly Father—my Abba Daddy—with my Bible. 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

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. However, a recent study found that only 19% actually engage in personal reading and study of the Scriptures.

For those of us who do read our Bibles, I believe many have reduced our “devotions” to a quick read—something to check off our to-do list. However, I believe we need a fundamental shift in our thinking, calling it what it truly is: spending time with Jesus.

If I’m going to seek the Lord, I need to seek Him with all my heart. Seeking Him takes time—time to prepare my heart, to read what the Lord has to say, to let Him reveal Himself to me through His Word, to respond to the Holy Spirit, and to let what He shows me truly 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 eleventh baby. Although I did not realize it at the time, I was experiencing extreme postpartum depression.

My three older girls were such a blessing, helping care for my new little baby girl. That probably sounds terrible for a pastor’s wife to admit, but that was my reality. I built an invisible wall because 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 didn’t want anyone to see my weakness, my brokenness.

There’s 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 health. It was not originally a spiritual problem—it was a physical manifestation of hormones going wild in my body. However, this physical weakness exposed a deep spiritual need in my soul.

Building walls around my insecurity felt safe. Yet, because of my weakness and brokenness, I began to learn that there is only one place to find true safety—one Person who is utterly trustworthy.

As I hit bottom, I realized I had not kept my anchor and stability daily in His Word. I was not as secure as I thought. After having my last baby, I reached the point where I simply couldn’t continue life in my own power anymore.

I did not have that anchor securing my soul during the storm. I often 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 Savior’s love!

I cried out for help, and it was my sister who encouraged me to do just one thing.

Every day, I would read one verse, sentence, or paragraph of my Bible, rephrase it in 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 daily communication through the reading of God’s word, that has continued to this day. I could read just ONE verse. I looked forward to taking action to my ONE verse and writing ONE “I will” statement. Each verse. Every day. One a day. The truth became to get inside of me and began to help give me an anchor for my heart. This transformed me from the inside out.

I was slowing 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 am slowly beginning to understand that our greatest ministries sometimes come from our greatest weaknesses—the things that humble us and bring us to our 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 (KJV)

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

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

My inabilities. My failures. My sufferings.

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

Join me as together we discover that “one thing is needful”—sitting at the feet of Jesus.

---Luke 10