God Among the Bullet Points - Guest Post by Jessica Brodie
- Published Jun 28, 2021
Every birthday and New Year, I'm forced to take stock. Have I lived the past year well? Am I moving forward in faith? Can I reasonably recover from all my mess ups and mishaps and perhaps behave differently the next time around? Unfortunately, I fail much more often than I'd care to admit, but despite my mess-ups, mishaps, and downright failings, one thing remains certain and unwavering, as my guest today discovered while doing a little life-check of her own.
God among the bullet-points
Ever try to sum up your life in a bullet-list? It’s a weird, sometimes painful, sometimes hilarious exercise in self-absorption (if I’m generous, self-healing) that I tried one lonely New Year’s Day 13 years ago.
It went something like this:
- Born January 19, North Miami, Florida
- Lived with parents in small house near grandparents
- Earliest memories: books, brown shag carpet
- Age two, moved to better house
- Favorites: banana trees, stripy sneakers, books, spiky grass, swing set, Mom’s typewriter
- Afraid of everyone and everything
I should mention I was a full-fledged grownup when I did this, well into my career, married…old enough to have achieved some maturity. And at the end, I had a neatly printed six-page document filled with all the dysfunctions and quirks that had comprised my life. Right there, in black and white, I could see exactly how far I’d come.
Take that, Mean Girls of the Sixth Grade. Harrumpf.
Sure, I’d had my share of embarrassing failures and broken hearts, but a few lines later there was the college scholarship, the promotion, the kiss. Life went on. Ups, downs—they littered the page without discernible pattern.
“That’s just life,” I’d concluded—random, messy, beautiful, full of chance and happenstance, with me in the starring role. I saw how time and again I’d navigated a difficult circumstance with a solid, moral decision or confronted a tough issue by standing strong, staying true. I congratulated myself on my perseverance and gumption.
Ah, younger me.
I knew nothing.
See, all that time I thought I was steering myself through the tough times. But it wasn’t. It was God. Now I see the light.
Thirteen years later, I’ve had two children and gained two stepchildren. I’ve become a daily reader of Scripture rather than a casual Bible-thumber. I’ve experienced loss, single-momhood, near-poverty, and wealth. I’ve been to Africa and walked with lions, seen miracles happen before my eyes and within my body.
I’ve lived. And in living, I’ve come to understand how little any of it has to do with me or the choices I made. I’ve also come to see how lucky I am God has allowed me to experience this grand, majestic ride.
Recently, I tried that bullet-list exercise again—but this time, instead of chance and happenstance, I was struck by the master pattern I saw: God’s hand on everything. Every. Thing.
Why had I ever thought my life was random? It was a magical, God-orchestrated symphony. In every moment, big and small, God was there—
That infertility struggle that seemed to last forever? Now I saw it so clearly pointing me toward humility and submission to God’s will.
That tough job where I felt so utterly alone? God was helping me rely on my internal chops—and Him—to be a better leader.
Today I look at my list and don’t regret any of the mistakes and painful moments I see. My only regret is all the time I wasted from worry.
And I see what I should have been doing all along: resting securely in the knowledge that God has our roadmap already printed out for us in the form of the Holy Bible.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” He tells us, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).*
Try the bullet-list for yourself and see if you, too, can tell all that God has done and is doing in your life.
*Bible verse taken from Biblehub.com
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Let's talk about this! In her book, Victim of Grace, author Robin Jones Gunn talks about taking an annual "Selah" where she hits the pause button and sort of takes stock of her previous year and what God might want to do in the year ahead. This really struck me because I have a tendency to stay so busy doing, I can miss observing all God has done or might want to do. Jessica's post today encouraged me to hit the pause button this week, to take some time to prayerfully look over past journal entries, to meditate on Scripture, to contemplate all God has done.
What about you? Do you normally take time to remember and contemplate? If so, when and how? If not, how might doing so increase your sense of peace and awe for God? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below, because we can all learn from and encourage one another!
Before you go, I wanted to invite you to join me and my Wholly Loved sisters each Wednesday for our new video devotions--short, transformative nuggets designed to help you center yourself in Christ and His truth. You can watch our first two HERE and HERE, then return to the Wholly Loved site each Wednesday for another inspirational message. And if you haven't done so, make sure to sign up for my free quarterly newsletter to receive inspirational content, recipes, short stories, and more sent directly to your inbox. As an added bonus, subscribers 
And make sure to check out the latest Faith Over Fear podcast episode titled Courageously Living as Expressions of God (Elohim). Listen HERE.
And make sure to connect with Jennifer Slattery on Facebook, Instagram, and on her personal website.
Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker who hosts the Faith Over Fear podcast. She’s addressed women’s groups, Bible studies, and writers across the nation. She’s the author of Building a Family and numerous other titles and maintains a devotional blog at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com.
As the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, she’s passionate about helping women experience Christ’s freedom in all areas of their lives. Visit her online to learn more about her speaking or to book her for your next women’s event and sign up for her free quarterly newsletter HERE and make sure to connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.
