Life straws, The Dishwasher, and Jesus

I sent my son on a mission trip with what I believed was the most elite water bottle on planet earth. Not just any bottle. A survivor bottle. This thing had a built-in LifeStraw. Carbon filter. Rugged. Durable. Practically military-grade. You could drink out of a puddle and walk away hydrated and thriving.

Naturally, I was like: “Yes. This will save his life.” And for the trip? It did. It hung faithfully from his backpack on a carabiner clip like a tiny, heroic sidekick. Dusty. Dependable. Slightly dramatic. It did its job nobly.

And then he came home. And I did what any responsible mom would do: I put it in the dishwasher. Because obviously, if something can filter swamp water, it can handle a little rinse cycle. Right?

I opened the dishwasher later and...I just stood there. Because where once stood a rugged, indestructible, survival water bottle...Now sat...A perfect little plastic test tube. Like... American Girl Dolls could use it for a science experiment. It had SHRUNK. Completely defeated. Curled in on itself. Humbled by heat.

And I just started laughing. Because apparently...It could handle anything... except the dishwasher

And I felt the Lord whisper:

“You don’t have to be strong enough for everything.”

We all have our “LifeStraw confidence.” The places where we think:

• I’ve got this.
• I can handle it.
• I’m built for this.

And sometimes... we are. God has given you strength. Resilience. Capacity. But then come the moments that feel like the dishwasher cycle: The unexpected heat. The pressure you didn’t plan for. The season that stretches you past what feels sustainable. And suddenly... You’re not as strong as you thought. Not because you’re failing. But because you’ve reached the edge of what you can carry.

And that is not a problem. According to Isaiah:

God gives strength to the weary.
He increases power where there isn’t enough.

Which means: You were never meant to be enough on your own. The moment you feel stretched, tired, or overwhelmed is not the moment to try harder— It’s the moment to receive differently.

Because God doesn’t just help the strong. He meets the weary. He doesn’t just applaud your capacity. He fills your lack. So if this season feels like “too much”...You’re not breaking. You’re being positioned to experience a strength that doesn’t come from you.

This Week’s Faith Habit

Choose one thing this week that you’ve been gripping tightly. A decision. A timeline. An outcome. Something you keep trying to manage or control. Then do this:

• Write it down on a piece of paper
• Physically place it somewhere outside your normal space (a drawer, a box, your car, even your garage)
• And leave it there for the entire week

Every time you feel the urge to pick it back up mentally...Don’t. Let the physical act remind you: This is not mine to carry right now. No words. No fixing. No spiraling. Just practice releasing control.

If life feels like:

• Things aren’t happening when you thought they would
• The pressure is revealing your limits
• And you’re trying to hold it all together

That’s exactly why I wrote: Not One Moment Late: Trusting God's Timing for Your Life! Because trusting God’s timing isn’t about pushing harder...It’s about learning to receive His strength in the waiting.

✨ It releases May 5 — and now is the perfect time to order.✨ Be one of the first to get it and have your Bible study ready to go for summer. Invite some friends and enjoy it together! 🙌

And just in case you were wondering...

Yes.

The new bottle will be hand-washed. 🫧🧽💦