First Resort, Not Last

My prayer journal from May 12, 2020 (2 months into the pandemic)

Mar 26, 2023

If things were good all the time, people would never call out to Jesus. There’s a reason that hospitals have chapels in them. Because when that doctor delivers bad news, all options have been exhausted, and there is nowhere else to turn, where do people turn? To God. Instead of placing God first in our life, He becomes our fallback plan. We turn to Him as our last resort.

Today, I’m trying to flip that script. Though I still often fail at putting Him first in all that I do, it’s my intent to do so.

In the past, the first thing I would do in the morning is check my phone. Now, the first thing I do in the morning when I wake up and I am laying in bed is pray. It’s a prayer of gratitude. Thankfulness for the air in my lungs, the opportunity to be alive, my beautiful family, and the opportunity to fulfill His will for my life. (Side note and tip: Consider keeping notifications silenced on your phone until 9 am to help limit the number of times you look at it in the morning. This is what I do and it has helped me tremendously.) After dropping my son off at school, I will get to work and spend an hour or so reading God’s word and journaling before the team gets in at 9:30 am.

Create a plan to put God first… in your morning routine, in all of your decisions, in EVERYTHING. When we become complacent (in any area of life), we become weak. So, don’t only go to God when times are tough. Turn to Him ALL the time, even when things are great.

[Retyped and elaborated for context and clarity…]

Tuesday, May 12, 2020 8:39 am

Jesus - Forgive me. Forgive me of my sins. Forgive me for the times when things “are good” and I tend to spend less time with you. I don’t want struggle to be the reason I come to you. Nudge me and help me remember to carve out more time for this.

Thank you for the PPP, storage income, and overall cash flow relief you have given me. This time working remotely at home has made me realize/remember what is really important. Being near my family. I love them so much. The time playing with the boys are memories I hope I hold on to forever. They are growing up so fast. Help me develop them into great young men. I try but am thankful for Shannon. She is a better parent than I am. I love the way the boys adore her. Protect her. Protect them. It’s difficult to imagine life without them so I pray I will never have to live a life without them. [Love them so much!]

LORD - I pray for your blessing over NS4L [New Scooters 4 Less]. If you are willing, I pray that you will bring me a buyer by the end of the year. [This obviously didn’t happen and today, I thank God for this unanswered prayer.] I pray that I can follow my new passion around the podcast full-time. I feel it is time for the NS4L chapter to close for me [obviously God didn’t feel it was time] so I pray for your help in making the pieces come together for a sale of the business or some other way and help me continue to be able to pay the mortgage on the property.

Thank you for the gifts you have given me and the opportunities you have placed before me. I’m so grateful to be alive today. Help me have a positive and impactful day.

Love you.
Your son.
Collin

What can you change about your routine this week that will help you put God FIRST?

Blessings,

Collin

I thought it would be cool to share a few pics and a video from this same week in 2020…