God’s power

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When God Calls Your Name

by Kelly Hall

Isaiah 43:1 on a teal graphic with plant designs.

Bundled against the freezing Midwest dreariness, I burst into my house and without removing a single item of wintry protection, collapsed into the couch. The wet, snowy trail I left behind normally would have prompted a quick flurry of activity to dry and protect the hardwood floors, but today I barely noticed.

I’d moved halfway across the country with my four young children so our three daughters, born with profound hearing loss, could undergo surgery to receive cochlear implants and attend a school where they’d be trained to speak. My husband, a fighter pilot in the Air Force, had managed to secure a one-year assignment about six hours away so he could join us on weekends.

Although we were starting to see great benefits from the school, I was overwhelmed with the daily demands of parenting and facilitating communication between our four “littles.” But what really surprised me was the pain of loneliness. Adjusting to an unfamiliar city without the nearby support of family, friends, military community or church home was harder than I expected.

I poured out my heart to God. “Thank you for leading us to a place where our girls are finally getting the help they need. I’m grateful for Your presence and care. But Lord, I’d really like to talk to a physical person. Please send someone who can understand, someone who won’t feel burdened by our story or feel they have to travel across the country to help.”

After skimming through a mental list of names, I gave up and told the Lord, “If you want someone to call me, You’ll have to figure it out.” As I prepared to drive to a nearby bakery for some comfort food, my phone rang. A woman from a church we’d recently visited explained the reason for her call, “For three days God’s whispered your name, telling me to call you, but I kept putting Him off because I didn’t know how to help. But today, when He started shouting your name, I could no longer ignore Him.”

This dear older woman had four grown children, three of whom were also deaf. Her husband had been in the military and they had moved to this same city for the same reasons we had. God sent me a precious new friend who could understand our complicated story. The wisdom, insight, prayers, and laughter that flowed through the phone were a healing balm to my heart.

After I hung up, I fell to my knees stunned by this extravagant outpouring of God’s intimate care. “Lord, I can’t believe You love me enough to arrange a phone call from just the right person at just the right time. You started orchestrating it three days earlier because You knew precisely how long it would take!”

My friend never could have imagined how her one simple act of obedience would become my favorite memory of God’s faithfulness and love.

The Bible reminds us when the overwhelm of life makes us feel isolated, we don’t have to be afraid for the Lord knows our names. The One who created us, who formed us, who redeemed us, is deeply invested in our stories (Isaiah 43:1). His fingerprints are on our very souls (Psalm 139:14). Our names are inscribed on His hands and on His heart (Isaiah 49:16). Before a word is on our tongue, the Lord knows (Psalm 139:4). Before our needs arise, He has positioned the perfect provisions (Matthew 6:8).

What a comfort to know our God is not only immensely powerful, but also intensely personal.

(c) Kelly Hall, KellyHall.org

About the author: Kelly Hall is a speaker, author, Bible teacher, and podcaster. Her Unshakable Hope Podcast: where Real Life intersects Redeeming Love, brings Biblical hope to the weary and highlights the unchanging faithfulness and love of God.

Her Bible study, Courageous Faith, is framed around Proverbs
3:5-6 and expands on the faith lessons learned in her personal journey of raising four children, three with special needs, in the constantly challenging world of Air Force military life. She enjoys the beauty of the Sonoran Desert with her husband, two adult daughters, and a super smart service dog, Skylar.

Why We Lose Ourselves in Relationships—and How to Find Our Way Back – Faith Over Fear

In this opening episode of our new Faith Over Fear series, Relational Peace: Loving Others Without Losing Yourself, Carol sits down with Bible teacher and author Becky Harling for an honest conversation about the subtle ways we lose ourselves inside relationships. Together, they explore how fear, people-pleasing, overfunctioning, and the pressure to keep everyone happy can quietly erode our peace, identity, and emotional health. Becky shares practical wisdom on boundaries, friendship, emotional dependency, and how Jesus modeled deep love without losing Himself in the process. If you’ve ever felt exhausted from carrying everyone else’s emotions or guilty for needing rest, this episode offers biblical encouragement and practical next steps toward healthier, Christ-centered relationships. In This Episode, learn: Why people-pleasing is often fear in disguise The difference between healthy love and self-erasure How Jesus modeled boundaries and emotional health Signs you may be losing yourself in relationships Why Christian women and men especially struggle with overextending What healthy friendships actually look like Practical tools for saying no without guilt How to love others without carrying their emotional weight Scripture References Mark 1:35–38 Proverbs 4:23 John 2:24 Ephesians 2:10 I think I got them all? Key TakeawayHealthy relationships are not built on fear, guilt, or emotional exhaustion. They’re built on truth, grace, wisdom, honesty, and an identity firmly rooted in Christ. Find Becky Harling:  On her website On Facebook On Instagram On Amazon Find Carol McCracken: On her website  On Facebook On Instagram Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
  1. Why We Lose Ourselves in Relationships—and How to Find Our Way Back
  2. Recognizing and Breaking Free from Harmful Relationships
  3. From Bondage to Abundance: One Woman's Testimony About Learning to Live Free
  4. How God Helps Us Get to and Resolve the Root of Our Anxiety
  5. Calm Anxiety and Overwhelm Through Time With Christ

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Stop for a moment and think back to when you were a child. Do you remember all the dreams you had? Maybe you dreamt of being a major league baseball player, or a famous singer, or an actress. Then life hit and reality set. You began to look at numbers, statistics, and slowly your dream began to die. In fact, perhaps you quit dreaming at all and settled for the easy, the predictable, the nine-to-five. Which isn’t bad. Predictability and rational thinking puts food on the table.

But what if … God has more planned? Great works which He prepared—for you—in eternity past.

A few weeks ago, I told you about the Lifeway editor who’d always wanted to be a missionary to India. That’s a specific dream. In many ways, an unrealistic dream. And as the years ebbed by, and she watched others join the mission field, perhaps she thought she’d missed her chance. She turned forty, and her hair began to gray. She turned fifty, and her energy waned. Then came sixty, and seventy, and retirement followed. Retirement. The end of productivity, of dreams. She turned eighty when many her age moved to nursing homes. Some died.

And this was where her dream emerged, only not in the way she expected. Oh, no. God’s plan was much more glorious! At eighty years old, God showed her she had a new work to do. She began to write for Christ to the World Ministries and today her dramas broadcast across the globe. Instead of reaching one small village, one small city, God opened doors and helped her to reach an entire country! Not just one country, in fact, but 32, through radio waves.

What’s your dream? Why are you here? What does God want to do through you? Dream big, my friend!

It doesn’t matter how old you are, how many times you’ve “failed”. It’s not about your talent, your strength, your wisdom. It’s about drawing near to God and surrendering to the dream He’s birthed within you.

Psalm 18:31-36 (NLT)

God arms me with strength,
and he makes my way perfect.
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
You have given me your shield of victory.
Your right hand supports me;
your help has made me great.
You have made a wide path for my feet
to keep them from slipping.

If God’s behind you, there’s nothing you can’t do. He will perfect the plans He has for you.

I join with Paul in “asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of His call. May He give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11

Dream big and move forward in confidence, but keep a lose hold on the reins. If God birthed the dream, He WILL bring it about. But it may not be in the way you expected. He may have something even better in mind.

We know God will only bless those things that are consistent with His will. So, how can you tell if your dream’s from God? Come back Tuesday to read Henry McLaughlin’s thoughts on discerning God-given dreams.

Let’s talk about this!

Join me at Living by Grace as we talk about those long-forgotten dreams buried beneath rational thinking and what God might want to do with them.

Not to sound cliché’, but it’s an important question to ask: What might you attempt if you knew you could not fail? As you think about that, remember the power of the God who stands behind you. Remember His promises recorded in Scripture. All things are possible with Him. It is not by power nor by might, but by His Spirit. You are more than a conqueror. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You have the mind of Christ. Your cloud of witnesses are watching, cheering in expectant anticipation.

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A few days ago I shared a post entitled, “Keep Rowing,” based on a novel I was reading at the time. In the story, Eddie Snipes, the author, paraphrased the biblical account of when the apostles found themselves stuck in a boat rowing against a violent storm. The jest of Edie’s message was, God knew that storm was coming, yet He had His disciples row against it anyway. Oh, how we’d like to avoid all the storms in life, but through out Scripture, God promises the storms will come. Our first inclination might be to run for cover, which we should do–but not under a rock. Instead, we must plant ourselves on The Rock–the Creator and our Redeemer. When we do, His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

I love today’s devo by Patty Wysong because it reminds me that God’s power and care is not dependent on me–my strength and size. Like the tiny hummingbird flittering through the storm, I too can strand strong because my Savior lives inside me.

Be Like a Hummer by Patty Wysong

I love hummingbirds. They constantly astound me. Awhile ago, during a pretty intense storm we stood at the windows and watched the trees whipping and branches falling. And the hummers. Those little birds didn’t let the high winds and sheets of rain deter them—they zipped back and forth between the feeders and the trees, barely fazed by the storm. 

At one point there were two hummers at a feeder and when the wind suddenly gusted, they both faced into the wind and kept flying. As I watched, I saw one drop closer to the ground and manage to slowly fly forward, but the other was pushed backward and into the trees that line the creek.

Both hummers kept flying until they were able to latch onto something. Then they were back to the feeders for another snack. Their persistence in the face of the storm wowed me. And shamed me. How many times do I get a little wind in my face and decide it’s time for me to hunker down? And that’s not even storm winds. In the storms of life I tend to head for my rock—the one I like to hide under. But that’s not the rock we’re supposed to run to.

When the storms of life come, we’re to keep flying and get to our Rock. Yanno, our ROCK: Jesus.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;

my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

~Psalm 18:2 NAS

When we run to that Rock,  we can take refuge—hide—there with Him. That’s very good news to me because I’m a hider.

He will cover you with His pinions,

and under His wings you may seek refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

~Psalm 91:4 NAS

Knowing that I can run to my Rock and crawl under is so very comforting to me! When life’s storms start howling, I can face into the wind and keep flying, just like those little hummers did, and fly back to my Heavenly Father. There, with the God of all comfort 2 Corinthians 1:3 I’m safe and secure under His wing. 

So when the storm starts howling around you and the wind has life whipped into a frenzy, be like a hummer and just keep flying. Fly straight to Jesus, our ROCK and redeemer. He will tuck you close under His wing and shelter you from the storm. And like a hummer we can dart back and forth, safely, knowing that His eye is on us, ever watchful. Our rock, our fortress, our deliverer. What more could we ask for?

Patty Wysong, a home executive with over 20 years of experience, homeschools three of her five children, but don’t let that fool you. She spends much of her time working on what God has placed in her hand: her keyboard. From the corner of her living room she writes inspirational fiction, devotionals, blog posts, and teaches online blogging workshops. You’ll also find her drinking kool aid from her china cup, preparing for the ladies Bible study she leads, and helping at their church.

Patty learned about blogs and blogging the hard way and now delights in teaching and helping others, sparing them that frustration so they can focus on what God has called them to do. Through her writing, Patty has found the extraordinary God in her ordinary life.

Find out more about Patty and her writing by visiting:
her blog: Ordinary Lives www.pattywysong.com
Jewels of Encouragement – www.jewelsofencouragement.com
The Barn Door – www.thebarndoor.net