Mail Call Podcast: One Day At a Time || Victory Church

Steven, how do we hear coming to you from Atlanta, Georgia, with Big Three Church? And you guys have been sending us some great letters and we wanted to respond with the few on our mail call episodes that we got going on. So this first one is written by Stacey, and Stacey, you've got incredible handwriting. Let me make sure I'm saying your name right. Yes, you, like I was reading through this and I was like, I can actually like read it super well. I almost thought that it was like AI done because it was just so, so well put together. First of all, thank you for taking some time to write us to tell us a little bit about what your life is and what's going on right now. There's something specific that I want to reference in your later, they just gave me a lot of hope and encouragement that I think could also be shared with others around you. And that, or anybody is watching for today. You talk about how you are nine years left into a 35 year bid. But some of the things that you were specifically talking about in your letter was how, even though like we should take things day by day, like the Lord even taught us that. Like don't worry so much about what's happening a week, a year from now, today is crazy enough for itself. So stay focused on today, which is true. But I also like, and I believe that there's great

encouragement and scripture for us to have hope and to plan for our future as well. And what guys are going to continue to do in our lives and through our lives with what it looks like how, once you get a chance to fill these nine years, what your life is going to be like on the other side of prison. And you had some great descriptions in there about what you're planning for and what you're hoping for. So here's what I wanted to say. One, good stuff. I love that you have even put down how much victory was a part of it, how God had to work some things together in some connections that ended up being confirmation for things that you were praying for. So I think there's a couple of things we can learn from this. One, we do need to take things one step at a time. It can be very easy to get so far ahead of ourselves for what we're looking forward to the future that we trip over today and we miss out on what God is speaking to us today. Even Jesus said, as he was teaching us how to pray, when the disciples came up to him and said, "Lord, could you teach us how we're even supposed to pray?" 'Cause it seems like you're doing it a lot better than we are. He started off by a couple of things. One, he said, when you talk to God, first step is call him your father because that's how he's wanting to take care of you. That's how he's wanting to provide for you.

Then like the very, one of the very next thing that you're asking for is give me today my daily bread. What I need to survive today, help me to focus on what I'm immediately walking through. So it's important for us, one that we do dream about our future, but that we don't miss how God is showing up now. So as you're watching this, let me tell you, it might feel like you're not seeing how God is showing up now. He is absolutely moving in your life every single day. And a great prayer is asking God to give you spiritual eyes to see all the things that he's moving in right now. 'Cause trust me friend, even when it feels like he's not, I guarantee you that he is. Like that line that says, God might not ever be late, but he sure feels like it. Okay, maybe I twisted that up. And maybe there's an aspect where we feel like, Lord, where are you? I'm looking for some things. Trust me, he's doing things even right now. And I know you've probably, some of you're watching, you've read through Joseph's life in Genesis. Guaranteed, he was thinking that in his day-to-day moments, but as he looked back, he said, all this stuff that was meant for evil, God actually took it and used it for good in my life. And I think that's some of the encouragement that I got, specifically from you Stacy, is instead of being way caught up and having nine years left, you're like, I feel like God has purpose.

I feel like God is wanting to do things in the future, but he's also doing things right now. And I was able to see right now, because I was open and receptive to it. So one of the things I can help you right now, like let's say you're in the middle of something and you're not even thinking about what the future looks like. You're not even thinking about what is, is how God might be moving today. This could be a new encouragement for you. One of the first steps would be, I think, journaling. And as you're beginning to write down and process your thoughts, God can actually speak to you. And that, even if you just started by journaling what your day was like, Let's call it a journal. How about that? We'll call it a journal where you're writing down What your day looks like and God can actually begin to speak to you in those kinds of moments as you're reflecting The Holy Spirit can begin to bring to your awareness Ways that he's moving in your life right now that in the maybe in that exact moment We didn't see it but as we reflect on the day God can do some great things in that moment dream about the future dream about what God can continue to do in your family and Pray towards that about what he can do in your own life and spend time with him talking about that It's not it's I don't think that our dreams are wasted with God even with Descriptive that tells us that God collects our own tears So if he collects our tears and he writes down all of our thoughts and our words our dreams are important to him as well That's why Jesus told us to refer to him as father Because what's important to us is what's important to him as well So I encourage you to take hope Continue to let's let's let's all learn from the things that's happening in Stacy's life

Knowing that God is moving and doing things Even when we might not see it and when we take a few moments to invite him in and to dream along with him Some cool things can happen. Thank you again for this letter. It was encouraging to me I'm sure and encourage some other people out there as well