journey – Amy Dagit

May 21, 2024

Resting in the Mystery

Numbers 9:21 (ESV)—And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out.

I perched on the edge of my seat on the bus, on the lookout for wildlife and the top of Mount McKinley in Denali National Park. Hoards of bears, a fox, a flock of dall sheep, a herd of caribou, and a moose later, at the end of the road, the clouds still obscured Mount McKinley, its view a shroud of mystery (except for thousands of photos on the internet, of course).

For the Israelites, the cloud of God led them through the desert. When the cloud descended on the tabernacle, the Israelites made camp, and when the cloud lifted, they broke camp and traveled through the desert, an arduous journey for sure.

The people trusted in God even with the mystery of the cloud’s timing. They allowed God to lead and followed in obedience.

Today, God still sets the pace of our journey, though not in the form of a physical cloud. His protection comes in the form of a friend telling us we need to slow down, in jobs appearing when we need them most, in anxiety attacks telling our bodies enough is enough.

The next steps of God’s plan for us, whether shrouded in thick, dense fog or clear for miles and miles, come when we sit in God’s presence. In this place of rest, we can find assurance and can ask for wisdom to separate his plan from our own.

For sure, God’s plan is a mystery whose revelation unfolds in his timing. While we wait though, he provides a cloud of comfort, peace, and protection.

January 2, 2024

Jesus Upholds: A Journey in 2023

A dirt trail with trees on both sides, turning to the right

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)—He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Happy New Year, Everyone! Life is a journey, for sure, and this year I embarked not only on adventures on the West Coast and in Cincinnati, St. Louis, Birmingham, and Gulf Shores but also on a path of newness toward God. Looking back at 2023, I see God’s path unwinding like a switchback up a mountain.

Not so long ago, I prided myself on my independence. I lived life with an attitude of “I can go it alone.” My tune changed with an anxiety attack, one I believe God used to gain my attention to his lessons. I learned not only self-care such as meditation and yoga but also community care from my loved ones. God’s outcomes have filled my life with happiness, and these are only a few:

I shared my experiences through devotionals published on various websites.

I reached out to my family more often and shared some of my experiences.

I made an effort to expand my community through volunteering and organizing social activities.

I learned more about myself and the fruit of the Spirit I need to apply to myself.

I began memorizing Bible verses.

With each of these events, I see the connection between the trials and the joy and Jesus upholding my life. God used my reaching out in my troubles as an invitation for another to reach out to me in their troubles. I learned God’s Word to write devotionals and blog posts and subsequently used his Word to calm myself. I treated myself with the fruit of the Spirit and feel happier despite my trials.

Although my journey sometimes feels as if I’m trudging up a steep trail and I can’t see past the trees to the next turn, I know if I stay on his path, I’m traveling toward his glory. I invite you to review your 2023 and list ways God has touched your life. May you start 2024 with your mind on his glory!

December 20, 2023

Christmas Traditions, Old and New

In years past, my hubby and I walked a Christmas tree home from the grocery store. This tradition changed last year when the local grocery store, only a couple of blocks from our home, stopped selling pine trees. That tradition ended (sigh) with a tree purchased from another nearby store and hauled home in the trunk of the car.

Come this year, neither store stocked Christmas trees (double sigh). And wanting the blissful pine smell—and not only from a wax melt—my hubby and I hopped in the car and ventured to a nearby Christmas tree farm. The trees stood in the barn like a line of stately nutcracker soldiers, no Charlie Brown trees in sight. We picked out a lovely fir and loaded it in the trunk for the journey home.

After carrying the tree inside, we fastened it into the iron tree stand my mom passed down to me. She received it from her parents. Tree snug and sturdy, I got my Christmas on, hanging baubles on branches, reminiscing of travels past, while listening to Christmas music, a yearly event I thoroughly enjoy. And since decorating, I’ve buried my nose in the branches a time or two for a whiff of piney goodness.

I love my Christmas traditions and the joy they bring. But Christmas is more than earthly traditions. It’s a celebration of the birth baby Jesus, the Light of the World. And to celebrate, I think it’s time to light up my life with new traditions: reminiscing about my spiritual journey this past year, celebrating my successes with a prayer of thankfulness, or spending more time with my nose in the Good Book rather than in the tree.

Merry Christmas! I pray your traditions bring you joy and light!

Baked cookies in shapes of trees and snowmen and topped with colored sugar crystals

October 11, 2023

Wandering a Maze

Jeremiah 14:10 (NIV)—This is what the Lord says about this people: “They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the Lord does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins.”

It’s fall again! And one of my favorite harvest-time activities is wandering through a corn maze. My hubby and make a night of it—the maze followed by dinner at a local restaurant—or even a weekend break, exploring a new area for a couple of days. (I’ll use anything as an excuse for another adventure!)

We wander each and every path of the maze, searching for the checkpoints. Each trail offers a new adventure to unexplored paths and hours of fun. Sooner or later, the last checkpoint becomes elusive and we have to stop and consider the path we’ve followed and where we haven’t been.

Much the same, the people of Judah lost themselves in maze of their own sins. Even though they repented, they chose, over and over, the path of sin. Though they checked in with God, their efforts were half-hearted and they chose the path away from God’s covenant with them.

If only they’d stopped at a checkpoint and truly considered their position.

God sets out checkpoints to guide us on our journey with him. He gives us time to check in and ask, “What path do I take? Am I on your path?” The checkpoint may be a time of rest, of listening, of a new action, of a step toward God’s path, of solitude, of silence, or perhaps something else. No matter our place in our journey with God, God holds firm to his promises when we choose the path he sets before us.