About the Author

Anna works full-time for DaySpring from Minnesota, where she lives with her husband and four kids. Anna is the author of A Moment of Christmas and Pumpkin Spice for Your Soul, and she shares the good stuff of the regular, encouraging you to see the ordinary glory in your everyday.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
Recent Posts

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Thank you, Anna, for a wonderful post and reminder of just how much God cares for us!

  2. Anna,
    Many people don’t lean very well. We’ve been brought up to believe “self-sufficiency” is a magnificent virtue. It’s not. Like you and many others, I’ve had to learn to lean the hard way — usually out of desperation. I think of one of my mom’s favorite hymns. She would hum it or sing it when she needed a self reminder or wanted to remind me of the One I could count on. “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” is an invitation to lean in close to God — to give up our striving and self sufficiency and to depend and rely solely upon Him. It’s the best healing balm for all of us.
    Blessings upon you as you heal,
    Bev xx

    • Oh that hymn! What a balm! My little sister and I grew up singing it with my mom at the piano; we simply called it “leanin'” when we’d ask her to play it 🙂 Thank you for bringing up that sweet memory today.

  3. I have a picture on my phone of a leaning birch tree, weighted down in a winter ice storm. All around her are the remnants of broken trees who never learned the strength to bend. Whenever I see her on my walk, she’s a parable for surviving hard times.

  4. Thank the Lord for Mothers!

    I am so fortunate to know the love of my mother. I am also blessed to have lived with my grandmother from birth to marriage. No, that’s not the way it’s usually done these days.

    When we are children, we could not find all the adjectives in Webster’s Dictionary to describe the attributes of a mother. Yes, they can be different in some ways but they all have birthed us into this world, adopted us into families, changed diapers, prepared formula, pumped breast milk or breastfed children into health and wellness.

    These mothers do these kind gestures over and over again! No wonder a Sunday is set aside to remind the world how much we should appreciate mothers.

    Keep praying if you want to be a mother and you are waiting for your blessing. Don’t give up mothers on the child who may be on the wrong path now. Keep hope and faith alive.

    Oh, I didn’t even mention those domestic attributes. Teach your children to help with chores at an early age, it really shapes their character.

    God bless you all.

    Happy Mother’s Day ! ! !

    • Mothers are AMAZING indeed. What a gift to live with your grandmother! I too was very close with mine, and oh, what I wouldn’t give for another visit with her now. Thanks for your sweet thoughts today, Brenda.

  5. My all time comfort is knowing I’m a child of God. I think of how I would do anything for my kids and grandbabies … then think this is God over me. I’ve got shelter, strength, love, answers, direction and all from God. I just have to quiet myself in prayer.

  6. Now in my 70’s I’m finally understanding what it looks like for God to care of me…and it feels good!

  7. All 4 of my children are adults now living distances away and I am a widow living alone with type 1 diabetes. I have had to learn how to lean daily while still taking care of myself. It is controlling blood sugars each and every day, but also realizing God is in control of each and every day too. Relying on my faith is “DEAR” standing for diet, exercise, attitude and research. You are not alone dear Anna.

  8. I love this, Anna! So glad you have such a loving group of family and friends! And that you figured out how to let everyone help! Bravo! God is good. All the time.

  9. Anna, thanks for the reminder to lean in. Too often, I try to tough things out on my own when God longs for me to come to Him for love and support. And we are meant to live in community helping others through tough times.

  10. Thank you so much Anna for your post. Amen to Sis. Bev. and Sis. Brenda’s reply. We definitely need to learn to lean on others and thank God for all the mothers, who did so much for their families and certainly taught us to do chores. Praying for you Sis. Anna for your total healing and recovery. God bless you and keep all of you. Grace and peace. Happy Mother’s Day to all.

  11. I’m so sorry, Anna, for the troubles you’ve been experiencing. And I thank you for sharing your experience and using your pain to grow and reach out to others. I pray that you will heal in body, mind and soul as you continue to trust the Lord.

    A few tears slipped out as I thought about mothers. I lost mine this past December, and the pain has been more intense since my parents live on the other side of the US-Canada border, so we also missed out on the whole last year of her life and being with her in her last days. And then to see my father trying to grieve and figure out how to live on his own in a pandemic which never seems to end. Then my husband’s mom also passed more recently. She had a long life and died mostly peacefully at 92 years of age, but it’s still another loss to process and grieve.

    But I know that absolutely everyone has suffered losses and disappointments over this past year or so, and am learning it’s pointless to compare our grief. I’m also learning that extending grace to myself and others is a necessary lifeline, and the best way to show love to those around me.

    God bless you as you heal and share and as we give our hurts to the One who cares for us most and will use it for his glory.

    • I am so sorry for your losses, especially in the midst of the already existing pain of this year. Just so very sorry. Thank you for sharing your story here today, with us as you grieve and heal.

    • K. Ann Guinn,

      Sweet sister. So sorry for the losses on many levels. Asking God to heal & comfort your weary souls. May you feel His loving arms surround you always. Losing a loved one is hard enough. Losing one without being able to see them for so long especially at the end is super hard. Praying for the peace that only God can give you.

      Blessings 🙂

  12. My son is going through a lot of turmoil and struggling with changes at work, home and the kids having been home most of last year… taking it’s toll on him… are there any inspiring/encouraging stories you can share for men with young families? Thanks

  13. Anna! I can relate to the weird things! I recently fell flat on my face really hard on concrete! Hurt my hand a I think fractured a rib!
    Hurt like the dickens and got the air knocked out of me! God has meanwhile been taking care of me! Sounds like He’s taking care of you in wonderful ways! Feel better soon! May God continue to meet your every need! Love in Him……Lauren

  14. First of all, I am SO sorry you’ve faced THREE sets of uncomfortable and debilitating circumstances so close together. That’s enough now–no more for awhile! Second, you’ve shared such wisdom here, Anna. You reminded me of what a friend told me when I balked at receiving a rather expensive gift from her. She said, “You know Acts 20:35, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Then with a grin she added, “If you won’t receive, I won’t get blessed!” I accepted the gift!

  15. Anna,

    Prayers for healing of all ailments. May you be healthy for a long while after this. It seems like the devil is working overtime. So many people are dealing with multiple family medical issues-one on top of the other. We won’t let him win. They are learning to lean in & accept any & all help given them. They know God is bigger than any problem they face. This is great wisdom to keep in mind when facing trials: God thinks of us more often than there are grains of sand. He cares for us, and He’d like us to care for ourselves too. Let’s all lean in & allow others the blessing of helping us out.

    Blessings 🙂

  16. Sorry to hear about your health issues. I had a gum graft done over 20 years ago, and I can say it was one of my most painful experiences, but milkshakes never tasted so good! Lean into God and your favorite cold beverage.

  17. I cannot say how much I love this!! I literally just had a “take care of yourself, slow down” conversation with 3 different women I love. It’s like sometimes we feel guilty taking care of self, but we take care of everyone else. I just had a pre- op appt for a health issue im being vigilant to take care of and next week I have to call the podiatrist LOL! But all that said, I know God will take care of me. He never fails.

  18. I also struggle with leaning in. I hate asking people for help and feel almost embarrassed when I cannot do for myself. I injured my back last week and my husband had to do everything. He did it without resentment. He did it with love and understanding. I am learning to lean in but it is difficult. I was taught growing up no one is going to take care of you so suck it up and do it yourself. Figure it out. Oh how wrong that was. God takes care of me everyday.