Sometimes we struggle to understand how ancient Scriptures could possibly be relevant to our modern lives. Not so, with the 10th Commandment. Social media’s ability to give us a daily look into the lives of our neighbors means that coveting is a sin that has taken a firm grip on many of us, even our children.
We all pray for God to move in miraculous ways—but what happens when the answer we hoped for never comes? Today, Amy Eaton invites us into her own journey of faith through loss, uncertainty, and the quiet wrestle of trust. With vulnerability and wisdom, she shares the practices that have helped her cling to God’s goodness even when her prayers weren’t answered the way she longed for. If you’re walking through a heavy season, her words will offer both comfort and courage.
My childhood dream was to be a wife and mother. I didn’t expect to still find myself working in a daycare two years after college, my dreams unfulfilled. I’ve watched many of my peers move forward to new seasons of life, while my restless heart wonders what to do next, where to go next, and anxiously asks why my dreams aren’t my reality. I’d thought I’d be a stay-at-home mom with three children by now, but instead I’m working to care for other people’s children and wrestling with how to hold joy and longing in the same breath.
In ancient times, it was customary for a father to pray blessings over his children. In the passage above, we see that not only did Jacob pray a blessing, but he proclaimed the goodness of God that had been with his family for previous generations, goodness that would continue to be there for generations to come. Notice he did not tell Joseph about his victories, power, or strength that would be passed down. He focused on giving glory to God for His faithfulness and proclaimed that His faithfulness would go on for generations, spanning thousands of years.
In the mid-1970s Steven Spielberg produced a movie called Jaws, the fictional story of a monster shark that made a meal out of the swimmers off the New England coastline. One iconic scene involves a crusty boat captain, the police chief, and a scientist. They set off on the captain’s fishing boat in search of the shark. No one had seen it before. When these three men did, they nearly fell over in fright. The police chief delivered one of the most famous lines in cinema history: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat!”