This October, journey with us as we slow down to recognize what God has been growing, receive the fruit of His faithfulness, and give thanks for the harvest.
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Prayer
God,
You know the hopes I carried into this season. You know what I prayed for, what I worked toward, and what I imagined would be here by now.
Meet me honestly in the places where reality looks different from what I expected. I don't want to pretend disappointment isn't there, and I don't want disappointment to keep me from seeing the goodness that is.
Help me grieve what needs grieving, celebrate what is worth celebrating, and trust You with the parts I still don't understand.
Teach me to recognize Your faithfulness without requiring it to look exactly like my plan.
Amen.
Verse of the Day
Reflection
Sometimes the hardest part of harvest is looking at what grew and realizing it isn't what we pictured.
You planted carefully. You showed up. You prayed. You made sacrifices and kept going when it would have been easier to quit. Surely, you thought, by this point there would be more to show for it.
Maybe there would be a finished project, a healed relationship, a clearer direction, or some visible evidence that all your effort had mattered.
If that isn't what you see today, you don't have to talk yourself out of the disappointment. Faith doesn't require you to pretend that an unmet hope doesn't hurt.
But disappointment doesn't have to become the only story you tell about this season, either.
Perhaps something else grew while you were waiting. Perhaps you became more honest, more compassionate, or more willing to ask for help. Perhaps a door closed and gave you room to notice another possibility. Perhaps the outcome is still unfolding, and you simply aren't at the end of the story yet.
We don't always get to understand the difference between what we hoped for and what God is doing. We can keep bringing Him our hopes while loosening our grip on the idea that we already know how they must unfold.
The harvest may look different than you imagined. That doesn't mean this season was wasted.
Encouragement
Invitation
Can you name one good thing from this season without dismissing the things that have been hard?
From our Community of Creators...
Expectant Hope Journal: Colored Interior Notebook
By Rachel Ann Dittmer
For the expectant woman -whether one's pregnant with an idea, creation, business, or a precious baby- an artsy, life-giving 6" x 9" notebook journal with 120 blank lined pages, a poem on being sure of God's faithfulness, and a personal encouraging note from the artist and author.
For the overburdened woman- an artsy, life-giving women's 6" x 9" notebook journal with 120 blank lined pages, a poem on freedom and awareness of God's presence, and a personal encouraging note from the artist and author. Available on Amazon.
Our 2027 edition of Gritty Faith Magazine, called Foundations, releases on December 1! It features the stories, artwork, prayers, and devotionals of 20 Christian Creators. If you're longing for a beautiful, coffee-table companion to encourage you through every season of the year, I'd love for you to reserve your copy today. ❤️
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Welcome to Purpose + Grit—a place to slow down, pay attention, and discover God in the ordinary rhythms of life. Here you'll find daily prayers, stories, creative inspiration, and thoughtful invitations to live a little more awake. Through Gritty Faith Magazine, The Practice, books, and the stories we share along the way, we make room for faith, creativity, wonder, and the beautifully imperfect work of being human. You don't have to be an artist or have it all figured out. You simply have to be willing to pull up a chair. Come stay awhile. There's room for you here. Sign up below for our free daily prayer emails.
