My Shepherd, And Yours

April 25, 2026 Cathleen Zahradnik

Psalm 23

Because the Lord Himself is my Shepherd. I will always have all that is essential for my life.

He brings me to places of abundance and peace. He soothes my inner struggles and renews the hope of my heart.

He leads me to walk in the paths that please Him. He guides me to go in the way that honors Him because He calls me His.

When my path unavoidably passes through the evils of earthly life and the darkness of death dims the way ahead, my heart is at rest because I know You are present in the pain. You comfort me with your correction. You lead me within the loving limits of Your long-proven pathways.

You provide a banquet of blessings that confounds my evil enemy. You call me Your chosen and pour out your empowerment.

Certainly, Your faithful goodness will surround and seek me wherever I go for as long as I live. I will delight in Your dwelling and reside in Your residence for all time.

Originally posted August 14, 2022

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September 12, 2026

This is Not Forever

September 12, 2026

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT

As I tearfully opened the sodden boxes of our stored belongings, wondering what was ruined, a verse came to mind,

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

We were temporarily living with my parents, and our stuff was stored in Tom’s parents' garage. They had a plumbing issue in their bathroom above the garage, causing a leak that soaked several of our boxes and other items, including our mattress. We weren’t sure what was salvageable.

That period of time was already difficult. We were waiting for a job to open up and unsure how long that would take, how long we would be living with my parents, how long our stuff would be stored. Both sets of parents had been patient, loving, and gracious. There was no one to blame for the water damage. Sometimes things just happen.

But when that verse popped into my brain, it completely changed my perspective on going through the damage. The tears didn’t stop. There was some mourning and disappointment. But at the same time, there was hope. This was temporary. These things were just things. What really mattered was how I responded. I could choose an eternal perspective. I could choose to treasure Christ more than an earthly possession.

As it turned out, very few of our things were unsalvageable, and insurance more than covered anything that was lost. But the eternal perspective I gained is a treasure that I still carry. That simple shift helped me through the three and a half years of living in the in-between.

September 12, 2026