August 2026

I’ve had a rough go of it lately. I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the things that seem slightly askew around me. Personally, I’m fine, but there are about a dozen small issues in my life that keep nipping at me and buzzing in my ear like a mosquito.

In the midst of all that, the message I shared back in June has remained a daily mantra in my mind. I don’t know if you remember what we studied all those weeks ago, but it was the story of Abigail, the wife of a buffoon who nearly provoked David into war. Abigail was the one with the cooler head. Abigail was the one who put together a wise plan. And Abigail was the one who carried out God’s will in the face of two powerful and hostile men.

She still inspires me all these weeks later. Since then, I have probably said to myself, “Be an Abigail,” a million times. I want to be like her in every situation, both big and small. Abigail prevented a war. She de-escalated a tense situation and made things better for everyone involved.

I am trying to approach each of my little challenges with a heart and mind like Abigail’s. To be honest, I’m not always winning that battle. If you need proof, you can ask the poor customer service representative at Progressive who took my call and gave me bad news about my storm damage claim. She got the beast instead of the beauty. After I hung up, I kept thinking, “It wasn’t even her fault. It’s the industry’s fault!” But my frustration needed a target, and unfortunately, she was in the line of fire.

Now I feel remorse. And it probably never would have happened if I had responded with more of Abigail’s spirit.

The truth is, having a heart like Abigail’s requires prayer. If we paused to pray before entering difficult situations, those situations would often unfold differently and usually much better. A prayer for a calm heart and a cool head goes a long way toward helping us remember our manners before we step into turmoil. God is with us in those moments, and He wants to walk through them alongside us.

Do you remember the scripture we quoted back in June? It is just as timely today:

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”  Romans 12:21

Don’t let the beast inside you take over when life becomes difficult. Instead, overcome that beast with the goodness of God.