Skip to main content

I'm Not Losing Me


I had a bad day yesterday.
You know the one—a handful of little aggravating circumstances that haven’t seen results yet topped with a new unforeseen unfortunate circumstance and I broke... big, hard sobs that I had to run and stifle lest I terrify my children.
My bed was my place of comfort until I could cry no more.

God, where are you? My heart cried.
Silence

I know the right answers, the right Scriptures, the right attitudes; but at that moment I was broken—my shield and sword no longer defending but laid aside next to my crumbled self.

Depression’s ugly face taunted me and tempted me to let him hold my hand. This foe whom I hadn’t seen in a long time was here again waiting for me to decide whose side I was really on.

God, why won’t you just miraculously fix this growing lists of challenges I’m facing? Haven’t I tithed faithfully and given offerings? Haven’t I prayed, and fought with Scriptures, and served You? Why am I in this spot?!

The vision of Peter walking on the water toward Jesus then suddenly sinking filled my mind.

I, too, Lord feel like I’m sinking. Won’t you save me?



Then the morning came... a new day has started and my circumstances are still the same; but my heart has changed and I have regained my strength to stand.

I’ve decided. I won’t be following Depression nor rejoining his team. I may not understand the why or the how it is going to get better, but I know I’d rather side with the One who loves me than one who wishes nothing but destruction for me.

So why am I sharing this with you?
Because there’s others, maybe lots, who have to get up this morning and also make a decision.
I hope my vulnerability might be a helping hand.
I’ll leave you with two things that really encouraged and comforted me this morning: a quote from the Names of God devotional by Whitney from the Love God Greatly devotional app, and song lyrics from Rita Springer’s Defender.

"But listen, when you and I continue down the road of anxiousness, we communicate to our hearts and to the world that our God isn't big enough, trustworthy enough, or wise enough to provide for us in His way and in His time. Alternatively, when we rest in the Lord and turn to Him in thanksgiving and prayer, we preach to ourselves - and to everyone around us - that our trust is rightly secured in the grace, sovereignty, and goodness of a God who sees and provides." (Whitney, Love God Greatly)

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)





Defender
by Rita Springer
When I thought I lost me
You knew where I left me
You reintroduced me to your love
You picked up all my pieces
Put me back together
You are the defender of my heart
When I thought I lost me
You knew where I left me
You reintroduced me to your love
You picked up all my pieces
Put me back together
You are the defender of my heart



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Big lessons in small packages

Motherhood is hard. I can't tell you the number of nights I worry if I am doing enough, being enough, getting enough parenting answers right. I've always been one to want to get it right the first time. I don't particularly care to attempt something that I think I'll fail. I'm not much of a risk taker. Give me a planner and no uninterrupted plans and I'm a happy person. But kids don't work like that. Let's be really honest--life doesn't work like that. Kids are loud, chaotic, curious, energetic and non-stop. They can't wait to experience everything and I'm nervous about experiencing anything. They soak up all the emotional, mental and physical energy I have during the day and then have the audacity to ask for more energy during the night for whatever reason. There is no day off, no holiday break, no weekends. I am fully responsible to feed, clothe, care for, nurture, teach and protect each one every. single. day. Anyone else feel a li...

Lonely places

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." (Luke 5:16) The word "lonely" stands out to me. It is a word that at a few different points in my life I would have used as the main adjective for my life at that time. It is a word that has a definite connotation to it. There is no apathetic reaction to this word. To qualify as being lonely, this area would have to have been desolate, empty, silent and far removed. Absolute solitude. This is what He sought when He needed to pray. Note that a few words before lonely, the verse says "often." Meaning that this was not a one time occurrence or even just a now and then, but something that happened on a regular basis. From my finite mind, this makes me think that Jesus might have been something like me--an extroverted introvert, or so I label myself. Someone who enjoys being around people and is not shy to make a public appearance but once that energy reserve is gone, absolutely needs to retreat to a pla...