You may not be aware of it, but I have been unable to write for over a month now. Everything I have been sharing via social media has been taken from previously written stories. I have been struggling with eye issues and haven’t been able to do the one thing that I truly love to do. To be perfectly honest, I probably shouldn’t be doing it right now, but writing is like therapy for me and today, I could desperately use some good therapy. (Not that this will be good to you, but it might be good for me!)
Do you ever have days when you wish you could just run away from it all for a while? Days when the anxiety is almost overwhelming? Days when that very last straw gets dropped on you? Days when the wound just cuts a little bit deeper than usual? Days when the weight of cares, concerns, and stress are just about more than you can take? Days when the tears just don’t want to stop flowing? If so, you are not alone, my friend; I understand far better than I would like to.
Even more importantly than that, God understands, and He never leaves you to struggle alone. Right amid the difficulty, He reminds you that He sees you and that He cares. Honestly, sometimes it’s hard to see Him or feel Him in the middle of the storm, but He’s there, nonetheless. Right when you think you are going to drown, He sends a little ray of hope, a reminder that you are not forgotten, not alone. Whether through the words of a friend or some other way, He reminds you, “You are seen; I am here.”
Some of my absolute favorite Bible stories are the ones where someone hopeless, someone who felt so unseen, encountered Him. I relate so deeply to them and it touches me deeply to see His tenderness as He speaks to their heart, showing them that they matter to Him. Sometimes you just need to know that you matter to someone. Sometimes you just need to know that you are seen by someone. Beloved, I can tell you from personal experience, no matter what your feelings may be telling you, you are seen.
You are seen. You are known. And you are deeply loved by the One who will never leave your side. I know, because in my absolute most difficult moments, He has been there. During the darkest of days, He is always there; He is always there no matter how hard it may be for me to “feel” His presence. He has been my greatest Friend, the Hope that keeps me going. I don’t know much, my friend, but this I know. My God is faithful, and I refuse to give up. I refuse to let the enemy win.
If I must crawl my way to the pearly gates bruised and battle-weary, I’m going to keep crawling. If I must get there on bloodied knees and knuckles, I am going to keep pressing on. I am tired. I am so very weary, but I refuse to give up. I confess, I didn’t start out well and I’ve made far too many mistakes along the way, but oh, how I want to finish well, my friend. I want so badly to finish well and somehow, some way, know that I did something that mattered for Him.
Beautiful friend, I don’t know what cares may be burdening your heart today, but I want you to know that you are not alone. You are not alone, and you are so loved. And maybe, this wasn’t sent to hurt you, maybe it wasn’t sent to punish you or destroy you. Maybe, just maybe, it was allowed because He knew you could be trusted to somehow make it through this and glorify Him in the process. Maybe you have been entrusted to handle this with His help, so that others can see Him shine through you.
I don’t know all the answers and I certainly don’t know the “why” behind it all, my friend, but I do know some things for certain. My God is a good God. “You are good and do what is good” Psalm 119:68. He doesn’t do things to be cruel; He doesn’t allow pain without a purpose. My God is a loving God. He IS love; therefore, He never stops loving us and even His discipline would be guided by His love for us. No matter what our feelings tell us, we are always loved and held by Him.
Isaiah 40:11 tells us that “like a shepherd” He takes care of us, holding us “close to His heart”. No matter how difficult the day, no matter what our feelings are telling us, He is there holding us close to His heart. We are loved; we are held by Him, and that, my friend, is what gives us the courage to keep putting one foot in front of the other. His love carries us when we feel as if we can’t go on. His faithfulness gives us the courage to keep pressing on.
I waited and waited and waited some more, patiently, knowing God would come through for me. Then, at last, he bent down and listened to my cry. He stooped down to lift me out of danger from the desolate pit I was in, out of the muddy mess I had fallen into. Now he’s lifted me up into a firm, secure place and steadied me while I walk along his ascending path. A new song for a new day rises up in me every time I think about how he breaks through for me! Ecstatic praise pours out of my mouth until everyone hears how God has set me free. Many will see his miracles; they’ll stand in awe of God and fall in love with him! Psalm 40:1-3 (TPT)
Katrina Douglas
2/5/22
*Please forgive me for any mistakes as my eyes and head are hurting which makes proofreading a challenge! May God speak to your heart and bless you somehow through these words, precious friend.
