Life tends to move at a wicked speed, as we have already all established together and agreed upon. Life can throw curve balls and changes that you may or may not have seen coming from left field. Life can leave you feeling like the world has taken and taken and taken, and you stand there with only your empty scarred palms held open. Life can make you feel like the world around you is falling to pieces, and all you can do is watch them scatter away.
Life can be like that sometimes.
Days can be hard and moments can be rough, but clinging to the promise that God is who He says He is, it's the only way I can make it through each and every hard day or moment. Bringing my worries and cares, my chipped urn before Him, with my empty scarred palms held open is all He wants. The daily surrender of Your will, not mine. Your ways, not mine. Your plans, not mine. Your strength, not mine. I'm thankful that God has allowed me to be on His team. I'm thankful that God has called me His own, and He never grows tired of me coming to Him (even if it's about the same ole thang because let's be honest, processing things take time).
I know so many folks that go through each day as it comes without knowing the all surpassing peace that Jesus provides. And I say this not to be demeaning in any way, but because it's an honest question - How? How do you go through the hard without Him? I know I'm not strong enough to do any of this life without Him (believe me, I've tried!). More days than not, I'd rather just throw in the towel and say, "God, beam me up!"
But to live is Christ, to die is gain as Paul says in Philippians. So I'm choosing to trust that God is who He says He is. I'm going to heed to the godly advice from a man (Paul) who's life was radically changed in physical and spiritual ways, because he must've been onto something when he was given this wisdom. To know Jesus is to know love.
So then, if to live is Christ then we must choose the hard and walk through it with Hope and Grace, because of His strength. That means choosing to wake up and have the hard conversations with your spouse. That means choosing to fight for your marriage. That means choosing to raise your child in the way you should. That means loving on the difficult neighbor or co-worker. That means choosing to be real and authentic with people while showing them the mercy of Jesus in your life.
Mamas, friends, loved ones - choose the hard in every day life. Even when it feels like the immediate inner sphere around you in slipping away piece by piece. Know that God is still holding on to you so tightly, and will never let you go.
"When the night is holding on to me,
God is holding on.
When the night is holding on to me,
God is holding on...."
