I came across this today while looking for some music to lift my spirits. (It's worth watching) :)
My heart has been so heavy (over the past several weeks) for some of my closest friends. It's been difficult to watch people I love so deeply struggle so much.
I know that I haven't been the best encourager as I've recently felt it difficult to hold my own head above water.
My encouragement attemps usually consist of hugging, listening, nodding and attempting to interject something of value. Something like, " just keep swimming"... "I know this is not easy and honestly, it may not get much easier... but it's going to be worth it."
I often feel like a broken record when attempting to communicate something meaningful- since most of my days are spent trying to convince myself of the same 'meaningful' thing.
When bad things happen, when I'm anxious, and tired, and want to knock someone's block off...
When things are unclear and I can't see past the thick fog... I just keep telling myself:
Pray, Pray, Pray.
-Ask for anxieties to be calmed.
-Ask the Lord for wisdom and for encouragment.
-Ask for joy.
-Ask for protection and provision.
-Ask for peace that passes my own understanding.
-Ask for grace.
-Ask for clarity.
-Ask for a thankful heart.
Knock on doors.
Wait to see if they will open and see what happens next.
-That's really all we can do, right?
Rest.
Regroup.
Refill.
Take some time to be quiet, spend time with God and spend time relaxing or having fun with 'comfortable' people who uplift and encourage.
Oh, and...
Sing a peppy song.
They always help to make this heavy heart feel a bit lighter.
It's so incredibly difficult in times of high anxiety and uncertainty to find a true sense of peace and joy.
...and I think that this phase of life in particular tends to make everything a bit "foggy".
It's hard to see the shore. It's hard to trust in the end result. It's hard to keep going despite feeling so far from home, so far from certainty and comfort, and so exhausted from pressing forward.
But we do.
And God is pleased.
That is success. Simply making it to the shore. -Whether swimming, floating, boating or nearly drowing on the way.
We pray through it, work through it and we do our very best.
This is beautiful, Lauren - and I'm not sure we ever make it truly to shore on this side of heaven, but I like Emily Dickinson's poem that states, "Hope is the thing with feathers." Because our hope is in the One who also knows what it's like to yearn for a glimpse of the shore, and our feathery hope is what will lift us when our minds are screaming to give up. Just hang on, dear Lauren! There's always Hope!
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