Love Is

 

Love is

A hand to hold

A warm embrace

A smile that warms my heart

The way you wink at only me

That twinkle in your eye

The way you dance when we’re alone

And hold me when I cry

Love is

Talking when there’s words to say

Silence when there’s not

Knowing when I’m scared 

you gently hold my heart

Understanding what I need

When I start to fall apart

Love is

Sharing secrets no one knows

And inside jokes that make no sense

Thoughtful gifts 

Sweet surprises

A hug when things are tense

Love is

Forgiveness when mistakes are made

Admitting when you’re wrong

It’s getting mad then making up

Knowing together is where we belong

Love is 

Patience, kindness, gentleness

A safe place, an honest place

A place to be myself

A place I know you’ll always be

The place my heart belongs

I love the way you love me. Love never stops loving. And I’ll never stop loving you.

I Can Do All Things

    Think about when you were a kid - for some, that may be a lot farther back than others, haha - and think about all the things you didn’t know. We weren’t born with all the skills and knowledge we would need to live our lives. We had to learn as we grew through experience and training. We had to be taught so many things. 

    Now think about the person or people who raised you. Both of my parents played a huge role in shaping me into the person I am today. However, for the purpose of this writing, I’m thinking of my dad. My dad is the best. Yep, I grew up a daddy’s girl. You may not be thinking of your father, though. Life may have dealt you a different hand, but hopefully, there was someone who came to mind.  

    To me, like a lot of little girls, my dad knew everything. And, he was the strongest man alive. He was like Superman. To me, he could do anything. Growing up, my dad would talk to me and teach me things about life - like how to hold a fishing pole or ride a bike. During these “lessons,” just because I knew I had a dad didn’t mean I was able to immediately do these things. It wasn’t just because I had a dad or I knew who my dad was that I was able to learn and grow. It was because I listened to him. I trusted him. And I quickly realized being near him was always better. I wasn’t going to learn to ride my bike if he stayed inside the house. Yes, he could give me a list of steps to ride a bike, but I needed him close. I needed the safety of his presence to even get on my bike. I trusted my dad to keep me from falling, and if I did fall, I knew my dad would pick me up and help me try again. 

    One of my favorite Bible verses is Philippians 4:13. Remember it? It says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That verse is very comforting during our hardest struggles. But, what if we’ve turned it into a feel-good verse? A verse that makes us feel powerful or like no matter what we do or where we go, it’s fine. “The Bible says I can do all things.” Of course, I’m not saying that verse shouldn’t make us feel powerful, but I AM saying there’s more to it. We like to quote the verse with emphasis on the “I can do all things” part. But, just like I couldn’t learn to ride a bike if my dad wasn’t near me and I wasn’t listening to his voice for directions, I can’t do “all things” - or anything really- by simply saying I know who Jesus is. I need Him near me. I have to listen for His voice for direction in life. The emphasis needs to be on the “through Christ” part of that verse. Without His presence in our lives, we become powerless. Without His closeness to us, we allow things like pride, disappointment, fear, etc. to enter in. 

    When we say I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me but we have allowed ourselves to push Him to the sidelines or to the back corners of our lives and heart, I wonder if our belief that we can do all things is coming from a heart that’s forgotten that it’s Him that makes all things possible. We get prideful and go at things on our own based on the beginning of that verse. Then, when things don’t turn out how we thought they should, we get angry and sometimes question God. But the whole time, we had forgotten the “through Christ” part and the importance of drawing near to Him.

    Let Philippians 4:13 be a true source of comfort for you today - but remember it’s all about your close proximity to Christ that makes all things possible. We can’t do life on our own. We are weak, but He is strong. We are nothing, but He is everything. 

    Stay close to Jesus. I promise you, being near Him is always better!

Love Wins

 

Tonight, as I reflect on the joy of today - the church service, the family, the food, the laughter, the pictures, the fun - my mind goes back to that day. The day Jesus walked out of the tomb and everything changed. The tragic death just days before - the darkness that covered all humanity, the sadness, the loss, and grief - now turned miracle. Light pierced through the darkness and new life emerged. I imagine there were massive celebrations that day, too.  Family gathering together to celebrate what Love had just accomplished. Friends rejoicing together knowing the effect of Jesus’s resurrection. People everywhere overwhelmed by the realization of what this meant for humanity. And, no doubt, some who were shocked by what had taken place. Honestly, the whole thing kind of shocks me, too. Everything He did was for me. For you. To think I was worth it is a bit overwhelming. But, I was. You are. Everything Jesus did was because we are worth it to Him. 

So, on this Resurrection Sunday, my prayer for us all is that we hold on to that truth. A promise of new life - an eternal life with Jesus - made possible through a tragic death and miraculous resurrection. That is what Love did. And that was the only way. But, I matter. You matter. Love wins. 

The In-Between Day

 

We remember Good Friday and the magnitude of what took place on the cross and we celebrate the third day - His resurrection - hope restored. But what about the second day - the in-between day? What happens during this time? What happens when darkness falls and it seems we’ve lost all hope? When we are stuck in the unknown? 

When Jesus died, many people left. I’m sure the weight of grief and loneliness was almost unbearable. Darkness covered their lives. Hopelessness was closing in. I wonder if there were some who gave up. “Well, we had a good run.” “It was fun while it lasted.” Or maybe some who voiced their doubt and unbelief with, “I should’ve known this wasn’t the answer.” But then we see Mary Magdalene and Mary, Jesus’s mom, who stayed close by, watching and waiting. They didn’t know when, where, or how, but they were waiting for Jesus to show up. They held on to hope even in the darkness. They spent their days of darkness in anticipation - waiting and expecting Jesus. And they were the first to see Jesus after the resurrection! 

Where are you when darkness falls? What do you do when bad things happen or you lose your way? Are you like the ones who give up, walk away from it all, sink under the weight of sadness, fear, and loneliness, OR are you like these women who spent their time believing and expecting Jesus to show up? Do you live in constant anticipation of what God is doing and how He will appear? 

So on this “In-between day,” let’s remind ourselves to look for Jesus. To watch for Him to show up - to appear to you even in your darkness because He will! Stay strong and let hope light your way. Anticipate His coming because He will!

Good Friday

Good Friday.  A day of remembering such a tragic - yet necessary - event.  I can’t imagine the emotions that day. The sadness, the tears, the hopelessness, the fear, the loneliness. The sorrow. The feeling that death has stolen from us. Seemingly defeated and drowning in life. Questions like “what the heck do we do now?” Or “why do we even bother if the end hurts so bad?” But, death was not the end. Love walked itself - Himself -  to the cross that day so death was not the end. Love walked Himself to the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. Despite the pain of His death, Love held Himself on the cross because He knew it was His blood that could save us. There was no other way. Love gave generously of Himself - He gave His life - for all of humanity. Death was not the end. The overwhelming sadness of the day would soon turn to joy. After a time, Love walked out of the tomb and offered new life. Love wins. Love walked out of the grave and changed everything. Love walked the Earth as a man, died a tragic death as the ultimate sacrifice, and rose again so we could live with Him forever. And until the day we leave this world to live with Him, He lives in us. Love walks with us every step we take. That is a promise worth celebrating - worth living for! 

Letting Go

    
    She’s standing there appearing to have it all together, but on the inside, she is heartbroken, scared, and ready to fall apart.  She’s watching as her youngest son, her last baby, leaves.  She’s terrified of the outcome. Did she do the right things? Teach him the right things? Was it enough? Was she enough? The questions were crashing in on her.  The doubt of the kind of mother she was was crippling. A tear fell onto the dirt as she let go of her hold on her son and watched him go away. She held herself together as much as possible in the moment, but the sleepless nights and uncontrollable sobs would come.  She had no idea what would become of her son. She had no idea what would happen next. But, she knew in her heart that this was the way it had to be.  Her heartbreak was necessary for the good that was to come.

Times and circumstances may be different, but as parents, we all eventually find ourselves here. Time to let go. Maybe it’s watching them learn to ride a bike.  Maybe it’s watching them get on a school bus each morning. Maybe it’s watching them drive away in a car by themselves for the first time.  Maybe it’s watching your child leave home for college or get married, both of which you had tried to prepare yourself for. Or maybe it’s watching your child through anger, frustration, selfishness, or pride, quickly throw their things in a car to get away as soon as possible.  Time and time again, we parents are in a position of letting go.  And the hardest times are when what is beyond the letting go is unknown…when letting go means watching our kids walk out into a very broken world and we have no idea what will happen or where they will end up.

As she lay on her bed holding her tear-soaked pillow, she thinks back to the day she knew she was pregnant.  She remembers rubbing her growing belly and promising to protect and love him.  She closes her eyes and all she sees is her son.  The pain is unbearable.  Had she done the right things? Tried hard enough to protect him? The desire to run back after him and never let go is overwhelming.  But deep down, she knows she can’t.  No matter how hard this time is, she somehow feels it necessary.  The only way.  When she opens her eyes, she looks toward the print hanging by her bed - a prayer. At the end of her rope, she falls to her knees and gives it all to God.

Maybe our stories have found us at the end of our ropes, too.  Maybe, despite the love we have for our kids, we wrestle with not being enough or are breaking under the weight of the fear and worry of letting them go. Maybe we continue to solve problems on our own or hold on to some control over our kids and where life takes them.  Maybe the pain of letting go is masked by our own pride.  But, maybe, it’s time to follow the example of the woman who finally gave it all to God.  The woman whose heartbreak didn’t break her faith.

Her name was Jochebed. She had a son during the time when the king ordered all boys born to be killed. His name was Moses.  By law, he should’ve been killed.  By faith - and this momma’s decision to give her child to God - he was saved and became a man God used to deliver the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery.  Moses’s story is widely known and talked about. But what about this precious mother who knew that no option sounded good, but ultimately decided to trust in God? The momma who knew the heartbreak of letting her son float away on the river that day, but during the heartbreak, held on to a faith that would carry her through. 

Although the details I’ve written of her story are simply what I imagine could’ve happened, the truth is she was a woman who exemplified faith in God. She had a choice, and she chose to fear God more than man. She chose to put her trust in God. Through the pain, she chose to believe God had a plan. Through the unknown, she chose her understanding of who God was and what He could do. In her heartbreak, she chose faith.

Whether you are a parent simply learning to let go of your toddler’s hand as they take that first step on their own, you are currently dealing with the hardships of letting go as your teenager leaves home, or you have recently endured the pain of watching them go away on not-so-great terms, let Jochebed’s life be an example for you. Let her story remind you that parenting is hard, but parenting without a faith that understands God is in control and loves your child even more than you do is even harder.  Surrender your current parenting situations to a God that knows the plans He has for your children. He is faithful, and He is good.  Let Him have total control, and let Him become your Peace.   

Overcoming the Labels

“Well, they’re teenagers. What do you expect?”
“He’s a teenager. All teenagers go through a wild phase.”
“I’m a teenager. I’m in my rebellious stage.”
“He’s a guy. He’s gonna tell inappropriate jokes.” 
“Yeah, well, he IS a preacher’s kid.” 

These are all statements that I have heard lately. And while I have also been guilty of making the same types of comments, something inside me cringes when I hear them. There are many, many more examples of stereotypes that I could have written, but I wanted to start with the ones that I continue to hear lately. 

So, what is a stereotype? According to Webster’s dictionary, a stereotype is a fixed idea about a group that may often be untrue or only partly true. According to my husband, Anthony, stereotyping is “putting someone in a certain category without knowing them.” If we connect those two thoughts, we can say that stereotyping is when, without fully knowing a person, we develop this fixed idea (which may or may not be true) about them because of who they are, their age, or any number of identifiable traits. 

According to Simply Psychology, we use stereotypes “to simplify our social world and reduce the amount of processing we have to do when we meet a new person by categorizing them under a ‘preconceived marker’ of similar attributes, features, or attitudes that we observe.” Basically, we can quickly place people into categories without having to think. It’s actually very normal to stereotype. We all have unconscious biases. The problem with these quick, effortless judgments we make on people in order to put them into preconceived categories is that we don’t see the person’s individuality beyond their “label,” and we don’t  allow them to be individuals by their own right. We lazily live life together without giving people a chance to live their life how they want because we don’t want to think and process each person individually.  To me, this sounds so sad. We’ve actually denied a person their individuality, their creativity, their uniqueness because we expect them to be a certain way or fall into a certain category.  The thing about expectations is people usually rise or fall to meet them. 

So the question is: Do we have to simply fall into a given stereotype? Is it inevitable that we will “live up to” the labels that are placed on us? Do we just allow that to happen? Do we even have a choice? 

For the record, I am guilty of placing labels on people-stereotyping them based on their age or who they are. I am also guilty of losing who I am because of labels placed on me. Over time, I used those labels as excuses to justify my actions. I fell into a category instead of being my unique self. So the previous questions are for me as much as anyone who may be reading this. 

Disclaimer: I am not an expert on how brains are wired and how that wiring affects people during different developmental stages in their life. I do understand that there are times when our bodies are experiencing changes that affect our personalities and actions. There are times when the tendency to act in those stereotypical ways is heightened. 

Now, my question remains.  Do we have to simply fall into a given stereotype? Or is there a choice?

I believe we have a choice. That’s an easy answer to say, but I realize it’s hard to choose what’s best or right over the labels that have been so quickly placed on us. It’s hard because stereotypes have created less than ideal expectations for us. As long as you act how you're expected to act, you will be seen as “normal” or “typical”. I also believe that for an individual who hasn’t yet decided to have a personal relationship with Jesus, choosing to live outside of the shadow of your stereotype will be much more difficult. Everything is more difficult without Jesus. :)  If that’s you, my suggestion is to stop here and truly evaluate where you are in life. Knowing Jesus won’t take away all the pain, struggle, and chaos in your world, but surrendering yourself to Him will guarantee that you will never be alone and that He will fight for you and with you. If your identity is not grounded in Jesus, I pray that you will open your eyes and your heart to Him and ask Him to be your Lord and Savior. And when you do, call me!!! I want to celebrate with you!!

Having a personal relationship with Jesus makes the choice that I believe we have much easier.  Here’s why.  2 Peter 1:3 says, “By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a Godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him…”  We don’t have to be what those stereotypes say we are. We don’t have to live up to the labels placed on us because of our past, our family history, our age, our gender, etc. We have been given what we need to live Godly. We just have to choose to! Over and over. 

So, to the teenagers that everyone says will be rebellious and go through a wild phase, you don’t have to. 2 Timothy 2:22 says to “run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead pursue righteous living.” In Jesus, you have what you need to make the choice to be different.

To the boys that everyone says are going to talk dirty and tell inappropriate jokes, you don’t have to. Ephesians 4:29 says to “guard your speech - never let ugly or hateful words come from your mouth, but instead let your words become beautiful gifts that encourage others.” In Jesus, you have what you need to make the choice to talk differently. 

To the preacher’s kids that everyone expects to go wild, you don’t have to. Matthew 6:33 says to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously.” 1 Timothy 6:11 also says to “pursue a Godly life.” In Jesus, you have what you need to make the choice to live righteously. 

To the alcoholic’s kid that everyone expects will follow down the same road, you don’t have to. Romans 5:18 says, “Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.” Romans 12:2 says to “let God transform you into a new person.” In Jesus, you have what you need to make the choice to let God make you new. 

To every other person who has been given negative stereotypes or is sinking under the weight of labels, you have what you need to make the choice to live a Godly life. If you feel like you have lost who you truly are because you have been simply living up to human expectations, you have what you need to make the choice to find your identity in Jesus.  Proverbs 2:9 says that He will empower us to make the right decisions, and Psalms 106:3 tells us that there is joy in doing the right thing. 

In Jesus, we can live a Godly life. So, to my earlier question “Do we have to fall into a given stereotype?” my answer is most certainly no. In Jesus, we have a choice. Not that it’ll be an easy choice, but we can still make it.  We can live righteously no matter who we are, how old we are, who our parents are, or how bad our past is. We just have to choose to. And we can…with Jesus. 

Peter, Paul, and Me

 

How many times have you known what you should do, but you ignore it or you do the exact opposite? Then you sit around feeling horrible for the thing you just did or because you did nothing when you knew you should’ve done something? If you are human (and honest), your answer was probably something like “All the time!” and with good reason. You are human. It’s an issue Paul struggled with often. In Romans 7:21, he says, “when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.” He goes on to describe himself as miserable, stating that “there’s another power within me that is at war with my mind.” Sound familiar? Anyone else find themselves feeling like a miserable person? It’s good to know we are not alone. 

Reality #1: Humans are sinful creatures. We have a sinful nature. Period. Paul said, “I am all too human, a slave to sin.” And how crazy is it that when boundaries are drawn (like the law), it’s our own sinful hearts that desire to cross them! Our rebelliousness kicks in and we become weak to its power. It’s scary to me that our sinful nature “is always hostile to God,” which means it is always fighting against God. Romans 8:8 adds that “those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.” Paul’s words. Not mine. Never please God? That’s a huge statement.  One that causes me to look for answers...a way out.  

Reality #2: The answer is in Jesus. Romans 8:2 says, “because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” The law couldn’t give us salvation or freedom from ourselves. So God did what the law could not. He sent Jesus. We are no longer captive to the power of sin. Through Jesus, the power of sin is broken and we are alive to God! Sin is no longer our master. 

Reality #3: There is a constant battle inside of us. Sin will always want to be the master, the controlling force in our lives. It will falsely promise satisfaction. My pastor explains it like this: “The devil can’t create anything, so he takes the old you and tries to make it appealing.” Sin deceives, and when given the opportunity, it will destroy you. The battle inside of us is a battle for our identity. Pastor D challenges us to “declare war on the version of yourself that you don’t want to be.” How do I do that?!?

Reality #4: The answer is in Jesus. Before Jesus, we had no choice but to sin. It’s inevitable. It’s who we were. When we accepted Jesus and His victory over sin in us, we were free. We belong to Him, and we are a new creature. We now have the ability to choose who we will obey.  Romans 6:12 says, “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.” We now have a way to avoid giving sin the opportunity to rule over our lives! Sin no longer has to be your master. We are free!! Free to live holy before God. 

Reality #5: The choice to become a slave to righteous living is not always easy. Remember, there’s a constant battle inside of us. Think of any battle in history. You know battles are hard. The two conflicting sides will go to any extreme necessary to get the victory. In our lives, it’s no different.  The battle for control is hard. Remember Paul? He said, “In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature, I am a slave to sin.” It will always be a battle. One that we won’t win on our own. We can’t. But we CAN choose WHO wins in our lives. Now, how do I do that?!?! How do I make the choice to not follow my sinful nature, but instead be led by the Spirit? 

Reality #6: The answer is in Jesus. Let’s travel back in time to just before the death of Jesus. Peter, who loved Jesus and was one of His followers, was predicted to deny his Lord. Not just once, but three times. You know the story. After Jesus was arrested, Peter joined the guards in the courtyard. Sitting by the fire, he denied knowing Jesus three times. The prediction came true.  Realizing what had happened, Peter runs away in tears. Luke 22:54 says that after Jesus was arrested, “Peter followed at a distance.” He was concerned, but he didn’t have the courage to be clearly associated with Jesus. What if that distance made it easier for him to deny Jesus?  How often are we trying to do the right thing, but we find it easier to follow our sinful nature? Maybe it’s because we are trying to follow Jesus at a distance. We want to follow Jesus, but we try to hold on to things in our lives that hinder us from being who God truly intends for us to be. James 4:8 in the Passion Translation says to “move your heart closer and closer to God, and He will come even closer to you.” It’s time to stop following Jesus at a distance. If we are continually positioning ourselves as close as possible to Jesus, it will be harder to deny Him. 

In this battle for control, we must ask ourselves this question: Where is my mind set? Are we dominated by our sinful nature or are we controlled by the Holy Spirit? If we truly belong to Jesus, we have the victory over sin. We win. Not because of us, but because of who we are in Jesus. Distancing ourselves from Him gives sin the opportunity to deceive us into believing a lie about our identity. It’s time to draw close. Make the choice to live as a beloved child of God...one who is moved by the impulses of the Holy Spirit. 

Life Lessons from Coach

Physical therapy was hard today. The therapist added new exercises that pushed Alex to her limits. Necessary for proper healing, but difficult to endure. Emotions were all over the place, tears were shed, and giving up certainly felt like a better option at times. But she survived. And will be stronger because of it.

Now, let me give you the story.  This is what I learned from a therapist…

 

We’ll call him Coach. He’s been Alex’s therapist on and off for over seven months. Time together has built a certain degree of trust, also necessary for proper healing. 

 

Today, started like most days start: “The Chair,” also known as a CPM, or continuous passive motion machine. It’s a device used to flex and extend the knee to combat joint stiffness or immobility. It’s also one of Alex’s least favorite parts, hence the nickname (in my most evil, disgusted voice) “The Chair.” There were other regular exercises after that, and then there was what Coach called “The Reebok.”

 

“The Reebok” is a simple step to most. To Alex, it was a source of fear and anxiety. The goal was to step up – first with the braced leg followed by the other, then back down again with no crutch or bar to hold onto. One step. For most people, a single step would seem like nothing. But, when you’ve been through a recent, traumatic injury, it becomes a challenge. Which is why…

 

We should never let our own experiences become the basis on how we judge other people’s situations or how they handle life.

 

Just walking to the Reebok caused fear. What if it hurts? What if I can’t do it? What if I fall?

Coach strapped a band around Alex’s waist and stood behind her.  For a second, nobody moved. Alex seemed to be considering her next step. Finally, she said, “How do I start?” Coach was there with a plan… “Just take a step up,” and he talked her through which leg to start with.

 

When we get to a place where we don’t know what to do, ask.

 

I watched for what seemed like minutes as Alex contemplated his words. “Just step up.” Easier said than done. But, Coach knows that…

 

Sometimes you have to do things you’re afraid of – the hard things – to get where you need to be.

 

Sensing her fear and doubt, Coach stepped closer to her. As he tightened his grip on her waistband, he offered words of encouragement – gentle reminders that he has her back. “I’ve got you.” “I will not let you fall.” My heart quickly realized that that’s how Jesus is with me. He has my back. He will not let me fall.

Hearing his words, Alex took a step. Slow and full of fear. But, she made it! Then back down. Over and over, she began to take the steps. There were times that she would struggle and say, “I can’t.” Coach would reply, “Yes, you can. Go.” He knew that giving up was not an option. He knew…

 

You will never get where you need to be if you give up when it gets too hard.

 

Other times during the exercise, she would stumble or her muscles would shake, and every single time, Coach would hold her up himself. Pulling on her waistband, he never let go and he held her until she was ready to try again. 

 

In life, there will be struggles and Jesus will allow it for our own growth and strength, but when we stumble or are at our weakest, He will hold us up until we are ready to go again.

 

Coach never let her stop, nor did he pull her from the exercise because it was pushing her too hard. He simply held her and encouraged her. He understands the process to proper healing.

Still other times, I heard the frustration in Alex’s voice. Not just frustration because it was hard, but she was also frustrated with Coach. Why wouldn’t he just let her stop? It was like she was telling him enough was enough. Even to the point of being stubborn and just putting her feet on the floor and quitting. Every time, Coach would physically pull her up with the band and say, “No, keep going.” And, she did. She understood that he was actually in control of the situation. Her reaction would not have been the same with me or anyone else, but she has developed a certain level of trust in him over the course of time she’s worked with him. She has spent enough time with him that she knows he has her back, he knows what he’s doing, and he has a plan for her that she couldn’t come up with on her own. 

 

Spend enough time with Jesus to develop a level of trust that allows you to always remember he is actually in control and that he knows what he’s doing in your life.

 

As Coach held her up during her moments of frustration – even frustration with him – he never changed. He never loosened his grip. He never told her to stop crying. He was never offended by her frustration at him. But, he never caved to her emotions. He allowed her to feel those emotions, but would not allow them to influence her progress. 

 

We’re allowed to feel emotion. We’re allowed to be frustrated. But, our emotions should not influence our progress. 

 

As I watched in silence, the exercise continued. She completed the entire set! She was never completely on her own, but she’ll get there. Because she has someone in her corner, coaching her and holding her until he knows she’s ready to try it herself. 

 

Jesus is in our corner, holding us until He knows we’re ready to try it ourselves. Then, He will let go and walk beside us, never fully leaving us.

 

Finally, with shaky legs and tired muscles, Alex turned to walk to the next exercise. (Keep in mind that Coach had previously taken away her only crutch and made her walk without it.) She looked at where she was and then where she needed to go. She felt the fatigue of the last exercise, and dread crept in. At that moment, without saying a word, Coach reached out his hand. She looked at him, and he smiled and said, “I got you.” She put her hand in his and together, they walked.

 

When we look at where we are and then where we need to go, we may find ourselves feeling anxious or full of dread. But, we need to remember that Jesus is with us, holding out His hand, saying, “I got you.”

 

Therapy is an ongoing process. It’s a necessary step toward proper healing. Is it hard? Very. Is it exhausting? Extremely. Frustrating? Absolutely. But, the outcome far outweighs the challenges. In the end, Alex will be stronger because of her therapy struggles.

 

Life’s challenges can be overwhelming, exhausting, and frustrating. But, when you allow Jesus to be in control – knowing that no matter what happens – He has your back and He has a plan for your life, you will survive. Not only survive, but you will be stronger than you were before. Trust Him. He’s got you.