Hard Days

A couple weeks ago we bought our youngest a t-shirt that has a couple of dogs on it that are dressed in funky clothes, wearing sunglasses, and on skateboards. The shirt says, "No RUFF Days Ahead." Don't you wish it was that easy?

All-in-all, I can't really complain about my life. I have a home, a vehicle, food, heat, running water, clothes to wear, shoes on my feet and I have Jesus. Some days, though, are just hard.

Remote learning has taken its toll in the last 6 weeks. The ever-changing recommendations and regulations about how we live our lives and conduct business and do ministry seem to change every single day right now. I have friends and family facing serious health battles, others dealing with COVID, some are doing both of those things. I have family who are going through some pretty awful situations and who knows how many more I am not aware of! So what's the point? Why am I writing this? Because it's far too easy to only share the good highlights and not the real life junk. No doubt I'll get through today and even tomorrow, and good grief I will make it even past that. But if we don't allow, even normalize, venting, vulnerability and reality, we're in trouble.

If we were never going to face hardships, struggles, trials or whatever, then why do scriptures like Psalm 34:17 exist? "The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles." Or even Psalm 73:26, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." I think we have to come to terms with the bad days that will inevitably happen while giving space to ourselves and others to be able to share about them without judgement or even trying to fix it. I don't know about you but sometimes I know what I need to do but I just want to talk through my thoughts out loud with a safe person who will simply listen and be a shoulder to lean on without offering advice. Don't get me wrong. There will be times that we need the advice and we need to receive it but sometimes you just need to jump in the car with your friend or spouse or sister or brother and go for a drive with the windows down and scream, or cry, or both!

The one thing in all of this I believe is key is that we let God into the mess. We let God be a part of the venting and the processing of thoughts. We may go to our earthly support system but we must go to our Heavenly Father who is our foundation.

He can handle your pain, your anger, your hurt, your frustration, your discouragement. He already knows you are sitting in it so let Him in! Even in these moments, He's never failed to lift me out. Oh sure...I may cross my arms and refuse to take His hand and so stay there longer than I need to or want but that doesn't mean that He's not right there with His arm outstretched just waiting for me to take hold of it.

So to anyone else who has just had a tough day, let's all take a collective deep breath and slowly let it out. Let's all whisper the name of Jesus and allow His presence to wash over us. Let's thank Him for always being with us and for always hearing us when we call Him.

And then...kick the rest of today in the face and make it count. Because we know that with Him, not only are all things possible but every weapon formed against us WILL NOT prosper. Let's make the decision that we will not give in or give up because doing so is not an option. The only option is to cling to Him and keep walking forward...whether we do that crawling or limping, or using a walker or wheelchair or cane, we will move forward. Every move we make forward is a move towards the finish line. So we won't stand still, frozen in our stuff, or move backwards. Heaven is ahead and is our only goal.