Some days, you might wake up and want to throw in the towel. You might want to bury your head in the sand, or sit in a quiet, secluded corner and nurse your wounds and hide away from all the people for a while.
I know about that feeling.
I know about those voices that buzz, “Hey, you. Yeah, you. You’re too loud. You’re too annoying. People hate you. Why don’t you quit? Go ahead, do the world a favor. Go away.
You might hear those voices and you might want to decide, “What was I thinking? I can’t help anybody anymore. I’m too messed up. I’m too tired. I don’t have what it takes. Just let me be.”
But, then Jesus might come quietly and sit down next to you and offer you His strength. He might offer you His back to carry your burdens. You can sit there, suffering, or you can take Him up on His offer and keep going.
See, every day we have this choice.
Sulk.
And hide away.
Or we can get our wounded hearts to Jesus for healing and then keep showing up for people.
Let me ask you something, little heart. Where would you be, if the people in your life who have been a shelter for you had decided that their pain was too much?
Where would you be, little love, if your mama had decided she was too broken to take care of you? (And maybe she did decide that.) But, what if your caretakers along the way or your mentors had allowed all their struggles to undo them?
Where would you be, right now?
Would you be here? In this place? Would you have gotten, even this far?
Lift your chin up. Why are you looking down? Who told you, “Put your head down and don’t you dare look up?” That wasn’t Jesus who told you that. He says things like, “Lift up your eyes! Put your head up.”
Get to Jesus. Get filled up with His overflowing love and tender mercies.
“But, how?” you wonder. “How do I get to Him?”
Well, there is this one Scripture:
“God wanted people to look for him, and perhaps in searching all around for him, they would find him. But he is not far from any of us. It is through him that we are able to live, to do what we do, and to be who we are. As your own poets have said, ‘We all come from him.’ ” (Acts 17:27-28)
Where are you?
Where are you standing?
That place right there is where you get to Jesus from. Now, reach out–use your words– or look up with your faith eyes and feel toward Him. He is there. He isn’t hiding. He is just enough away, in case you need your space. But, once you’re ready, you just move the fingers of your heart toward Him and grab hold.
Now ask Him your questions. Tell Him your thoughts. Get into His Word and let it transform the way you’re thinking. Be filled with all the fullness of God.
Then go.
Meet some people’s needs. They do need you. They need a safe place. They need a haven for rest. They need a strong heart when theirs is weak.
You can do it. You’ve got the Source of all Life living inside your chest. He’s the Living Water that keeps on flowing for all your thirst. He’s the Bread to nourish you when you’ve got nothin’ left.
Keep going. One step. Now another. Get a drink. Take a rest. But, get back up.
I’m cheering you on.
