To The One....Struggling

Hello, friend. I'm so glad you came to visit this little piece of my heart.

I have blogged very inconsistently for the past few years.  Many times I sat to write, but I never seemed to have the time to truly put into words the many complex thoughts that seemed to rotate around inside my head. So, I quit writing.

And I was struggling.

Really struggling...

Struggling with life. Struggling with my faith. Struggling with my suffering. Struggling with how I never seemed to be able to catch a break.

And I was wondering...

Wondering where God was. Wondering what hope was. Wondering what it all was for. What it all meant. Wondering if I was being punished or if God was disappointed in me. Wondering why I just couldn't get it together.

So, I tried. Hard. Harder. I tried to be good. To be better. To be healthier. To be skinnier. To be smarter. To be kinder. To be more organized. To be more than what I felt I was.

And I was tired, no, exhausted. Tired of trying and overwhelmed by the task in front of me.

Maybe you can relate.

Friend, if I were there with you, I would hug you. Right now. And I would say to you, "You are enough."

Not because you are good. Or perfect. Or pretty. Or whatever.

Sweet friend, you were created to be so much more than this struggle. God did not mean for you to live life wondering, wandering, and grasping.

He created you to lean on Him. Oh, how that concept sounds so trite and over-used. But, let me say it this way.

You are chosen for a purpose greater than your suffering. God, in His infinite wisdom, planned out your days before you were even born.

He knew you would be broken. He knew life would be hard. He knew people would disappoint you and hurt you. He knew that you couldn't do it alone.

And that's why He sent His Son.

I was born hearing about Jesus. Many of us were. But, to most of us, it becomes almost habit to go to church, do the rituals and believe God is. We put our faith in what our parents taught us. And we never really seek the God we hear about. Life just takes over and we go day-in and day-out just winging it and enjoying the highs amid the lows.

But, where is the hope in that?

What if there is more to this life than you ever thought possible?

That your struggling is not in vain? That this life is not meant to be haphazard or coincidental?

I pray that deep within your heart you will see past the hurts, the philosophical mumbo-jumbo that is meant to confuse, the voices of man-made rules that seek to bind instead of free and that you will hear the still, small voice of Jesus within your heart.

I pray that, in your struggle, you will begin to look past the pain and bitterness and turn your eyes upwards to the God who is there. He isn't trying to punish you or condemn you, but to walk alongside you and lead you.

Let me give you this truth: Your life is meant for more.

Don't let busy-ness, apathy or bitterness keep you from seeking the One who made you.

Don't miss out on living the life you were created to live.

Hugs and prayers to you. Don't lose hope. This isn't the end of your story.

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 

Zephaniah 3:17 - The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

1 Peter 5:6-7 - Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.