Encouragement When You Feel Depressed and Alone : Let's Pray

"When I said, "My foot is slipping," Your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul." Psalm 94:18-19 

Not every day can be a great day. Over the years I have learned to be more truthful with my feelings and stop hiding behind the "I'm fine" response which most often translates I am not okay. Saying I wasn't okay seemed to admit defeat or reveal a lack of faith. I convinced myself somewhere along the path of perceived togetherness, it wasn't okay to not be okay. 

My mind would say if I prayed harder, there'd be more Happy. If I listened to worship music and read my Bible a little longer, my circumstances might change which would surely change my heart and mind too. I would never had admitted a bad day for fear of being judged that I was a hypocrite or a weak Christian. How sneaky and manipulative is our enemy.

It took getting stuck in lots of pits and circling the same walls over and over to finally get through them. I've learned to honestly answer, "Not every day can be a great day, and I am not okay, but God is faithful." It is bearing false witness if you say everything's great when it's not. The false joy and perceived peace are not healing hopes. They are deceiving masks. 

The Lord tells us in His Word there will be trials and storms. What a prideful thing to equate ourself to God in thinking we can control things. You and I may be able to fake out some people, but we cannot fake out God or those closest to us who can immediately see the shattered twinkle in our eye. I think the Lord gives our close companions a special kind of discernment to know when we are not okay and call our bluff. Those are special kinds of Sisters.

Of course there is the opposite of me out there when someone is a Pity Party for One and all are invited in. They can't fathom anything good cuz the world is evil and there's no good left in anything or anyone. How exhausting it must be to live like that. 

People with drama drain me. I will certainly pray for them, but I am not going to enable them and I don't have to spend more than a minute with them either. Hello Healthy Boundaries. 

Life is just too short to waste time complaining, contemplating and gossiping. My Mom has always said I wear Rose-Colored glasses but I come by it honestly. I know the Lord gifted Hospitality, Encouragement, Empathy and Compassion into my heart but my Grandma used to always tell me, "Always find something kind to say to every person you encounter." So, here I am born with a glasses of Hope and yet, I still struggled with insecurity and anxiety.

Life isn't going to always be great no matter how we try to create a perfect place. There are seasons our sorrow will outweigh our happy. And God didn't promise us happy. He promised us a Helper. Life gets really hard and sometimes our prayers feel they fall onto deaf ears. We gasp for a breath under the weight of expectations, hopes and dreams that only seem to fade. 

So many friends are dealing with huge issues and it's hard even when it's not you. I read comments in social media groups that break my heart and drive me to want to be a louder, bolder Encourager and Light for the Lord, to reach those in dark places at the edge of depletion. I have been on that edge and praise God, 

He sent His Helper and His hugs through amazing, honest, warrior woman who knew how to Hug my heart through prayer and accountability. Scripture says together we are a City on a Hill if we all chose to Shine which means, no masks. Does that mean we tell everyone everything? Do we post on social media all our failures, problems, conflicts, insecurities? No. We are wise to pray before we post and ask, seek, knock where our help will come from. 

Our God....He is a Mighty Force, Ruler over all Authorities and principalities. Our Lord is a greater force than our finite minds can imagine. He is a real God, a loving Father, Great Counselor and Friend. He is our Rock and Refuge. He is our Anchor Who holds us in place when we find ourselves being tossed to and fro. When the seas roar, He has the power to calm them. (It's the only time you should stay close to a power source in a storm!! heehee!!!) 

When we know Who God is, there we find our Hope. Hope strengthens our faith and faith drives our perseverance, which strengthens our joy. No one can do what He can do but He can use us as His hands and feet here on this side of Heaven to bring that Hope Reminder to others. To remind the broken hearted He is near and He knows where we are. 

And the most important fact I learned: He is trustworthy and faithful. His love is unconditional and He loves me right where I am, in my insecurity, my anger, my fear, my hurt, my unknowns...He loves me here. Are we willing to surrender ourselves to Him? Do you trust Him to be a Promise Keeper? Do you believe He is Who He says He is?

One day, crashing waves will find their calm and joy will conquer painful sorrow as all the tears are absorbed into The Master's sackcloth. There is a time for everything as Ecclesiastes 3 explains. We will dance but we will also mourn. All in His time.

I challenge you to do more than simply give an Honest Answer. Surrender and Trust Him. Depend on Him. When you trust Him, you will be honest with Him so you can then be honest with yourself, and others because you trust Him more than you trust yourself. We can find comfort knowing God is Who He says He is and gives us exactly what we need as we need it. You cannot borrow joy, or grace. You cannot create peace. You cannot move mountains, divide oceans, calm storms, or create life from ashes. But God is more than able to do exceedingly more than we can ever imagine. 

Do you trust Him as YOUR Honest Answer?! 

Lord, as we cry our salty tears, replenish us with Your Living Waters. Give us the peace only You can. Heal our hurts. Forgive our unbelief. Forgive our forgetfulness of who You are. Forgive us for minimizing Your power of provision and grace in our lives. You are more than we can imagine and Your love immeasurable. Give us favor in the mustard seed of our faith to walk trusting You. Transform our insecurities with Your insight.

We believe at the command of Your voice, healing can come and hearts restored. Lord, heal our broken bodies. Renew our minds and set them on You again. Help our broken hearts beat in the rhythm of Your grace. 

God,  I pray for those in the middle of a storm, remind them of the Strength of Your Anchor! Send hugs and Help to them and lift them up. Call out to the winds and calm them that You may be seen walking on the horizon. Break their chains and renew their hope in Jesus Name. Grant them peace, revive their strength. Relieve the weight of their sorrows and replace it with Your mercy, new every morning! 

We acknowledge You are faithful, steadfast and Honest. Father, we worship You and bow before You asking for revelation of Your Power. Use us and gather us as a City on The Hill. Open our eyes to see what You see and clear our minds to hear wisdom. Give us courage to take off our masks and be a Light for You. Take our flesh and cleanse us. You are so patient and worthy. We praise Your Holy Amazing Name! You are everything to us. Amen!!

"You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give You thanks forever." 

Psalm 30:11-12

Two Sides of Every Storm

I am not one to jump in the car and chase a storm, but I am one to get out and take peeks close to home of what's going on nearby me, before, during or after the storms roll through. It's also a great way to meet neighbors as assessments are made of everyone's properties! Florida was spared a hit from Erika today and now we are keeping an eye on Mischievous Fred off the tip of Africa. For several days, our area has experienced some frighteningly fantastic lightening storms. (Had they not been so stunning, I would be pretty upset for the loss of sleep a few nights!) Waters have risen to the tops of the docks, large palms and weak branches have fallen under the weight of the winds. And yet, it's been a welcomed nourishment to very dry lands (and our upcoming water bill!) 
This is our first year to ever live by the water's edge, so I couldn't wait to get out today and check out what the ocean and bayside looked like amongst the storm's backdrop. I brewed up a hot cup of coffee and grabbed my camera to set out to explore the wonders of crashing waves, billowing clouds and surely a brightly colored rainbow to top of the day....only that's not what I found. The skies displayed a thick, dull, grey covering where only the darkest of grey clouds could be seen. Amazingly, the waters were breathtakingly flat calm. You could hear the plinking of raindrops over the water. It was amazingly quiet and serene. My soul was awed. Only God can calm a storm like this. How can this be? Such peace in the middle of a storm?!? 

I walked along the quiet, stilled shoreline of one of my favorite spots, excited and thankful to be able to dip my toes into the warm water for a few minutes; and as I was heading back to my car, my eyes were drawn to the trees and I noticed the waterline on them. All the trees had a dividing line from top to bottom. One half was wet, while the other side was dry. In that moment, God spoke to my heart, "Remember, there are two sides in every storm." My heart flooded with names of friends currently battling cancers, fighting against divorce, leaders under attack. I recalled all the different magnitude of storms in my own personal life over the years of divorcing parents, three miscarriages, panic and anxiety attacks, betrayals, insecurity, disappointments, sadness, loneliness...that was soooo true.
Today's storms could have been much worse. Yes, winds littered the ground with debris which now must be cleaned up. Yes, we anxiously discussed and planned for worse case scenarios. Yes, things were broken....this is the bad part of every storm.....but.....there was another side. There was an indescribable peace. We witnessed a calming of the raging cells. There was welcomed nourishment to our dry lands. There was a purging of weak branches we hadn't noticed before. Shallow roots have been exposed. There was heightened awareness. Anticipation carved away callouses. This is the good part of every storm. 
So it is with us. In every storm, there are two sides. While storms rage among us, we can stand strong, holding on to Strength Himself. We can fix our eyes on Peace and be filled without being consumed. As rising waters expose our shallow roots and winds expose our weaknesses, we can be assured this is a good thing for now our once hardened and poorly nourished soil has been toiled, dead weight tossed off and roots can once again dig deeper. Dry, calloused places within us will be softened by the crashing salty waves washing over us for the duration of the storm. While it can be frightening, our hearts and minds may fret and worry, may we step out with anticipation for something new and wonderful to come. Easier said than done, I know. It's hard to have a steady hope in the face of blinding rains as you watch wind scatter debris all around you. 
I can say from personal experience and I have heard others share the same sentiments, it was only after the storm, looking back over it's destructive path, that we found a divine soil, where our roots had forged deeper underneath us. Because of the darkness, we found the greatest Light. It was flooding waters that taught us what it meant to be consumed by something. It was the gusting winds pushing against us that made us aware of the Strength of Who we were holding on to. The removal of weak and dead branches made way for new growth. Because of the storm, I was made new. I was made stronger. My soul was awed. There really are two sides to every storm.

"O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. 

Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. 

So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. 

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, 

when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 

for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. 

My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." Psalm 63:1-8 (ESV)

 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 

And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand." Matthew 7:24-26 (ESV)

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:12-16 (ESV)

Anxiety in the Storm

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

Today, the storm clouds have rolled in!! While the rains are a much welcomed sight and sound, however, the flooding and havoc that comes with it are not! Thankfully, I was able to wrap up my outside "doings" this morning before the clouds released their bucket loads!
As much as I was inconvenienced by the rains, the end result was worth it. God promised to care for His creation, His grounds and creatures, and of course, so much more importantly, His people. Matthew 6 tells us to "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"  
God tells us not to be anxious, because He knows that we will be anxious at the onset of storms or trials. When storms approach, while we acknowledge they are there, how we respond to them is important. We can stand in fear and worry or we can take shelter and wait. Some storms are just plain out frightening! Lightening and strong winds certainly get my heart rate going as I rush around closing windows and gathering kids and pets to the indoors safely. But once inside, I don't need to be so frazzled. I have done all I can do to prepare and simply need to wait it out. 
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:33-34 (ESV)
The times I seem to get the most anxious are when I am alone in the house, my husband may be gone or the kids are already asleep, and there I sit frazzled, on edge attempting to remain calm and alert without totally freaking out at the crack of lightening just outside my window and winds tossing my outdoor furniture around as if it was made of paper. It is scary to be alone in a Texas storm! This is also true when "other" storms come into my life that leave me drenched by "rain and strong winds" of heart and soul. Some can be seen from the "radar" but so many come without warning. All of a sudden, winds knock us over leaving us frazzled and afraid, seeking shelter through the storms. These are as real as a real storm. Winds push against me, waters surround me and my thoughts drenched by fear and worry. Where is my Shelter? How long will this storm last? 
While Jesus is our Ultimate Umbrella and Shelter, our Rescue and Refuge, He gives us spiritually strong people to wait out the storms with us under their umbrellas. What a beautiful sight to see someone coming towards you with an umbrella, rain boots, jacket and a hot cup of coffee! Their presence and help brings comfort and peace to a drenched and weary soul. What a comfort knowing you are not alone in your storm. In rare cases, when you find yourself caught in the middle of a (private) storm and no one else knows, you can be sure Our Sweet Lord and Savior is with you. He sees you. He will protect you. He will care for you. 
Next time you find yourself in a storm, look for nearby umbrellas, as you run to the shelter of His Word. His arms are open wide and His shield will be your comfort.

"For it is You who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. 

For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. 

This God--His way is perfect; the Word of the LORD proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him. 

For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?-- 

the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. 

He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.

 He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 

You have given me the shield of your salvation, and Your right hand supported me, and Your gentleness made me great. 

You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip." Psalm 18:28-36

"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." 
Matthew 28:20b (ESV)

"I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble." Philippians 4:10-14 (ESV)

Thank You Lord for your steadfast Love and Your faithfulness to shelter us, provide for us, and care for us. Thank You for the Sun, and the Storms. Help us trust You and wait. Thank You for Your Umbrella and those you send our way with umbrellas of Faith to stand with us in our storm. You are a gracious God and loving Abba Father. Bless Your Name, amen.