Can It Just Stop?

Ever feel like life just won’t stop coming at you? Like you keep getting pounded, pummeled, slammed over and over–one thing after another. And, every one of those things is huge? I mean, can’t something be easy? Small? Better yet, can it just stop?

I’m there. I’m in one of those times when if someone asked me how I’m doing, I would have to say, “I’m not okay.” But, I will be. A friend taught me that. She taught me that it’s okay to not be okay sometimes and if we say, “I’m fine,” it’s a lie. When we’re going through tough stuff and we’re not fine, we need to say so. We need to tell someone, ask for help.

Seasons of constant crises seem to be part of life on this planet. There will always be times when it seems as if life is beating us up. I’m learning that I need two things to make it through this crazy life. As a person of faith, I need Christ. As a person of flesh and blood, I need people. It’s not rocket science. When we isolate ourselves and pull away from others we get into our own headspace and that isn’t healthy for us or for the people in our lives.

Before technology people talked more in person. Neighbors helped each other out. It was considered a good thing to ask someone for advice or their take on a problem or situation. Older people, your parents, trusted friends, and maybe your pastor were considered good go-to’s in a crisis or even just a situation that was new to you, in which you had no experience.

Now, with the internet at our fingertips, we Google it. And YouTube can give us a hundred videos on how to do almost anything imaginable. We have information overload. Most anything we want or need to know can be ours in seconds, and we get impatient if it takes longer than two seconds to load.

When we pull away into the world of cyberspace–when we stop reaching for the people in our life–we cut a lifeline that we all need. Sometimes I need a hug much more than I need a solution. I need a living, breathing, caring person to just stop and be with me, see me, seek to see my needs and just listen.

As a person of faith, I also know that even with people in my life who care, I need the One who cares the most, the One who made me. He’s the One who hears, the One who heals, the One who can use everything in my life–especially the pain–to give me the peace I’m seeking.

In reality, nothing in my life happens without passing through His hands. That sounds contradictory, but it’s actually comforting. It means that He is sovereign over it all. It means that He knows every step I take, sees every tear I cry, weeps with me when I hurt.

I’m broken. We all are. But He specializes in taking broken people and putting us back together better. He picks us up in our messiness and heals us if we let Him. He doesn’t leave us where we are; He restores us. Then, He tells us to comfort others in trouble with the comfort He’s given us. (2 Cor. 1:3-4)

From the beginning of time God knew we’d break His heart, and each other’s. And yet He gave us a choice to do things His way or not. We’re not programmed for obedience, we’re free to choose it. When we choose to ditch His ways we choose pain. Who does that? Who would willingly choose to run away from the One who made us in the first place and think we know better than Him? We do. Every. Single. Day. And every. Single. Time. He offers forgiveness and mercy when we come running back–even though much of our pain is self-inflicted.

I look at people going through so much more than me and then I think about my personal stuff and I find myself wondering if my stuff isn’t all that important. Right now, with the aftermath of storms like Helene and Milton, there are people without homes, jobs, their whole town So many people have lost people they care about. Shouldn’t I just suck it up?

Remember that “comfort others with the comfort you’ve received?” Ever been on a commercial airplane? The flight attendants give a safety speech before every flight. “In the event of loss of cabin pressure, air masks will drop from the compartment above you. Put yours on before aiding others.” We all have our own personal pain. We all need help sometimes. Those people going through all the storm damage had personal pain before the storm. Now they have the chaos in the aftermath of the storm on top of all they were already dealing with. That’s life on this planet. It’s tough.

How do I deal with that? How does anyone? Honestly, I Think We Just Need Jesus. And we need each other. When the storms of life hit, both man-made and nature, the pain exposes the beauty of His love, the peace of His presence, the depth of His caring. And when we fall, He tells us “Fall on Me.” Always. And He can use the storm to heal us. I say if this is healing, Let It Begin.

So I will reach for Him. And then I will reach out to help others. And in doing those two things I will find peace. I will find hope. I will find joy. Even in pain. Because that’s life–beauty and pain, flowers and thorns, all wrapped up together. Like a rose, a picture of His love. Maybe that’s why God made roses.

Life is hard. But I know where to get help. And even when it hurts, I will praise the One who’s with me in the storm. I will sing Hallelujah Anyway.

Blessings!

Part of my current playlist:

Honestly, I Think We Just Need Jesus, Terrian, songwriters Matt Hammitt/Rilet Friesen/Terrian Woods?Toby McKeehan, ©Capitol CMG Publishing, Essential Music Publishing

Fall On Me, Needtobreathe, songwriters Bear Rinehart/Jason Ingram/Steven Furtick, ©Essential Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing LTD

Let It Begin, Big Daddy Weave, songwriters Matt Maher/Emily Weisband, ©Sony/atv Cross Keys Publishing, Be Essential songs, Weisowl

Roses, Andrew Ripp, songwriters Andrew Ripp/Ethan Halse, ©Be Essential songs

Hallelujah Anyway, Rend Collective, songwriters Chris Llewellyn/Gareth Gilkeson/Matt Maher © Capitol CMG Publishing, Essential Music Publishing

Photo Credit: Kent Smith, Beverly Smith