HOLD ON!!
So, there are many thoughts and circumstances that can roll through one's mind and heart in a day...
Today, I'm really missing a loved one who lives far away...
"You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted;you encourage them, and you listen to their cry." Psalm 10:17
"So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you." John 16:22
I'm also suffering from ongoing multiple physical issues that wear and tear on my emotions and make me feel very weak.
"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Cor. 12:9-10
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." Isaiah 43:2
"When we experience family problems, physical pain, or suffering...emotional stress...heartache, we are not to think that God has abandoned us and that He doesn’t care about our
problems. He cried out on the Cross–not in despair, but in a moment of
sympathy with all {who suffer} throughout the centuries" (Sheen, Life of
Christ, 379)
–“My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Mt. 27:46).His earthly life in the 1st century was as much a “vale of tears” as our earthly lives are for us in the 21st century.
So many times I have been ready to let go of my grasp of Jesus' hand. Somehow, I find a "little" bit of hope and strength to HOLD ON....The struggle is real. When my strength is almost gone, He grabs my hand and tells me again...HOLD ON!
So, for at least another day, I am holding on. I have found strength to make it through THIS DAY...Tomorrow may bring more pain or it may finally bring relief. Whatever happens, only Jesus can rescue me as I HOLD ON!
I am continually sharing some of the many blessings God has given to me...and continue my list.(Getting closer to 2000 gifts!) May you be blessed and encouraged and strive to see the many gifts the Lord has placed in your own life!!
"Giving thanks is that: making the canyon of pain into a megaphone to proclaim the ultimate goodness of God when Satan and all the world would sneer at us to recant." ~Ann Voskamp
#1837 - Friendship! I met with one of my dearest and long-time friends! We live a few hours away from one another and with our busy schedules, hadn't been able to meet up for a couple of years. What a joy to spend some time together!
#1840 - Catching a LOAD of fish this past weekend. Having my mom come along and showing off one of the BIG ones she caught!
#1842 - Finding the strength to HOLD ON, when I think I have no more strength!
#1843 - A new song by Chris Tomlin. A very moving description of who Jesus is and how He works in our lives. So uplifting for when we feel alone and defeated in life.
You may find me linking up at any of the blog parties listed on the left sidebar.
Great quote from Ann Voskamp. I am with you---so thankful for God's presence in my life as I navigate the deep waters of life. I often wonder how people who don't know the Lord get through their hurts and disappointments. Awhile back, my husband was out of work for 25 months, and it was only our trust in Jesus that carried us through. Every time a door of job opportunity was closed, we knew it was because that wasn't God's plan. Without faith, we would have taken every closed door as rejection.
ReplyDeleteThat is a lot of fish! What kind are they? Will you dry them to preserve them? Or will you just eat them all now.
Cute photos of your doggies. I, too, am thankful for my beloved pets, who are much more like family members than pets.
Praying for you right now, that the Lord would guide you through the waters you are currently in.
Blessings,
Patti @ Embracing Home
Thanks Patti for your kind words and many prayers. The fish are called Bluegill. They are very sweet and tender fish! We love to eat them fresh, but there were way too many for us to eat them all that night. We freeze them in ziplok bags with a little water. They can last many months in the freezer and when thawed, still taste very yummy! So glad you stopped by!!
DeleteShalom dear friend today I have felt like I just cant go on, but I am holding on. Yes, the pain of things, the confusion and just so may things. YOur post really blessed me because sometimes I don't want the people around me to say they will pray for me or try mak eit okay. I just want to be real with the fact that its hard and grief and pain are reall too. It's not always going to be okay as in perfect sunny days. Your post mad eme feel that I am not alone, someone else is also going through hard times and in some way its comforting. Thank you :) Aliyah
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean, Aliyah! Prayers are needed and can be such a blessing for us, but when we know someone fully empathises with us in our pain and frustration, it is healing as well. I'm glad my open and honest post blessed and encouraged you. Pain and heartache in life is defintiely real and so often difficult and exhausting. Sometimes all we can do is HOLD ON and ask God to get us through another day, even if it means letting Him take ahold of your hand fully. May you continue to find peace, strength, and comfort as you go through this difficult time! And never forget that you are NOT ALONE!!
DeleteLovely post and enjoyed your gift list........and just so you know I know many folks that are going
ReplyDeletethru lots of health issues, myself included. I think the Lord is working to strengthen our trust in
him, cause as this world continues to deteriorate we are gonna need all the faith and trust we can
get.............
Glad you are hanging in there, keep holding on hon,
Blessings, Nellie
I have decided that God sure must want me to grow a lot more in learning to trust the Lord, as have faced so many physical, as well as emotional issues over the past several years...sometimes I wonder if I'll ever stop having the need to learn this...LOL!! Pain is definitely a part of life on this earth. It definitely makes me look forward to a day without pain, in God's presence forever!!
Delete