These past few weeks have been heavy. They have been full of grief and chaos and brokenness. The deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd broke something open in me. My heart has always been broken about racism in our country, but I have generally allowed my grief to stop there. I say a quiet prayer and I am brokenhearted, and don’t know what to do or what to say, so I have stayed silent…
To be honest, I don’t believe this a lot of days. I forget. I forget that I don’t have to muster up the energy, wisdom, strength, perseverance that is required of me each day. I have access to the creator of all things, to the most powerful and kind and generous force of love that exists. I can rest in God’s love, and go from there…
When I read this verse today, I cried. How sweet is that image of God taking hold of our right hand? I heard Brene’ Brown say the other day that our culture is geared toward independence, but she talked about how children are so free to be completely dependent on adults. They ask for what they need with no shame attached. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I am generally bad at asking for help. I self-talk, “Ellie, you should be able to do this! Just grit your teeth and make it happen!” I so often…
“In this world you will have trouble.” Don’t we know it? I’m so grateful that trouble is acknowledged over and over again in scripture. It doesn’t take away the ache, but it is surely a comfort to know that it’s no surprise we encounter trouble. We know it well: broken relationships, sickness, financial stress…
I don’t know about y’all, but this verse gives me so much hope. It reminds me that our performance is not a prerequisite to His love. It reminds me that His love is actually the very thing that transforms us, because when I lean into the truth that I am already deeply loved and cherished, it begins to shift everything in my life. I remember that I don’t have to hustle for my worth…
YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I know it feels this way right now. I feel it too. I miss hugging people. I miss proximity to others. I miss being in a room full of other people singing along to songs they know and love. I miss being at church and standing in line as we wait to take communion together. I miss busy restaurants and children playing happily with other kids at the playground…
