Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
Coldplay, Fix You
Sometimes when you’re drowning the best way to make it to shore is to encourage the ones around you. When it’s dark and you can’t see to hold onto anyone else’s hand, you reach yours out instead.
And someone takes it.
Because we all need a hand to hold.
Three weeks ago I shared my heart with one of my dearest friends and when you talk about the dark, light begins to break in. Because it has no choice. The power is in the light and one pinprick illuminates the Truth. Tears fell down both of our faces and she held me. I didn’t know what that was like, to be held, but I learned that there’s a mystery in holding one another — whether holding hands or holding each other up in prayer.
When we hold on and hold up, we push back the dark and hang onto hope.
The truth is, we’re each one of us drowning a bit. We’re struggling and doggy-paddling and trying to make it to the weekend just so we can catch up.
We’re forgetting to breathe.
It’s nearing the end of Recruitment here. And I know that doesn’t relate to 90% of the 10 people who read these words here, but suffice it to say we’re exhausted. We’re worn. We’re tired. And so I penned these words {edited a little bit for this space} to my sisters and I pray they will encourage you. Christ in you, the Hope of Glory, holds you together. God’s got it, whatever your “it” is.
Sometimes we just need to hold out our hand and remind each other.
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My sweet, beautiful sisters. I hope these words will be like taking a much needed deep breath, and I’m praying that you’ll choose to abide in the Truth as you finish strong. There are three things I want to remind you of:
First, know that this has nothing to do with you. And honestly, thank goodness. Because left up to us, it would all fail. We would freak out, be overwhelmed by all the emotions, and be flat worn out from it all. I know you’re probably thinking – wait, I am tired. In fact, I’m exhausted and I don’t have time for any of the things I have to get done. And I could say that it’s going to be okay or that it’ll all be worth it, and you would agree but still go back to your dorm room overwhelmed. So instead can I just remind you that God’s got it? He does. Regardless of if you mess up or it doesn’t go according to your plan, God’s got it. Recruitment is not out of His control.
Second, you are in a place of ministry. Right here, right now, you are able to minister and encourage. As a sophomore I remember sitting at practices and being completely unsure of how I ever received a bid. I looked around at so many amazing girls and couldn’t figure it out. And then I looked at the process and felt like recruitment would be judgmental, hypocritical, and just wrong. But thankfully God showed me that we aren’t playing God by saying which house they should go to. We literally get to sit down, make a girl feel welcome, calm her nerves, and listen to a little piece of her story. We get to minister and encourage. But girls, don’t wait until you welcome a stranger into our home. Do it now. Minister now. Encourage now. Everyone is tired and everyone needs it. What you need to hear is probably what the girls on your left and right need to hear.
You’re probably not going to want to hear this last part, but just hear me out. What you’re doing is important… but ultimately, none of it matters. Except that it does – but only when our minds and hearts are fixed on the right thing. We say “all the things” all the time, but I’m gonna say it again. Instead of thinking about all the things and all the homework and all the frustrations, fix your mind instead on Him. We aren’t called to fix all the things. We’re called to love, to serve, and to glorify Him.
I’ll be honest with y’all, for the past few months things have been dark. But here’s what I do know: God is still good. And He is still moving, still active, still speaking. Over and over He puts the words “the sword of the Spirit” in front of me, and I’m more and more convinced that Scripture is what we really need. Allow me to leave you with this one verse, but take a deep breath before listening. “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17. God’s got it. All of it. All of you.
I love y’all dearly. You have held me up and been family to me. I am thankful for you, praying for you, and excited to hear how God moves among us this next week. Don’t waste these moments to love much and love well.
Every Friday the prompt goes up and #fmfparty slows down. We write. We breathe out our hearts, sharing the hurts and the joys and splitting hearts and words wide open. Come join us.
I cried when reading this. My heart really needed this. Bless you, sister.
The point that struck me is this >>> “What you need to hear is probably what the girls on your left and right need to hear.” We need to come to the place where we believe that the very place we are in is where God would have us to be – for His purposes. Sometimes it is the unlikely people & places which deposit what we need into our lives. Praying we all have eyes & ears which are open to those on our left & right. Grateful to read this today. Blessings!
the truth and hope you shared here…in all of this…was very powerful. i love the idea that sometimes we don’t exactly know the way either, but we can reach out our hand…someone will find it.
I love this line: “What you need to hear is probably what the girls on your left and right need to hear.” And that’s the power of story–in telling the simple truth about who we are and what we’re going through we can build community based on authenticity and grace, and in so doing we encourage and lift up one another. Thank you for sharing a bit of your story tonight.
First of all it’s so good to see you! Second, your words even though written for your college sisters could have been written just for me. May we both finish strong in our year of lasts which will turn into beautiful beginnings!
WOW … what a powerful write! thank you so much for sharing! We all have moments where its dark and we need someone to hold us in that light so that we are reminded that LIGHT does exist, even in the dark!
This is beautiful and thank you for sharing ..
Visiting from FMF
Karen
finding the grace within
http://www.findingthegracewithin.com
Beautiful encouraging words! (And just what I needed to read tonight) <3