Sometimes, it seems like NOTHING in life is going our way, like there's no progress, no breakthrough, and no movement whatsoever. Everything looks barren ?— ?not a springing leaf anywhere in sight….just cold, barren branches seemingly everywhere. In these "winter" times of our lives, it can be extremely tempting to just give up and scrap the entirety of whatever it is we feel we have poured ourselves into for so long. Oftentimes, we feel the most defeated right before we finally break through. Unfortunately, we have no meter to tell us how close we are to finally breaking whatever threshold has eluded us for so long.
Sometimes, it seems like NOTHING in life is going our way, like there's no progress, no breakthrough, and no movement whatsoever. Everything looks barren ?— ?not a springing leaf anywhere in sight….just cold, barren branches seemingly everywhere. In these "winter" times of our lives, it can be extremely tempting to just give up and scrap the entirety of whatever it is we feel we have poured ourselves into for so long. Oftentimes, we feel the most defeated right before we finally break through. Unfortunately, we have no meter to tell us how close we are to finally breaking whatever threshold has eluded us for so long.
The great redwood tree, in all of its majesty, happens to also be one of the most difficult trees to cut down as well as to split. It is said that in order to split the cut sections of this log, a lumberjack will hit it repeatedly, with absolutely no visible effect. Ten strikes, then twenty, then thirty…and nothing. Then suddenly, in one strike, the log splits almost completely. It seems as if one hit was all it took, but in reality, it was the sum total of all the previous hits that finally broke through.
Eventually, the log splits. Much in the same vein, a farmer will never help baby chicks break through the shell of an egg. The baby chick struggles mightily to finally break through, after much exhausting effort. The farmer doesn't do this because if he does, the chick will most likely not survive afterward. There is something in the chick's DNA that is activated in the struggle, and without the struggle, the survival rate drops exponentially.
Necessary Struggles
Perhaps this is exactly the same with us. Perhaps all the struggle was NECESSARY to prepare and strengthen us to carry what comes next. Without the struggle, at the very least, we would not carry the same reverence and appreciation for what we were able to create or produce. We wouldn't have the understanding of the struggle to be able to help others. Perhaps the struggle not only keeps us humble in our success, but also is the very thing that takes us from creating and flaming out to sustaining. Perhaps the most valuable lesson lies not in the realization of the dream or goal, but rather in the process itself. Perhaps the joy isn't in the mountaintops, but in the journey itself.
For those of you who are feeling tired and weary on your journey, who have been scratching, clawing, pushing, and at times, barely holding on, DON'T GIVE UP. This is a season of "suddenly" breakthroughs that are years in the making. Dig deep, take a deep breath, and give it one more try. Many will see things come to pass in 2019 that they have been carrying and working/praying/striving after for years. Many will see dreams realized that they were in the midnight hour of giving up on. For those who are carrying things that nobody in their circle can see with them, please know I am cheering for you. I want you to know that you can do it. That you WILL do it. You matter. Your dream matters. Your success matters. There are so many who are waiting for your breakthrough ?—? because it will be the very thing that propels them over whatever roadblocks are keeping them back. Literally EVERYTHING can change in the blink of an eye.
Posted by GODISFORME • Saturday, September 14, 2019
I need to hear those words although I do want to give up. I logically understand that I shouldn't and that God requires us to keep going but I don't have anything left and I don't want to. This world keeps stepping on me for being and doing what's right and I'm just so tired of fighting/continuing/just trying to be who He created me to be But I know logically you're right
One of the most difficult things we can do in life can be found in leaving "ok" or "good enough" on the innate whisper that there is "greater than imaginable." We all have had those moments of inspiration where the Divine whispers "I have so much more for you." Our response or reaction to moments like these can have a profound impact on our lives — we can shrink back into our comfort zone (often a deep rut if we're honest), or we can stand up and heed that drawing. The beautiful thing is that it's always our choice, and one that can be extremely rewarding and fulfilling if we dare to "step out onto the water."
Sometimes, it seems like things just aren't going our way. We pray and have others pray alongside us. We read scriptures and declare what we seek. We go to our respective services, religious or otherwise, and sometimes utilize fasting as an approach. All these things sound and are great on the surface. I am sure many of us have tried some combination of these things and, if we are honest, have all been frustrated when we are not seeing results. Perhaps you have had thoughts like, "Maybe it's just God's will for this situation to never change," or "It was selfish for me to believe for a new car (or money or whatever) anyway."
Life can be confusing. Circumstances don't make sense and, sometimes, it can be difficult to know what to do. Far too often, we get hung up on being perfect or on the notion that there is ONLY ONE way to attain our end goal or reach our destination. Beyond that, there are many times, perhaps more often than not, that we feel we have no idea what exactly where to begin. Even as someone gifted both prophetically and with seeing, I still struggle with this. I tend to see the end result, but usually not the detailed, step-by-step process of getting there. It has taken many years, but I have come to understand and accept that not fully knowing is COMPLETELY normal.