You’ve seen them. They see the silver lining in every storm. They take the lemons and make lemonade for everyone.
They take the frown and turn it upside down.
They make optimistic people look like pessimists.
Half glass always full.
The word “empty” is not even in their vocabulary.
Defeat is unacceptable.
You may have been one of these types of individuals at some point in your life.
A bounce back girl.
A give me all you got kind of guy.
Then something happened.
It was not sudden.
It snuck up on you like an evening shadow.
You did not wake up one morning as a totally discouraged person.
But something had definitely transpired.
The clouds now linger longer.
The weight is harder to lose.
People are not hiring middle aged workers.
The grandchild you lived for passed away.
The love of your life is no longer a part of your life.
The voice who brightens every day with, “Good morning.”, is now silent.
Your father, your mother, once the foundation of your existence, entered into the beginning stages of dementia.
Your once full nest of bustling children’s activities is now an empty nest, and you do not even recognize the person your spouse has become.
In fact, if you knew then, what you know now, you would probably not even marry them again.
Not the first time, nor the next time.
And after multiple years of marriage, it is over.
No one’s fault.
It is just over.
The princess inside of you and the once charming prince inside of him has been wounded, thrust deep by the mighty sword we call life.
You ask yourself multiple times, “Was this it? Was this all there is to life? This is what I was living for? This is why I was born? To slowly bleed to death?”
The word insignificant is how you now self describe yourself.
YET, when you are at your very lowest point, when your greatest wish is to disappear from the face of the earth…
…something inside of you moves.
You feel it.
I call it “the flutter”.
It’s like the tiniest, almost unrecognizable remembrance of all you have been, and all you still want to be.
That “flutter” is the hope you still have buried deep within you.
It is this hope that you cling to during the dark moments.
It is this hope that gives you a renewed look on your own life and circumstances.
Hope is what brought you to this point in your life.
Hope is what will keep you going.
Hope is what will get you through this.
God did not bring you this far to abandon you.
He brought you this far to take you farther.
Much farther.
Use this prayer today, from King David, to remind yourself that God truly does want the best for your life.
He has promised you good things.
“O Lord, God, why have you showered your blessings on such an insignificant person as I am? And now, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving me an eternal dynasty! Such generosity is far beyond any human standard. What can I say? You know what I am like! You are doing all these things just because you promised to and you wanted to! You have promised me these good things, so do as you have promised.” 2 Samuel 12:18-29
Out of Nowhere
Sometimes, when we are going through life’s changes and what seems to be dark times, it is not easy to remember how loved we who are His are loved and that we have purpose and strength beyond our belief or “feelings”, but we do! It is all because of Christ!
Thank you for this and for all of your thoughtful writings.
Nancy
God is using your transparency in a mighty way! Thank you for being a willing vessel. And thank you for this touching post.