Choosing Honesty and Hope for the Difficult Days

@bethvogt

I struggled to write this blog post.

For the better part of Tuesday, I thought I just wouldn’t write anything.

The hours kept ticking away, and I kept tossing aside possible topics.

And at ten o’clock Tuesday night I started typing words.

Just how honest would I be?

Life’s been hard the past few days – the kind of physical and mental and spiritual hard where I did the bare minimum that I had to do. Earlier today I found myself saying, “I quit” out loud in the silence of my bedroom.

And I meant it.

I was exhausted with trying oh-so-many things to make myself feel like life is okay in the middle of a pandemic, when every-day-after-day is bookended with news that is divisive and inconclusive at best.

And then you know what happened?

I took a deep breath.

I read Psalm 91 – something I try to do every day since COVID-19 became the theme for 2020.

I took a shower because, well, taking a shower always makes me feel better.

Then I thought: Somebody, somewhere, is praying for me.

That’s when I smiled for the first time yesterday.

Because that wasn’t wishful thinking on my part. That was a God-whisper.

I’ve had difficult days before our country went on lockdown. And I also know I’m not the only person struggling right now. I’m not throwing a virtual pity party, either. This is just me, being honest – and I also want you to know I’m okay.

Life is hard right now. We will get through this – but only if we allow ourselves to admit we’re having tough days.

If today is a rough day for you, realize these 24 hours don’t define you. Call it what it is: a lousy day. Go ahead and take the day off. Take a nap. Ignore a deadline. Watch a movie. Read a book. Read Psalm 91. Eat some chocolate. Bake. Do whatever it takes to get through today.

And know this: Someone is praying for you … because I started praying for you on Tuesday and I haven’t stopped.

 

Choosing Honesty and Hope for the Difficult Days https://bit.ly/3cAKwfA #encouragment #coronavirus
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'Carve a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment.' Quote by Martin Luther King Jr https://bit.ly/3cAKwfA #hope #encouragement
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