Have you ever been on a walk where the fog hung in the trees like a thick blanket.  Everything started out so clear and welcoming, but with every step the path became less visible. The white mist distorts what vision lies ahead.  Doubt and fear start to fill your heart.  Am I supposed to go this way or is it time to turn back?

The answer is, keep going.

It’s easier said than done, especially when it’s yourself that is facing the great unknown.  Whether it be a leap of faith in a new job, relationship, or just the next phase of life; we have to keep moving.  For me I have struggled with my health, putting my writing out for the world to see,  the fear of rejection/failure. It isn’t pretty.  If I stay in this place to long, I easily succumb to depression and anxiety.

The big lie is that it is better not to try, for fear of failing.  I want to do things perfectly, to please G-d and to not have my life fall into shambles. Only life doesn’t work that way. G-d doesn’t work that way.

G-d doesn’t expect perfection from any us, rather he prefers us to rely on faith.  Whether you are at the starting line, in the middle of a trial, or and the end of your rope with desperation, that’s where He wants us to ask for HIS help.  When we stop getting wrapped up in our expectations of what we think we should be doing, it allows Him to show us where He want us to go.

I am writing this today because I often have felt awkward in this life. I have failed, been rejected, and it has paralyzed me with fear that left me feeling like a heavy burden.  When I have gotten lost in my expectations, dangerous emotions entangled me to the point that they acted as an anchor, dragging me down to the bottom of the ocean.  The more I wrestled the thoughts, the further I plummeted into darkness.

At that moment in the silence, hopelessness and fear enrobed me blocking out any true light/truth.  It is often then when it dawns on me to start praying (yeah, should have thought of that waaaaay before) and call out, “Father G-d!  Where are you?  Please help!”  When I throw my arms up in complete weakness, He rescues me with His might! He cut the chains that have held me in bondage for so long, and gave me freedom I never thought possible.

Whatever your circumstances, please hear me when I say, “Never give up!” You will get through this!  While today may seem overwhelming, your breakthrough could be just over the horizon.

So if you are feeling worn, broken,or just plain lost…  Know that you are on a path that is meant to go through valleys of darkness, hills of hope, and mountains of majesty!  As safe as it sounds, walking on a straight path of plains would get boring and we wouldn’t grow.

It’s easy to trust G-d when nothing has gone wrong, but then is that really faith?  It’s in our struggles and our failures where we learn to depend on G-d and see for our own eyes, His hand reach out and do the miraculous!

It’s amazing how we can believe the lies that the devil whispers in our ears.

You are a failure.

No one wants you.

You don’t deserve this.

he (purposely left lower cased for the devil) sings so sweetly and soothingly to our hearts.  We bathe in our sorrows, fears, and regret and it gets us nowhere.  Before we know it, we have been entrenched into a sticky web of self focus.

You say, “but you don’t know what I have done!  You don’t know where I have been!”  No, I don’t, but G-d does. He was with you all the while. How do I know this?  Because it’s as simple as a song my children sing:

Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so

Matthew 19:14(NIV) says: Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

While we all look at children and say, I wish I could be as trusting and carefree as a child.  G-d says we are to have faith like they do.  Are we overcomplicating our lives with worry and burden when the answer is so simple? Let go, trust, and keep moving!

Wherever you are in life, know that this is all for a greater purpose.  If we look at our fears and failure as a learning tool, instead of a punishment, we will be unstoppable.

Rejection, has taught us compassion.

Suffering, has taught us empathy.

Grief, has taught us how to love.

Joy, has taught us to rejoice!

Outbursts of anger, can humble us and teach us to learn the art of self control.

We are made in G-d’s image. Our emotions were created by Him. All our life we will face challenges that will test us. If we grasp onto His truth and remember that He redeems our messes, that in each trial of life, it’s a time to learn.  Sometimes we will knock it out of the park. Sometimes, we will fall flat on our face, and that’s okay. I teach myself and my kids, practice makes progress, not perfection.  Remember:

Never

give

up.