I have a friend who has been juggling "the single life" for several years now.
She is strong, yet fragile.
She doesn’t always see her value.
She went through a very trying divorce where her self-esteem was chipped away and what was left was a life with a bunch of broken pieces lying around.
She went through a very trying divorce where her self-esteem was chipped away and what was left was a life with a bunch of broken pieces lying around.
She is very determined to get through this challenging time in her life--but she has roadblocks that pop up at the most inconvenient times.
However, she looks for (and finds) side-roads that will take her and her family where they are going....and...she just keeps tracking.
She has no idea how much progress she has made. She doesn’t see the road behind her or all the obstacles she has overcome.
However, she looks for (and finds) side-roads that will take her and her family where they are going....and...she just keeps tracking.
She has no idea how much progress she has made. She doesn’t see the road behind her or all the obstacles she has overcome.
For 5 years now, she has been picking up the pieces, examining them and putting them back as best she can--"believing" she is placing them in the right place...this time.
It has been a journey, an awakening and a bittersweet time for her. She has learned much about herself and much about who God is. He has replaced her husband and shown her that He will care for her, that He will be there for her when no one else is. She has realized her life is valuable and that she matters.
She realizes that one man does not determine her worth or her value but that God does; and when she wakes up in the morning--she tackles the day sometimes with gusto and sometimes with no energy at all.
It has been a journey, an awakening and a bittersweet time for her. She has learned much about herself and much about who God is. He has replaced her husband and shown her that He will care for her, that He will be there for her when no one else is. She has realized her life is valuable and that she matters.
She realizes that one man does not determine her worth or her value but that God does; and when she wakes up in the morning--she tackles the day sometimes with gusto and sometimes with no energy at all.
The days consist of raising two teenagers on her own, taking care of a very old "dear" dog, working more than one job, dealing with aging parents and holding herself together each day in spite of feeling that some of those days she hasn't got it together!
She is discovering who she is and who God is in the midst of it all. She exhibits a self-sufficient tough exterior for her girls, she is a very good mother and she gives good advice while sometimes feeling on the inside that she is about to crash and burn.
She has a tendency to "do and be" everything to everyone--and to be independent. She desires to show her daughters that she can make it so that when they go out into the world, they will know they can make it too.
Her desire is to be strong and show the world she survived, that she made it through but also to come through happy and whole.
She is discovering who she is and who God is in the midst of it all. She exhibits a self-sufficient tough exterior for her girls, she is a very good mother and she gives good advice while sometimes feeling on the inside that she is about to crash and burn.
She has a tendency to "do and be" everything to everyone--and to be independent. She desires to show her daughters that she can make it so that when they go out into the world, they will know they can make it too.
Her desire is to be strong and show the world she survived, that she made it through but also to come through happy and whole.
Sometimes she forgets that she has someone there waiting to help her.
When I pondered her life today, I saw a picture of a woman in an airport. She was traveling alone and had started out very determined and confident. However, she was struggling with 3 oversized bags. She was trying to make it to her gate on time with her very large burden.
She dragged, she pushed and she pulled those bags, she stopped to rearranged them.
She even kicked those bags (and they have her most precious possessions in them!)
She became angry at the bags, angry at the man who left her with all these bags and tired of all these responsibilities in her life--her children, being a mom, being the breadwinner, and the day-in and day-out grind.
Basically, it is impossible to make it to her destination without help. She will not be able to get there without dropping one, leaving one--or abandoning them all. I saw in my mind's eye a kind man walking up to her with a cart. He approaches her, asks her for nothing except the opportunity to help her. He hands her a cup of coffee (just the way she likes it) in exchange for her three bags. The dilemma is "can she trust him?". She knows she can't do it alone, she must make the decision to trust. So, she exchanges her entire burden for the nice steaming cup of coffee. She feels unburdened, so much lighter without all this heavy luggage.
The beauty of this exchange is that the bags stay intact, the man walks beside her and brings everything along while taking very good care of them. All she has to do is sip her coffee and trust the man who is walking alongside her carrying her "precious cargo".
She dragged, she pushed and she pulled those bags, she stopped to rearranged them.
She even kicked those bags (and they have her most precious possessions in them!)
She became angry at the bags, angry at the man who left her with all these bags and tired of all these responsibilities in her life--her children, being a mom, being the breadwinner, and the day-in and day-out grind.
Basically, it is impossible to make it to her destination without help. She will not be able to get there without dropping one, leaving one--or abandoning them all. I saw in my mind's eye a kind man walking up to her with a cart. He approaches her, asks her for nothing except the opportunity to help her. He hands her a cup of coffee (just the way she likes it) in exchange for her three bags. The dilemma is "can she trust him?". She knows she can't do it alone, she must make the decision to trust. So, she exchanges her entire burden for the nice steaming cup of coffee. She feels unburdened, so much lighter without all this heavy luggage.
The beauty of this exchange is that the bags stay intact, the man walks beside her and brings everything along while taking very good care of them. All she has to do is sip her coffee and trust the man who is walking alongside her carrying her "precious cargo".
She will make it to her destination. She will be sane and whole when she arrives. She will even be refreshed. She won’t be tired because someone else is carrying her burden. The reason she will make it is because she is trusting in someone stronger than her, someone who is more than willing to help her. She is trusting God.
KL
”Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
I love my friend and she inspires me. I hope she will continue to lean on God and not give up. He is always going to be there for her. KL
