There are times in life when I feel the need to withdraw from the norm, these seasons can be seasons of rest or seasons of difficulties. Sometimes in these seasons of difficulty, it seems hard to even perform the tasks at hand that would normally be easy to accomplish. When my heart is heavy, or my mind is not able to focus. These seasons make even the simplest household chore seem impossible. I find myself in difficult seasons of life starting projects, but unable to complete them. A lot of projects.

Recently, to keep myself busy, I decided to start decluttering the baskets and bags in my home. You know the ones that are tucked away in closets and on shelves, the bins you just throw things in that really have no other place to go. My son went to dinner with a dear family friend who mentors him and when they came home I had piles everywhere. A basket I had dumped in my bathroom sink, was still in a pile in the sink. My table and kitchen counter had piles of papers and books to sort through. I was chopping vegetables when they got there and cooking meat. I looked around as they were walking in my house and wanted nothing more but to apologize for the mess. I am actually pretty confident I did apologize for the mess at least once but likely more than that. 

As I looked around, knowing there was no way to hide the mess, a panic began to set over me. It just was what it was in that moment. Then he asked me how I was doing, knowing the difficult season I am walking. I cannot pretend to be okay because he knows me too well, I said “I am trying to be okay”. Then I lost it. I cried so hard at that moment.

I realized the mess in my kitchen and bathroom was a representation of my heart and mind at that moment. All of these thoughts, emotions, that I literally could not process. I could not hide. The panic that had set in as they were walking in was more about the mess in my heart and mind that was about to be exposed, more than my sink or counters. Being vulnerable is so hard even when it is with a safe person. 

This dear brother in Christ didn’t try to fix me or offer solutions at the moment. He hugged me, he let me cry, and he spoke truth into my heart. He reminded me that God is faithful and good, even when we are going through a hard time. He reminded me that I can trust God, as He knows how it all works out. In that moment, I regained some clarity and I realized I had stepped off my firm foundation of Christ and I had put my feet on unstable grounds of my current situation. I had taken my eyes off the one who will work out all things for His good and glory and put them on the circumstances that were over taking my heart and my mind. This was one of those moments where I was not allowing the peace of God to manifest in my life, I was functioning in absolute chaos.

Scripture says we are all given a measure of faith. Sometimes we need someone to come along and offer some of their faith to build our faith back up and remind us that even though our situations and circumstances may change our God does not. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He walks beside us and goes before us. In that moment it was like my beloved friend took his hand in the spirit and helped me back onto the solid foundation of Christ Jesus from the miry clay. 

Even as I write this, I am reminded of the scripture in Hebrews 12:26-28, “When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: ‘Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.’ This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed so that only unshakable things will remain. Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakeable, let us be thankful and please God by worshipping him with holy fear and awe.” 

God tells us that everything that can be shaken will be shaken. Yet, we are surprised when our lives are shaken up. We are caught off guard when our feet are not on the firm foundation. The only thing in this life that is unshakeable is the Kingdom of God. I have had to ask myself, where are my feet? Where is my hope and trust? Every storm, every trail, every hardship I have walked through has propelled me into a deeper relationship with God. They have given me the opportunity to trust Him deeper, to grow my faith and see how God shows up when it seems impossible, to know God on a new level. 

It is one thing to know God is a healer, it is another to know Him as your healer. It is one thing to know God is a provider, it is another thing when He becomes your provider. It is one thing to know God as redeemer and restorer, it is another thing when you allow Him to be your redeemer and restorer. Obviously, I do not know where you are in life, what you are walking through, but maybe today you need the reminder to make sure you are standing on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ. Maybe today your faith has been shaken, and you need someone to come along and stand in faith with you. Maybe you need someone to extend their hand and pull you back onto the solid Rock.

Take my hand sweet friend. I am standing in faith on your behalf that He who began a good work in you will see it through to completion. I am believing that no weapon formed against you, or your family will prosper in Jesus’ name. I believe that you are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus. I believe that in Christ you are victorious, regardless of what you are facing in the natural. It is already finished in the supernatural. God is going to see you through this storm, like He has done time and time again.