{my graphics are free goodies for you}
My grandmother has a cartoon on her refrigerator. It shows a cow on its back with all four legs in the air. The caption reads, “I’m fine, really, I’m fine.” A lot of us handle the challenges in our lives like that cow. We stand in the rain soaking wet with a smile on our faces in our cute pair of galoshes and say, “I’m dry, really, I’m dry.”
I know what that’s like because I did it for years. Somewhere along the way I was told,“Christians need to be happy all the time. If you’re not happy, what will people think about Jesus?” If you want to breed a herd of perfectionists, just say that a few times from the pulpit.
For many years my life was mostly sunny. I could grin and bear it through the few showers that came along. But then came The Storm—the type that makes the weather channel flash maps covered with red and send warnings about taking shelter immediately.
It’s one thing to stand outside in a nice little shower. It’s another thing to be that crazy news anchor hanging onto a light pole in the middle of a hurricane. I couldn’t do it anymore. Like the rain that streamed down in my world, something opened in my heart and hurt poured out from a place I had kept locked for years.
Then I waited. I listened for the rebukes. I watched for the disapproving stares. I stiffened my soul for the hard hand of God. But instead of those things I encountered the last thing I ever expected to find.
Love.
I felt it in the kindness of friends and family. I heard it in comforting words. I discovered it deep within my heart as God whispered, “I’m here with you.” I also realized I wasn’t the only one who was wet. People began to open up to me. Everyone I knew had some type of rain in their lives. We were one great, big, beautiful soggy mess…and God loved us all.
So if you’re still muttering under your breath, “I’m dry, really, I’m dry” then I invite you to admit that there’s a storm in your life.
It’s okay to not be okay.
When we embrace that grace, we’re finally free to discover that Love is waiting for us in the center of the storm.
XOXO
Holley
I wrote this years ago and it recently came to mind again as Suzie Eller, Jennifer Watson and I sat down for a conversation about how it’s okay to not be okay. If you or someone you love is going through a hard time, especially involving anxiety or depression, I hope you’ll take a few moments to watch. We’ve been there and we’ve got encouragement and hope for you!
{Subscribers, if you can’t see the video click here.}
P.S. If you liked this post you’ll love these books: What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days {devotional} and You’re Going to Be Okay
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Welcome to the Coffee for Your Heart weekly link-up! You’re an encourager so I’m asking you to pour out a little love with your words every Wednesday {link-up goes live at 5:30am CST}. Simply write an encouraging blog post and then share it here. Don’t have a blog? You can still write an encouraging comment. If you’re reading this by email, go to holleygerth.com to see all the fun and join in too.
Pretty please use this button in your blog post so others can easily join in with us {html code in right sidebar}. And when you link up your post, take a moment to leave an encouraging comment on the one that’s linked up just before yours. Thanks, friends!
I’m having Coffee For Your Heart with my friend Holley Gerth
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