Let’s dive into some real talk.
I’ve been struggling these past couple weeks. I’m grappling with being grateful and also carrying a deep sense of sadness for those who are being struck with devastation from hurricane Helene. To be honest, it’s not just the hurricane weighing on me. I’ve seen news stories, overheard violent conversations in the car next to me, and feel like I’m witnessing a blanket of darkness over our world right now.
It’s caught me off guard, because I’m not normally as deeply impacted by the suffering that exists outside of my own circle. I’ll recognize suffering, and pray for the ambulance rushing down Garden St., though I rarely have such a visceral reaction to it.
I’ve found myself distracted by these disruptions.
For example, the other day, the sun was setting over Pensacola Bay as we crossed the 3 Mile Bridge. My daughter next to me in the car was sharing her day with me, when we both stopped our chat to admire how beautiful the sky looked. In the same breath, I began to weep over a tragic story I’d heard in the news of a mother and daughter that I couldn’t get out of my mind.
My daughter called me out for the lie when I told her my tears were related to the beauty we were seeing in front of us. “Mom, I know you love a good sunset, but those tears are more sad than happy.”
The truth was that my tears were falling for a much harder reality. Maybe it’s hormones, age, or maybe the weight of the world is something we are all feeling. My instincts tell me it’s the latter.
Initially, in these moments, I find myself feeling defeated. I’ll scan my brain for the right thing to say or do with no success in finding viable solutions. Once the dust settles and the wave of this deep emotion subsides, I’m met with a peace that I know only comes from one source.
*Jesus is entering the chat.*
Suddenly, a holy moment takes over, and the seeds of hope that the gardener of our soul plants within you and I, start to root. I believe that a lot of us are ignorant to these seeds. Heck, I’m as reluctant as the next person and I’ve seen His goodness time and time again.
Call us all a bunch of “Doubting Thomas’s” why don’t ya. For most of us, we need to see the holes in the hands before we believe that Jesus is really the hope we all need. Thomas nor I blame you for that. I don’t think Jesus does either.
That’s why He never stops showing up.
The harsh reality of life is that there is lots that we cannot control. The tender truth of this life is that we have a savior that we can put our hope in.
Despite the negativity, sudden onset of anxiety, or the algorithm shoving the latest breaking news into my feed, Jesus still shows up.
Did y’all catch that? Jesus is still showing up.
Even when we don’t want to admit it, believe it, or feel what our souls were designed for, I’m here to remind you that Jesus sees our needs. He has the capacity to bring peace to the suffering. He sees the long game of all eternity when we can only see what’s in front of us or on our screens.
I’ll always be transparent with you. I don’t know much about much, but I know that Jesus is coming. I’m a baby in my faith compared to some of my mentors and spiritual leaders who’ve been walking with Jesus for decades. Yet, that is a truth that surpasses my own understanding.
It’s taken time, tears, trust, and talking with God over and over to get it through my head down to my heart. The message that I felt I needed to share with you, just as much as it was meant for me, is this:
God is greater than the highs and the lows.
Give yourself grace and time to process this truth. There is nothing you have to change for Jesus’s healing power to nourish you. My challenge for you as you read this is to simply accept that there is a greater plan that He has.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Local Pulse Staff Writer & Holy Moments Columnist, Makenna Curtis
