I was standing in my kitchen, dazed, looking out the window overwhelmed at all the life going on around me. I had just gotten off the phone with a friend dealing with a health scare. I had just read an update from a mother who just lost her baby to cancer. I myself was dealing with a variety of insecurities and emotions that I wasn’t sure how to decipher.
I needed some encouragement. Especially since becoming a mom, I have realized the affirmation and encouragement that I crave. Life is tough; even with the news turned down and social media turned off, the world we live in is broken and depressing at times. It can be hard to see beauty in the pain, to see purpose in the waiting, to feel grateful when you’re hurting. Our Pastor has spoken before about how he doesn’t need another critic, that he is his own worst critic. I think that reigns true in a lot of us. We beat ourselves up without even knowing it in the moment. “I should lose some weight”, “I should do better as a wife”, “I should play more with my kids.” For me, that type of self talk can go on constantly if I don’t keep my mind focused on the right things. It’s hard enough finding the good in the bad things that we can’t control, to then have to control the bad that we can create even when we don’t mean to.
I sat down and opened my bible to Ephesians and started to read, hoping something would jump off the page and into my heart, offering a small moment of peace and encouragement.
Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 1:7-10 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”
Talk about encouragement. I know these scriptures but in that moment they found me exactly when I needed them. I was reminded that I am forgiven, free and I have a heavenly inheritance waiting. This isn’t because I earned it or because I live life perfect in every moment. This is because my heavenly Father loves me and sent his own son who paid for my sins so that I could have eternal life with Him. Life outside of this world. Life without pain and suffering.
There are always going to be hard times and days that are just a bit tougher than others but reminding myself of the brevity of this world and the eternity with my Father offers the best encouragement. Keeping my focus on why I am here and what I am here to do helps me see past pain, insecurities, sadness and illness. Remembering that I am a child of God helps me to see beauty, purpose, meaning and the light in the darkness.
My job is to take this same encouragement that I needed for myself out into the world. Our neighbors, our communities, our nation needs this encouragement more now than ever and we have to be the ones to share it.
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