Life can be unpredictable.
Some days are beautiful.
Some aren’t.
Yesterday was one of those days.
It was one of those days where everything just went wrong, like the universe was conspiring against me from very direction. The worst part of it was the fact that it was all out of my control.
On these days, it’s not easy to connect to something bigger. It’s not easy to remember the beauty and rhythm of life. It’s not easy to believe there is purpose and goodness built into the fabric of everything.
There’s a specific moment that arises on days like these. It comes in the dead of night, when the hopes of the day have fallen apart. It comes during that period right before one is tired enough to sleep, when there’s nothing left to do and nothing left to distract. It’s the moment when that hollow thought creeps into the mind and sticks…
Maybe I’m alone after all.
With nothing left, it all comes down to God. It all comes down to Christ. I’ve been at this a few weeks now and I’ve learned many things, but I’ve been somewhat lacking on the experiential side. It’s in fact in moments like this where all faith, all belief, all hope are truly tested. In moments like these, am I able to lean on those things that my eyes can’t see? Am I able to find true comfort outside of my senses? In the past, I’ve crumbled in these moments. When things got bleak, when life felt empty and lonely, my go-to was always my senses. When the foundation got shaky, sensation was the only thing that felt worth it. Today, I’m going to change that.
Here are a few verses from the Bible for those times in life where we feel everything is against us, for those times when we’re left in the frightful presence of ourselves. I don’t know if this “works” for me yet, but I’m starting to understand that faith in anything takes practice. For today, let’s practice together…
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. —Matthew 11:28-30
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have troubles. But take heart; I have overcome the world. —John 16:33
If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”—John 14:15-21
Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. —John 16:20-24
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.—John 16:33
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. —Matthew 6:25-34
No matter what you believe, I hope these words bring you comfort today.