When Things are Hard at Christmas

I’m so over this year. 2014 has been one of the hardest, longest, most difficult years for me in a while. It’s not that it didn’t hold some amazing things (it did). Or that I didn’t learn so much and grow in amazing ways (I did). But it’s been hard. Hard physically, hard financially and hard spiritually.

Physically this year has been one full of sickness and symptoms for me. I’ve been fighting a long battle with physical ailments and this year seemed to gather them all up and throw them at me in unrelenting waves. When I count the symptoms up my heart sinks. It’s depressing.

Financially it’s been one of those “one thing after the other” kind of years. We’ve had both really great years and really lean years but this one seemed like it was beyond just lean in that it was full of the unexpected and most difficult kind of financial pressures.

Spiritually I have felt a stirring, a rising up inside of me that has called me to be brave. But, I tell you what, a call to be brave comes with every temptation to fear. I’ve faced more giants this year spiritually than many past years combined.

I’ve felt the waves of sadness, depressions, hopelessness and even wondered where God was in it all. I’ve put my eyes on what could be my salvation and found no outs.

I don’t claim that this year, my year, is the hardest it could be. No. So many have suffered so much worse than I have. But when it’s yours to suffer you can drown no matter how deep or shallow the pool. 

I’m still in the middle of it all. Christmas is coming and I’m still here in the same place all of 2014 has found me in.

But all throughout this tough, tough year I see threads of hope. Each time I have been weary beyond recovery I have found strength in knowing Who my God is. When I doubt that He will rescue me one last time He speaks truth to my heart that gives me more than an answer to my problems – He leads me to the answer to every problem.

I can look into the face of Jesus and know that He is my rescue no matter how deeply I have sunk. And better still. He’s with me through it all.

Most of the time I don’t simply want Him to be with me. I want Him to get me out of it all! But He just sits there with me, calming my fears and being my peace in the midst of the wind and the waves. He whispers promises of heavenly proportion that leave me with hope for the future but still going through the rough waters now. 

And He speaks to me of how much I hate to see my own children suffer. I sit with them in their suffering and I comfort them the best that I can and I long to take away the hurt. How much more does He care for me as His daughter? And He tells me of how His will is to prosper me and not to harm me.

He doesn’t inflict me. No, that’s not His character. He is my healer.

He doesn’t steal from me. That’s not His character. He provides for me.

He doesn’t raise up an army against me. That’s not His character. He is my refuge and my shield.

So, I lean in a little closer and I hide in Him. I press into Him my fears and my hurts and my longings. He catches my tears and tells me there is hope.

A savior is coming. So soon. He’ll come in the midst of suffering and suffer the same. He’ll know the groanings of this early life and feel the weight and pain of the sin that brought it all on. And He’ll conquer it all. He already has.

He came to give us abundant life. That may not mean that everything is perfect but that, when we are in Him, we have life to the full. We can hide away from all of the pain in Him. We can live in this hurting, fallen world and be completely safe, completely provided for, completely free no matter when it looks like around us. 

Be still and know that He is God.

Over and over again this Word is stirring deep in my soul throughout this difficult year. Be still and know.

The King is coming. He’s already here. He is a Savior. Our Savior.

Our only hope for rescue is to cling, even when we’ve lost all strength. Even when all hope seems lost. For when we cling we survive to see how He wins.  Because we are on His team we get to share in the victory in our lives.

But if we let go we have no team. We have no hope. Things will never get better because we’re on our own. I’ve never been able to be my own rescue. Only Love rescues me.

The more hidden we are in Him the closer we are to His Kingdom being revealed to us and in us and through us. We are to pray – Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. As heaven knows no pain or sorrow, we desperately need the Kingdom of Heaven – the Kingdom of wholeness – here on earth. The doorway is Jesus – the babe that came to the manger.

So, if you are still deep in the midst of difficulty and trouble, look for your Savior this Christmas. He’s so close. He’ll hold you through it all and, hang tight, your rescue is coming.  He’ll show you the way to abundant life.

Today I’m asking God to show off His goodness in our lives. I pray that He gives you rich hope wherever you are and whatever you may be going through right now.

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