Don’t. Give. Up.
My Mother and Little Me
Since Mother’s Day is coming up, I thought it would be nice to talk about my Mother a bit. I have a great Mother. She is loving, kind, and one of the sweetest people on the planet. But people should not let her sweet smile fool them. She is also a strong, resilient woman—both figuratively and literally.
One day a few years ago, I experienced a number of physical symptoms that ultimately caused me to faint. I had recently exited the bathtub, and it could have been an ugly fall.
But my Mother caught me.
Like for real, she caught me.
As I collapsed, she put me in a tight bear hug and eased me down to a kneeling position on the ground. Her love for me wouldn’t let me fall and hit my head on the unyielding tile floor or bathtub. When I awoke, she was still hugging me, and she helped me rise up and stand.
Every time I think of how I woke up securely in my Mother’s arms—not even knowing I had fainted—I’m overcome with a warm feeling of gratefulness. I can’t help but think of how that single act of love symbolizes what my Mother has been for me my whole life. And the more I think about it, the more I think it symbolizes what God has been for my Mother her whole life too.
You see, despite her pretty smile, she has endured great pain and heartache in her life. Life has dealt her some blows that could have knocked her out, and no one would have blamed her for giving up. But in those moments and seasons when my Mom felt herself collapsing, God wrapped His arms around her—not letting her be destroyed—and He lovingly helped her rise up and stand. And instead of giving up, my Mom has not only survived, but she has also thrived.
I suspect you have had pain and heartache of your own—as I have. We may sometimes wonder:
If God loves us, why does He let us experience such hardships and pain?
We’re not the first to have questions like this, and we won’t be the last. The truth is, though, God never promised we would have painless, trouble-free lives. In fact, He warned us of the exact opposite in several places in His Word. Here are a few:
~ “I [Jesus] 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
~ Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
~ Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
~ 12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12-13
~ 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10
Did you notice how these Scriptures present trouble, suffering, and trials as inevitable? Unfortunately, when Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden that day, they made pain inevitable and physical death imminent for themselves—and for you and me.
The good news is that if we believe in the person and promises of Jesus Christ, He has taken the penalty of our sins and made a way for us to live eternally with Him—without anymore trouble or pain or death. The not-as-good news is that we’re not there yet. So in the meantime, we must learn to live and contend with the pain.
My prayer for you, my friend, is that you will indeed contend. That you will contend and not give up.
You may have a fresh wound from a big hurt that has happened recently…
Or you may have a series of small things that aren’t going right in your life, and they’re starting to wear you down…
Or you may have some unresolved hurts from your past that keep showing up in your present…
Whatever the case, don’t give up. Don’t give up on God. Don’t give up on yourself. Don’t give up on pursuing God’s best for your life. When you feel yourself collapsing, let God wrap you up in His comforting arms, be your guide through the dark valley, and help you rise and stand—like He has done for my Mother…
…and like she did for me.
Speaking of my Mother again, remember that I said she has survived and thrived despite the various tribulations in her life. And with God on our side, we can too.
How can we thrive after and even during our trials?
Well, the truth is that when God allows suffering into our lives, He wants to give us something through that suffering. Remember the Scripture from James quoted above:
Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (1:4).
Our Heavenly Father’s goal is that we not lack anything. We tend to focus on what we think we’re losing during a trial—a loved one, health, a relationship, money, etc. But I wonder how our lives would change, if we began to focus on what God wants to give us during our trials. Here are a few questions for us to consider:
What may God desire to develop in our relationship with Him during this time (e.g. our trust in Him, dependency on Him, peace in Him, etc.)?
What may God want to be for us in this season (e.g. our healer, our deliverer, our comforter, our promoter)?
How can we partner with God, so that we get everything He’s offering to us in this suffering (e.g. spend more time in prayer, studying Scripture, conversing with faith-building people, etc.)?
I’m rooting for you, my friend. No matter what you’re facing,
Don’t.
Give.
Up.
Your Sister-Friend,
Leah
