I didn’t have enough strength for everything this season required–but thankfully, I didn’t have to.
What God Showed Me This Past Week
Can I be honest with you?
It’s been almost a week and a half since I last wrote here.
And I’ve missed this space.
I wish I could tell you there was some deep spiritual reason for my absence, but the truth is much simpler:
Life has been LIFE-ING!
Work. School. Family. Media projects. Responsibilities. Deadlines. Early mornings. Late nights.
I’ve felt pulled every which way but loose.
Maybe you know exactly what I’m talking about.
You have those seasons when nothing is necessarily wrong, but everything seems to need something from you at the same time.
That’s where I’ve been.
Some of what has kept me busy has actually been exciting. I’m watching new opportunities unfold in my media journey, and I’m excited about where God may be leading me.
But exciting doesn’t always mean easy.
Sometimes blessings require energy too.
And somewhere between trying to keep up with everything and trying not to become completely overwhelmed by everything, God showed me something:
I have been kept.
Not because I’ve managed everything perfectly.
Trust me–I haven’t.
Not because I’ve had unlimited energy.
I definitely haven’t had that either.
I’ve been kept because every time life started feeling like too much, I had somewhere to go.
I went to God.
I prayed.
Sometimes those prayers were long.
Sometimes they were short.
And sometimes all I could manage was:
“Jesus, help me.”
But He heard every prayer.
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
–Psalm 121: 1-2 (ESV)
When I read those words, “Where does my help come from?” I don’t have to wonder about the answer.
We’ve Seen This Before
This week made me think about Martha.
In Luke 10, Jesus entered Martha and Mary’s home.
Martha was serving.
She was working.
She was handling responsibilities.
She was doing things that needed to be done.
Sound familiar?
Meanwhile, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to Him.
Eventually, Martha became overwhelmed and frustrated.
And I understand Martha a little differently these days.
Sometimes we’re not overwhelmed because we’re doing bad things.
Sometimes we’re overwhelmed because we’re trying to manage too many good things at once.
Jesus didn’t condemn Martha for serving.
But He lovingly redirected her attention.
He reminded her that in the middle of everything demanding her attention, His presence was still the most important place to be.
And whew…
I needed that reminder.
Looking to Jesus
Because here’s what I’ve realized:
I can complete every project.
Meet every deadline.
Show up for everybody.
Check every box.
And still be completely empty inside.
Jesus never intended for me to accomplish life apart from Him.
He said:
“Abide in me, and I in you.”
–John 15:4 (ESV)
That word abide has been sitting with me.
Jesus isn’t asking me to occasionally stop by when I’m overwhelmed.
He’s inviting me to remain in Him.
To stay connected.
To pray while I’m driving.
To whisper His name when I’m frustrated.
To talk to Him while I’m working.
To step into my prayer closet when my thoughts become too loud.
To remember that the Holy Spirit is present with me in the ordinary, chaotic, beautiful mess of everyday life.
And that’s what has carried me these past several days.
I haven’t always had time for a long prayer.
But I’ve had Jesus.
And I’ve discovered again that He is enough.
Maybe You’ve Been Pulled Too
Maybe you’re caring for children.
Working long hours.
Going to school.
Caring for family.
Building something God placed on your heart.
Trying to keep your home together.
Trying to keep yourself together.
And somewhere along the way, you’ve started feeling guilty because you haven’t opened your Bible as often as you’d like. Maybe your prayers haven’t been as long, or you haven’t accomplished everything you planned.
Sit beside me for a minute.
We’re in this together.
God isn’t waiting for you to get your life perfectly organized before He meets you.
He’s with you right there in the middle of it.
Call His name.
Jesus.
Sometimes that’s the whole prayer.
And sometimes that’s enough.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for carrying me through the days when I didn’t know how I was going to accomplish everything in front of me.
Thank You for every answered prayer, every quiet moment of peace, and every time Your Spirit reminded me that I wasn’t navigating this season alone.
Lord, forgive me for the times I become so consumed with everything I have to do that I forget simply to sit in Your presence.
When life pulls me in every direction, pull my heart back toward You.
Jesus, help me abide in You.
When I’m tired, be my strength.
When I’m overwhelmed, be my peace.
When I’m uncertain, remind me that You are already ahead of me.
And Holy Spirit, continue guiding me through every responsibility, opportunity, relationship, and decision before me.
I don’t want to simply make it through my days.
I want to walk through them with You.
Thank You for keeping me when I didn’t have enough strength to keep myself.
In Jesus’ Mighty name,
Amen. 
Reflection
When life has pulled you in every direction, where have you noticed God quietly keeping you?
Maybe He gave you strength you didn’t know you had.
Maybe He sent encouragement at exactly the right moment.
Maybe He gave you peace when everything around you felt chaotic.
Take a moment and think about it.
Because sometimes we’re so focused on everything we’re carrying that we overlook the beautiful truth:
God has been carrying us.
Looking to Jesus
As we step into another week, I’m not promising myself that I’ll perfectly balance everything.
I’m not promising I’ll finish every task.
I’m not even promising there won’t be another week when Grace & Growth gets quiet for a few days.
But I am reminding myself of this:
Stay close to Jesus.
Because when work gets busy…
When deadlines pile up…
When family needs you…
When opportunities excite you…
When uncertainty scares you…
And when you simply don’t know whether you have anything left to give…
Jesus remains.
So this week, I’m lifting my eyes above everything demanding my attention and remembering where my help comes from.
My help comes from the Lord.
And if this past week and a half taught me anything, it’s this:
I may not always have it together–but I know the One who is holding me together.
And Bestie, if you’re reading this feeling pulled every which way but loose too…
Come on.
We’re going to keep walking with Jesus together.
Grace & Growth Rooted in Grace • Growing in Faith