A Letter For The Hard Days

Dear Friend,

I know what it feels like to be running a hundred miles a minute while craving just a moment of rest. It can be exhausting to simply pull yourself out of bed in the morning, let alone get dressed and head out the door into a world that seems to be getting more chaotic every day. I know that worries and fears are wearing you down like a backpack that’s been overstuffed for the journey ahead. I know how exhausting it must be to be carrying the weight of expectations and emotions around with you every day. I know that you’re tired. I see you, and it’s okay.

It’s okay to make plans and then cancel them because you woke up and felt like all the energy had been sucked out of your body. It’s okay to say “no” because your plate is already full, even if it’s something that you really want to do. It’s okay to have days or weeks where all you can do is make it to the end of the day when you can crawl back into bed. It’s okay if things aren’t okay right now. You made it through yesterday, and you can make it through today because you are strong, brave, and capable. Even if you don’t feel like any of those things right now.

There is nothing wrong with being soft with yourself. There is beauty to be found in the moments when we lift our hands and say, “I’ve done the best that I could with what I’ve been given today.” Being weak is not a character flaw that you must purge from your system; it’s a sign that you’re human. We were never meant to do everything by ourselves in our own power. That should be the very first unrealistic expectation that we throw in the fire. Our weakness allows us to lean into the strength and power of God. Our need for rest means that we can take shelter in the shadow of His wings. Weakness isn’t a curse word; it’s a sign of our humanity and means that we get to be blissfully dependent on someone much stronger than any of us.

This life is a beautiful juxtaposition. Beauty and brokenness, heartache and healing, love and loss, creation and chaos. It all lives and breathes alongside one another, flowing together in perfect harmony because it’s orchestrated by our Heavenly Father. He sees the whole masterpiece while we only see a brushstroke. So let yourself feel the anger, fear, depression, anxiety, joy, sadness, and love that come with living a gloriously broken life. Just don’t let them have the final say in who you are. Don’t let your emotions define you because you are so much more than what you’re feeling now. But don’t bottle them up either in the hope that the person you present to the world is the correct version of who you are supposed to be. Honour the way you’re feeling right now, give it space, and then surrender it to the Lord.

It’s okay if today is a hard day, and it’s okay if tomorrow is too. You are a wonderfully complex human who is capable of holding so many incredible emotions and feelings within your heart. So, take time to sit with how you’re feeling and to talk to God about it. When we are weak, He is strong, and He wants to meet you in the middle of the mess. Embrace the hard quiet days, friend. There is beauty to be found even in the chaos.