Daily Delight
I’m always the strong one. The one who everyone leans on. The one who everyone thinks has it all together. Well.. I don’t.
Growing up, I was so used to people around me being in “crisis” that my instant reaction was to take care of them and reassure myself that I would be okay until later. Inside, I would be completely wrecked, but outside there would be a constant smile on my face. It’s baffling how quickly I could go from pouring tears in the hallway to an instant look of perfection when I walked through the door. Mostly because it was easier to put on a smile and act like everything was fine than to explain the makeup smears on my face.
Not only would I hide my pain from others, I would attempt to hide it from God. (As if he didn’t already know..) And this was the norm until recently. Through the grace of God, I’ve learned that it’s okay to not be okay.
For a long time I believed with all of my heart that we, as the church, are supposed to have it all together, all the time. Biggest lie ever. Of all places, the church should be a place where it’s more than okay to not be okay! The enemy will always make you feel like you should stuff your pain away for whatever reason, but we have to know that God needs us to process our pain in a healthy way in order to not just go through it but to grow through it. When we let God in and we give Him our pain instead of bottling it up, the most beautiful exchange occurs. We give Him our mess and He gives us joy. It’s so backwards but it’s how the everlasting love of God works.
I’ve learned that the messy stuff is beautiful. The process is beautiful. It’s okay to let people see you struggle. With a constant remembrance that He would never put more on us than we can bare, we stand strong in our struggles knowing that He is in the midst and His glory will be revealed.
It's only temporary and it will strengthen you. Stand strong.
{photo: @madisoncastonphoto}
Cassie is a 26-year-old Dallas native, passionate about seeing this generation live and walk in the fullness of Christ. She was not raised in the church but was found by Christ as a 20-year-old, alcohol-addicted college student. Fast forward 6 years, she is currently a Christian Ministry major advancing into the fields of Biblical and Theological Studies. She also serves on the altar ministry team at her home church. When she is not providing care for patients as a Dermatologist's assistant she is usually hitting the gym, reading a book, studying, spending time with her friends and family or writing for her blog.