Daily Delight

Dear friends, let’s talk loss.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Three years ago, I moved overseas to India for my job. I was excited knowing the Lord had opened this door, yet the year didn’t turn out as envisioned. I lost a serious dating relationship, my health, confidence in my work, and a sense of physical safety. By the end of the year, I was not the bright-eyed young professional who went bounding to India. I came home defeated, exhausted and lost.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀This lost feeling doesn’t just come from being overseas. For some, it comes from losing a dream; from reflecting on a year and realizing you are farther from achieving your goals; from not having that special person near this holiday season.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The Lord recently gave me this thought: I would have recovered faster from my year abroad if I had focused on God instead of my loss and pain.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀You know that “thud” when Truth hits you over the head? That was this moment. No doubt it was a hard year, but I’d spent the next 18 months stuck in old loss and pain. It took longer to recover from that tough year than it took for me to live it! Isn’t that often true of loss and pain? Something happens in an instant, yet you’re stuck for far longer.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀What if we focus on the truth in God’s word instead? What if we tell ourselves that He has good things in store (Jeremiah 29:11); that He never leaves us nor forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:6); that He exceedingly and abundantly does great things (2 Corinthians 9:8); that He’s a healing God (Jeremiah 30:17), a generous and kind Father (Romans 8:15); a time redeemer (Psalm 34:22), a heart mender (Psalm 147:3) and what the enemy means for evil, God works for good (Romans 8:28). I know these things now and I knew them then. What if I’d stopped focusing on my pain and instead focused on a good and gracious God? No doubt, I would have bounced back faster. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀God never diminishes the losses we experience. They are real, but so is He. Seeing them through His eyes may just mend our weary hearts faster and healthier than we ever could on our own. 

About the Author

Elizabeth Blumer

Elizabeth, a 29 year-old with Southern roots, works in Silicon Valley as a Marketing Manager for Google.  With a love for travel, meeting people and experiencing new cultures, she’s followed the Lord’s call for this fast-paced season in life.  Originally from Atlanta, and currently residing in San Francisco, she’s also lived and worked in New York City and New Delhi, India.

Elizabeth has a heart for loving on and investing in the “next generation.”  She enjoys fostering and building Christ-centered community in the areas the Lord has placed her.  In India, Elizabeth started an English school for children in a village near her church. At Google, she mentors young marketing professionals early in their careers.  Her goal is to become a Proverbs 31 woman - a Christian defined by grace, poise, Godly character and wisdom, and in her free time, she’s always ready to learn a new skill or have a good, heart-to-heart conversation while on a walk.

You can follow her on Instagram here and follow her blog, While I’m Waiting, here