Good grief. Ugh. Ooftah.
Yeah, all the words.
Hang in there … encouragement is coming!
Sometimes life just feels hard, doesn’t it?
There’s a local cargo train that runs past our house twice a day. When it goes by, it shakes everything up a bit. We’ve gotten used to its rumblings, so although we sure know it’s traveling past, it’s not a big deal.
But a few days ago, that train went by, and it didn’t sound or feel like an in-town train with a few flatbeds carrying lumber, comfortably rolling through the neighborhood, tooting its horn when a deer was on the tracks. Here’s the deal: although its ride past our house felt very different, nothing about the train’s routine had changed. But because life has thrown us a few curve balls, my heart and my mind exaggerated its presence. I remember stopping in the kitchen, looking out the window, and thinking That train—my life—feels too loud, too shaky.
Life was feeling like a run-away locomotive thundering down the tracks. The horn kept blaring because the debris and obstructions kept piling up. It was like ear-piercing screech of metal on metal every time I tried to hit the brakes. I just couldn’t seem to get back to that gentle click-clack rhythm.
You know what I mean – you’ve been there, right?
Sigh.
So, what do we do when we want to get back to the gentle click-clack rhythm of life?
We start again.
I don’t have a 10-step plan for what you and I should do in those hard moments, but I can tell you what worked—is working—for me.
🕊️ Get your heart right with God.
You can do all the things that feel like they give you more control, but if your heart is out of sync with the One who knows you best, those fixes are temporary band-aids.
Get the debris and obstructions out of the way. Not-so-good decisions? Not helpful health habits? Disobedience? Do you need to say I’m sorry to someone?
Confess. Repent. Accept His grace and forgiveness.
“Search me out, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my restless thoughts.” (Psalm 139:23)
🕊️ Get on a different track.
Your hard moments may be a result of life events you can’t change right now: illness, injury, shake-ups, external situations that pile on to your already-big-pile of anxiety.
Make a list: What activities or commitments need to be put on hold right now, or taken off your to-do list? Your heart and mind know what needs to change. Make the changes.
Show yourself Grace, dear friend. Step off the run-away train and jump onto the track with the little train that offers you a chance to slow down and enjoy some of the scenery.
“Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow.” (Psalm 25:4)
🕊️ Start again.
Don’t wait until Monday. You and I can change the trajectory of our day in a heartbeat.
You’ve gotten your heart back in sync with God. You’ve removed the obstacles that are messing up your rhythm, while showing yourself Grace. Take a deep breath, and move forward, walking with the One who has good things planned for you.
“And so I walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth.” (Psalm 116:9)
God gives us everything we need in this very moment, even when life is shaky and loud and unsettling. He knows what track you’re on and how fast you’re moving; He sees the debris. Stop and ask Him to meet you. Right where you are.
He will.
God bless you as you change tracks.
P.S. If you haven’t downloaded my (freebie!) eBook, Finding a Breath of Fresh Air and a Way to Start Again, please get it. I know it will encourage you. And then share it with a friend who needs a little more “start again” in her day.
