Like riding a surfboard or balancing on a water ski or taking cover in an earthquake, when your entire world shifts, it's hard to get your feet underneath you.
We're in unfamiliar territory here ... not the environment we expected to find ourselves in. And when that happens, we have to learn a new way of thinking, walking, talking ... living.
No matter how you found yourself here, even if you knew it was coming, life feels like an alien landscape. And not the beautiful kind in Avatar.
No, life appears more like Dune: dry, dusty, desolate. Hard to see, hard to breathe. Where are your allies? Where will the danger arise? You know valuable stuff is out there, but you don't know where it's hiding or how to find it.
Or maybe it's more like an underwater shark cage. Constrained, murky, too open for comfort. They say you're safe, but it sure doesn't seem that way when Mr. Great White bares his teeth and rams the cage. "Really not made for this," you might say.
WHO AM I NOW?
Death, divorce, job loss, betrayal ... they all hit at the core of who we believe ourselves to be in the now.
The woman you were 'before' was confident, clear-minded, committed to the journey ahead. But now your knees feel weak and it's hard to catch your breath, and everyone around you expects you to bounce back and be okay. But at the core of your being, you don't know if you'll ever be okay again.
I know this because, like you, I've lived it.
I remember the shock of looking in the mirror first thing in the morning and wondering who was looking back. Who is that woman with the smile that doesn't reach the eyes and the sorrow whirling up out of a maelstrom of emotions somewhere between anger and grief and resignation?
But it's not the end. I know it. It wasn't for me. And it isn't for you.
Deep inside that chasm of confusion and chaos is you, peering up and out, hoping for a clear path.
YOU ARE SEEN
It makes me think of Hagar in the desert when her life blew up. In that dry desert place, trapped without an escape, the God of the universe met her and revealed Himself to her as the God who Sees in Genesis 13:-13-17:
"The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?” 'I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,' she replied. The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.” And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.” Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means “well of the Living One who sees me”). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered." NLT.
Lovely One, I want you to know that YOU are seen, too.
And if you've found yourself in the place of what's next, I see you, too.
REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE
Lying under the debris of a life gone mad is the woman you were always meant to be. I call her a Water Walker. Someone who sees the difficulty but knows with the right direction she can chart a course beyond her current experience.
Peter did that when he saw Jesus walking on the water. He didn't aspire to be within the safety of the boat. No, rather, he craved to be out where Jesus was, changing and rearranging the world.
Peter grew up a fisherman and knew the power of the sea. He wasn't naïve about what he asked of the Lord. But he believed he was called to more than rowing and putting up with life as normal. He didn't quite get it right on that maiden attempt. And I don't know if he ever water walked again, but the memory lingered to call to in difficult situations.
I'm guessing you've done some water walking in your past. And that you're hungry to rediscover that woman. Today is a perfect day to put your eyes on the water and get ready to walk again.
FINDING YOUR FEET
I'd like to gift a bit of encouragement to you for your journey. They are the You Are Seen Prayer Cards. They are a set of 7 cards with scripture, encouragement, and a prayer. And you also get the 7 prayers on one downloadable sheet, too. I'm also including for audio prayers.
Nothing to buy here, just a bit of water walking encouragement you while you're finding your feet again.
