“I don't know how you do it."

" Do what?" I answered. The words being exchanged were both abstract and rhetorical. My current life situation is, from every angle, overwhelming and hard to understand. I have been through many difficult seasons in life, but this one is next level! I won't go into the details, because 1) There's not enough time in the day and 2) I don't want this to seem like one long

pity-party invitation. I do want to shed some positive light, however, on a very dark road. Many of you are walking your own dark roads, and may need to hear someone just be very real and simple with you. This is how my explanation went:

"Well, I start with getting out of bed in the morning, and just go from there." (How's that for profound survival strategy and tough-girl resilience?) I wouldn't call it strength, I would call it simplicity. I wouldn't classify myself as "resilient." More like "spiritually stubborn," or how about "been through too much to know better than to keep trying." Maybe I'm just too tired to look back. I know what I have walked through so far, and forward motion is my only option even if its uncertain.

Easy does it. That's the key. I'm sure you've heard "Just do the next thing," or "Just keep putting one foot in front of the other." Sometimes when we hear such elementary wisdom being shared it can provoke sarcasm or emotional insult, when we are in the throws of serious challenges. Like, really? That's the best advice you can give me? Or, we never wanted any advice in the first place. Who do they think they are? They have no idea what I'm going through!

However, when it all hits the fan and you've tried a more sophisticated approach, it usually really does come back to the bare basics; Simple trust in God, taking care of yourself and adjusting your expectations and activities to fit the season you find yourself in. (Surrender to the process, even if it's slow.) I have better days when I fully take one next step, compared to when I fearfully try to bolt through a lot of steps with unsure feet and an overwhelmed heart.

"Jessie, stay in the moment. Don't worry about what to do later, enjoy your morning NOW..."

"How am I going to get through all of this?" Deep breath..."I only have to get through THIS part. It's going to be okay. Now, fold the laundry in front of you." And so on and so forth...

Now. It's all we really have, anyway. While it's true that we are not promised tomorrow, if you zoom in close, you will realize we are not promised anything beyond our current breath. Not tomorrow, not the rest of today, not the next five minutes. Even if we do have a long future ahead, we won't get to any part of it faster by half-living right where we are. So, even if you are not in a tough season, don't rush. Don't miss the little things God is trying to teach you and the beauty He wants to show you. We tend to want bad times to hurry up and end. We tend to want good times to hurry up and get even better. Patience and contentment are each more important than the state of our circumstances. The lesson is more about our state of mind.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews11:1

Here's to getting out of bed in the morning!