Last week, I posted the above photo on FaceBook from the book “What Women Fear”, by Angie Smith. Sitting here on the couch on a Saturday night I thought-I bet a lot of other Ladies have felt this way-I know I sure have. Even amidst the company of other women, we can still feel very alone if we dont’ get hard core about it-I’m talking being real.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ”. ~ Galatians 6:2
The truth is every one of us has struggles. It’s promised.
Financial Stress…Health Issues… Marital Problems…Depression…Loneliness…Anger…Grief…Loss…
If I asked you what your top 3 challenges or hurts are currently, I bet you could name them almost immediately. Throughout our day we can fixate on these issues until they literally consume us…then we go to a bible study and act hunky dory. Why do we do this?
Here’s my personal internal dialogue:
“I’m sure this will pass and no one will ever need to know that I struggled today.” Pride
“These ladies may loose respect for me if they catch on I don’t have it all together.” Worry
“What if they think less of me?” Fear
“I’m the person people come to, I can’t burden them with my issues.” Nonsense
“What if they talk about me when I’m not around?” What-if thinking
“What if they judge me?” Idolizing
And the list goes on….and there is always a kibosh on our silly worries when the wisdom of God steps in.
Sometimes all we need from one another is to hear these precious words : I’ve been there too.
Seriously?
Yep.
Ahhhhh……
Everyone of us is a living, breathing, walking…. book. What good is a book if you can’t open it up and read it? What can it teach anyone by just sitting there? The stories, humor, good times and bad times…the meat. That’s what we are missing in one another!!!! I could care less about that shiny cover that we all end up tossing aside anyways.
Ladies, I encourage you to share a page in your book the next time you’re with trusted and like-minded friends. Your testimony will most likely be a huge blessing to someone else in the room wondering if they are all alone in their struggles. Some of the kindest people I’ve ever met are the ones who have been through the hardest of times.
“Been there”.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
~1 Corinthians 10:13
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Thanks for sharing! You are so right. Continue to press on towards authentic relationships, out of it stems the ability to understand genuine love and acceptance.
Blessings!
Megan
Yes….those friendships are so valuable arent they?
Great post! I will be sharing this with some friends going through the valley right now! Some of your personal internal dialogue are the very things they said (What will people think; what are others saying about me). I think of Ps. 51:6, “Thou desirest truth in the inwards parts:” and Ps. 51:13 (one of my favorites) “Then will I teach transgressors they ways;”. Once we can be honest about what we have gone through we can show others how to get through it and be an encouragement to them.
Ohhh amen!!!! Thank you Andrea!
Awesome post! I keep so many things to myself because I’m afraid of what others will say to me or think about me. As a youth pastor’s wife I often feel like I cannot say things about what is truly going on in my life. It is amazing and such a relief when someone does say to me, “I’ve been there too.” What a comfort!
Ohhh yes, Kathy I get it. I serve a ladies bible study and I often leave myself out of prayer requests -but honestly, I shouldn’t…we are all in this together. Love to you 🙂
I still get nervous but somehow still put my fears, struggles, failures, weaknesses and flaws out there. I feel the same as you that maybe there might be one girl out there who has something similar and will know she’s not alone. I wish I had known others out there when I was younger that I could relate to because for decades I felt so alone, isolated, embarrassed, ashamed, guilt ridden and defeated.
Breaks my heart to see…decades. Ohhh Catherine, I know how you feel. I’ve been there too. But, no more chains on this girl…high five sister 🙂 Love to you, Janelle
Thanks Janelle! =D
Loved this! So true and yet so hard. Thanks for the encouragement today!!
Thanks Courtney!
This post was such a blessing. Shared it on my FB wall in hope of encouraging myself and others to “keep it real”.
Thank you Liz!
Amen!
🙂
Great post! The part that jumped out at me as I read it: “Even amidst the company of other women.” Sometimes it feels like it should read: ESPECIALLY in the company of other women. That shouldn’t be the case in the congregation, but especially if you spend time out in the world as I do at work, you may interact with a lot of different women. It is so easy sometimes for me to react to other Christian women as I would to women in the workplace. But God’s people are different. We need to remind ourselves of that (I do, anyhow!) Thanks for the reminder!
Ohhhh yesssss…..I totally “get it”.
LOVED this post!
Thanks Karla!
There are times that I open up and admit to others what is going on in my life. I had a blog where I would do this frequently, but after many criticism and painful words I stopped writing. When I did that some would respond thanking me for sharing. I will admit to being scared, to wanting to hide for all the reasons you mentioned. When I stop and listen to the small voice, the voice that tells me to share, that there is a reason for my sharing, I post and let it go with a prayer. That prayer is to help me with my fear and that someone be helped to His Glory. It has been weighing on my heart to go back to my blogging of sharing my life and the things I learn. I prayed today for a sign to either share my life, the good and the bad, or continue to hide. As the song says, “Here’s your sign!” This was my sign, Courtney. Now I have to step out in faith and do what I need to do. Thank you for sharing.
LOVE this post! Our ladies recently had an event at our church that reflected up the main purpose you are posting here with this post. TO BE REAL! It was awesome! Thanks for this post. I am sharing this today on my blog! Hugs and blessings Cindy
Thank you Cindy! So glad to know Ladies are striving for this!!! Wohoo!