Whitnee's journey with Christ

If emotional hot flashes were a thing I would say I’ve had my fair share of those this year. I’ve had my ups and downs, my highs and my lows, at times I was “scraping the bottom of the pan,” yet still had I had a praise on the inside. Through it all I thank God He pleased me to be in my right mind to say “thank you Lord!”

This year has been a trying year to say the least. We have all suffered losses in one way or another, we have had to adapt to a new norm, some of us have had to bury more loved ones than we could count on one hand, some of us have suffered in more ways than one, and some of us may still be in the thick of things trying to find our way out. But God is still good. He is still mighty and He still reigns!

You see just like a hot flash comes in strong and gives a sense of overwhelming discomfort and heat, so does our troubles. They may weigh on us but ain’t God good that trouble don’t last always! The Bible tells us that weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

My brothers and sisters are you glad right now that morning is here? Is there someone this morning that is struggling and needs to hear a word from God. Scripture tells us in Isaiah 40:29, He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.

Can I tell you this morning that you are not alone. Can I tell you that God sees you and He knows all about it. He knows what you are going through. He knows what you faced last week and what you will face tomorrow. The God I serve sees you might be weary and feel like giving up. He knows all about the tear stained pillow you hold on to at night. He has heard your cry. My brothers and sisters we have to hold on.

The Bible tells us in the book of Revelation, 21st chapter, 4th verse that God shall wipe away all of our tears from our eyes. He says there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

But until that time comes we have to stay strong. The Bible tells us we get our strength through Christ when we depend on Him.

A lot of times we think we can do this thing called life on our own. Subconsciously we try to take on the world and expect God to bail us out when we get in a hurdle. And when He doesn’t bail us out when we want Him to, our perception of God changes.

I have to be transparent with you for a moment. I’ve been dealing with some heavy emotions over the last few months and I’ve isolated myself to avoid talking about my issues. I thought I was helping myself by staying “busy”, but it only made me sink further into depression. (I have to call it what it was)

I was at a point in my life where I couldn’t control my emotions. I felt like I was drowning but my head remained above water. At times I would have anxiety attacks and was just too embarrassed to let folks know that I felt like I was loosing it. I felt like I was loosing myself until one day I was looking at the memory garden my husband built for me in honor of my parents and I was on the phone and started “singing like a canary.” I let it all hang out.

In that moment I felt so free. I felt free because I finally was able to admit out loud that I wasn’t okay, I didn’t have the answers this time, I couldn’t figure this one out and I needed God’s help. I was lying to myself thinking I was allowing God to handle things but truth be told I suppressed my feelings as if they didn’t exist.

Can anyone relate to that?

I didn’t want anyone thinking I was a nut case and I definitely didn’t want anyone to tell me how I should feel, react, or act based upon the true source of my emotions. Truth be told I was lost in grief. I was lonely. I was heart broken. I felt insecure. I felt lost. I felt like a motherless and fatherless child. I AM!

But that’s where God jumps in. He can be everything you need Him to be. For the single friends out here He can be your husband or your wife. For the motherless and fatherless, He can be our mother and our father. For the broken hearted, He is our peace. For the sorrowful ones, He is our joy! He is our hope for tomorrow. He is everything to us- we just have to trust Him.

The enemy will use your grief and try to make your mind his playground if you allow it. We must take back any power we give the enemy and give it back to God where it belongs.

I’m glad that God has never left me nor forsaken me. I’m glad that His word has never come back to me void. I’m so glad that though I felt burnt out, the trials and things going on in my mind helped me to see why it is so important to depend on God’s strength and not my own.

We are nothing without God.

So I don’t know how many folks out there might have experienced a time in your life when you felt like you were exhausted or just simply burnt out, thank God with me this morning that He never allowed us to get to the end of His rope.

I’m thanking God for blessing me with another year of life on this day. I celebrate God on this blessed day and I thank Him for everything that I am and hope to be. I thank Him for not giving up on me when I gave up on myself. I thank Him for being the flame that never burns out. I thank Him for being the well that never runs dry. I thank Him for His unlimited power and for His unconditional love. Oh I’m so thankful that He restores us, He renews our strength, and He gives us wings like an eagle.

If you or someone you know is experiencing an emotional hot flash, I dare you to trust God. I dare you count of Him. I dare you to take it to the Lord in prayer. Don’t grow weary, don’t be faint in heart, but be strong in the Lord and know where your help comes from. Bless God somebody!