For me, being brave in this season looks like staying put.
In the middle of the day-to-day routine of working outside the home, parenting, loving my husband, managing my home, serving others, navigating financial pressures and more, the anxiety feels crushing some days.
Sometimes in the midst of the whirlwind, in the quiet moments of my daily commute, my mind wanders. I dream of all the possibilities for pursuing my passions, those things that stir my heart and make me come alive with excitement and purpose. But then I remember the weight of my current responsibilities and the discouragement creeps in.
I heard someone say recently that during the times we feel buried, maybe instead we’re actually being planted.
There it is, the change in perspective.
What if I stopped viewing my current situation as limiting and started casting off that feeling of being buried under all the responsibilities.
What if instead, I recognized this season as one of being brave as I stay put. God is planting me and growing me in faith so I can begin to grasp the depth and breadth of His love for me!
Ephesians 3:16-19 (NIV) 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
This post is shared as Day 12 in my friend Mary Geisen’s newly released book Brave Faith: A 31 Day Devotional Journey. If you’re interested in diving more deeply into what it looks like to live a life of brave faith, I strongly encourage you to pick up a copy of her book and spend a month working through these challenging but important topics! You can find out more about Mary at her website, Passage Through Grace.
Many blessings,
Great essay! I’d never thought of being buried as being planted but it does make sense.
I’m trying to find a similar analogy for the beasting I’m currently getting, including a CPR incident (see the link below if interested) and intractable chest pain which my wife thinks may be the harbinger of a heart attack. No insurance, so I’m pretty well stuck with hoping it ain’t a heart attack!
Perhaps I’m being ‘forged’ into something stronger and more useful…but it might just a a plain old beasting, and God’s as frustrated as I am. Time will tell.
https://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2017/01/your-dying-spouse-259-another-nde-and-i.html
Hi Andrew, what a lovely thing to wake up to a comment from you! I hope you know that you have been firmly “planted” in this writer world and are continuing to make a difference in many people’s lives. Mollie and I were just talking yesterday about your witness and encouragement and what a difference they make to the Five Minute Friday writer community and others.
I so needed to read this today. I’ve lost site of some of the passions I once had, those things that caused me to rise up with a zeal for living. I like knowing that even though life appears stagnant at times, perhaps God really is planting me for something greater.
I’m so glad it was a blessing to you Barbie! Please know that your series on full time working moms who homeschool has also been a blessing to one of my friends. Even in the “planted” season we can serve and bless others. 🙂