Strength Will Rise

 My semester is finally wrapping up, and it's probably been one of the most challenging semesters of my entire life. But it's also been one of the most rewarding. People say all the time that beauty comes from pain and that none of our struggles are pointless. No matter how many times you hear it, you don't really realize the truth in those words until you experience it for yourself. This year I did and I learned so many lessons about myself, about who God is to me, and about who I can be to others. 

As much as I love theme parks, this semester has been a roller coaster ride that I wouldn't have waited in line for. Just when I thought things were looking up so many different times, something else happened to knock me back down again. From physical pain, to emotional hurt, to loneliness and stress and even depression, it's been quite the year. 

So many unexpected things happened that I couldn't control at all. There were days this semester that I think I've felt more alone and hopeless than I've ever felt in my entire life. It isn't easy going to college out of state miles away from your family and some of your closest friends--especially when your world slowly seems to start falling apart.

But as soon as everything I held onto so tightly in this world started crashing down, I learned how to really hold on to something so much stronger. 

"Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord."

"But those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;

   they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint." -Isaiah 40:31

Anything you rely on in this world will fail you. Failure on earth is inevitable.

If you rely on people, they will fail you.  

If you put your trust in people alone, you might be lied to and hurt.

If you have faith in someone, they might not always come through. 

If you base your strength on your own talents, you're going to ultimately feel weak. 

If you base your happiness on success, people, sports, etc., your happiness will very quickly fade away. 

If you put all your time, energy, and resources into gaining worldly treasures, you'll feel empty. 

But strength will rise as we wait on God's name, on his power, on his mercy, on his love, and on his grace.

So what are you holding on to? Is it success? Is it someone? Or, something you're putting above God? 

Because maybe it is time to let that go and take hold of God for real. Or rather, let God take ahold of you. 

It's like a tug o' war game.... God is holding one of your hands, but you are reaching for everything else with the other hand. For some reason, our human minds think that once we reach that "everything else," we'll be alright. Even though it might seem that way for awhile, we'll lose it and have to keep on reaching and reaching for more.

But how beautiful of a thing it could be if we stop reaching elsewhere, and let God take both of our hands instead of just one. God is constant and never changes, so why choose to rely on anything else and not him? 

I have to tell myself so many times in the day: Just stop. Seriously, stop holding on and just be held in the hands of a Father who loves you more than you can conceivably imagine. 

"God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change his mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?" -Numbers 23:19

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." -James 1:17