Brave Enough To Be Bliss

Daily Reflection & Prayer ▪

People who change the world don’t quit. As he went to Jerusalem, Paul asked the Ephesian church elders to meet him in a nearby port city. It was an emotional farewell. Paul said, “I’m going to Jerusalem. I don’t know what will happen to me there. What I do know is that the Holy Spirit testifies to me from city to city that prisons and troubles await me” (Acts 20:22-23). Where is God calling you to exercise perseverance and hope in the face of difficulty right now? While the scripture wasn’t speaking specifically about what I was struggling with, I felt like this question is exactly what I needed to get back to writing. I had made such progress with the book, but with all I had stirred up reliving my life, all the doubt, insecurity and feelings of worthlessness had arisen. I was questioning if I should even try to finish it. The voices in my head were having a heyday telling me all the reasons it was a dumb idea. If you need a refresher of what those voices were saying, reread Section I, Chapter 1 … you were stupid for even thinking you could write a book, who would want to read a book written by someone like you? What do you know? Nothing. You know nothing worth sharing and only people who have life all figured out write books. Only people who are experts at book writing write books. Stupid, stupid, stupid. What were you thinking even entertaining the idea? Wh at an idiot you are. That was just some dream and people like you don’t deserve dreams, and even if you have them, they sure as hell would never come true . “The threat was gone. In fact, it had never been there. Just like my negative thoughts. I was attacking myself and being my own worst enemy. I had allowed fear, failure, doubt, and lack of confidence to defeat me. It was time to change my thoughts and make that enemy go away.” Marilyn Turk I was looking for a quote and found this one in my document. The name sounded familiar but I couldn’t recall why, so I searched her name online and then I remembered. A dear friend had posted on Facebook a photo of the devotional she had read on September 30, 2023. The author wrote she was struggling with negative thoughts like, “Your writing isn’t good. No one wants to read it. You’re not as good a writer as…” The more thoughts she had, the less motivated she was to keep writing and the more motivated she was to give in to depression. Then her husband interrupted her negative thoughts, telling her about a bluebird that kept flying into their sliding glass doors. The bird was fearful of its “rival,” which of course was actually his own reflection. The author wrote, “He’s his own worst enemy.” And she had an epiphany and knew what she needed to do. The day I read those words; her fear of writing was my epiphany. Thank you, author Marilyn Turk for writing your story, and friend Debbie for sharing that photo of it. Without that reminder, I might have allowed fear to push me into taking any job I could get and if that had happened, I never would have finished this book.

With that in mind, I read the question again. Where is God calling you to exercise perseverance and hope in the face of difficulty right now?

I was quickly reminded of why I am writing, what my God- inspired purpose for living is… to help other hurting people. Yes, this is hard, but I have done many other hard things in my life, so I can do this too. And with that, I locked the voices in the basement and got back to work.

“Brokenness is not the end. It’s the raw material for a breathtaking masterpiece, where each fracture is a stroke of courage.” Lindsay Wanner

Resources ▪ Dr. Andy Yarborough | Licensed Clinical Psychologist (@mywellco.life) • Instagram photos and videos ▪ Marilyn Turk's Pathways of the Heart - Home (pathwayheart.com) ▪ Paul’s final ministry travels (never give up!) - Resurrection Church ▪ Mighty Pursuit (@mightypursuit) • Instagram photos and videos ▪ Riding High Ministries | Every Born Wild event is an impactful encounter. Please consider supporting Riding High’s mission to extend the Love of God to everyone.… | Instagram

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