I am sitting at my computer just feeling completely blank. I have tried to think of what to say, have started typing several times on topics in the back of my mind… but nothing seems to stick. Nothing seems quite right… & so then it gets deleted.
So, I guess I am just going to start typing & see where God takes it today.
Feeling Tired. Feeling Numb.
My depression is a funny animal. Some days I feel pretty okay, some I thrive… but some days (like today) just feel like I am dragging. Everything feels hard.
It might also have something to do with the consistently choppy sleep I have been getting recently. So part of it is quite possibly just being plain tired. But I feel sort of numb, too, like I just don’t really care about much of anything.
Feeling this way makes it hard to do much of anything. I just want to glaze over & get through the day so I can try again tomorrow… or maybe next week. That’s just me being honest. I know sometimes I sound like a broken record when I have these days & talk about it, but the alternative is plastering on a fake smile & forcing out a cheery tone to make everyone else feel better about me not feeling better… but then I just feel like a fake & like what’s the point?
Quitting Just Makes It Worse
But I also don’t want to waste away my day, letting those feelings of blah win, because honestly, enough of those sorts of days piled up makes me feel defeated & they just seem to compound over time, sparking the feeling that my life is just one big waste.(Not a rabbit hole I want to go down again.)
So, that’s not really an option either.
Then what do I do? I’ve got nothin’. I feel blah. I just want to not bother because bothering just seems an added hard to the already existing hard.
Well, surprise, surprise… I go back to my old friend “Surrender.” And here we go again.
God Knows & God’s Enough
“God, I don’t understand why I’m not sleeping… why everything has to feel so hard so often. I feel like I struggle more than most people& that everyone is probably sick of hearing about it by now…so why do You allow it to keep happening? And why do I have to keep writing about how weak I am? I don’t understand why so many things keep me awake lately. I feel like I took sleep for granted & now I never seem to get enough of it. I feel like I’m drifting. I feel bored with & am numbing to life sometimes lately because everything seems grayscale. I crave color. I want to do great things for You, but then I feel like I am obviously not strong enough for it. I get it… I’m not enough. My humanness glares at me in times like this & it is so uncomfortable. I really hate it sometimes. Maybe that’s why You allow it? So I learn it’s not me I need to be trying to count on anyway, but You? I know I need to be better at that for sure. I’m sorry for craving self-sufficiency, for trying to fix it myself… instead of allowing it to be an opportunity to cry out to You as my help. Please forgive me. I like feeling strong & capable, but please teach me that You really are my Enough. Please be my Enough. Help me to somehow give You glory when all I feel like I want to be is a grumbling, grumpy, give-up quitter. Forgive me for thinking I have to have my strength & control back in order to be something or do anything of value for You. You are Enough. Be my Enough. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”
Am I the Only One Who Feels So Weak So Often?
I don’t know if you ever feel like that? Or if it’s just me?
But boy am I NOT a fan.
But today, & hopefully every day following… I want to force myself to choose surrender & let God take my NOT ENOUGH & make it into something because HE IS ENOUGH.
Shine HOPE by making sure you remember that, too. Amen.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)
This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Rosa Bracelet (Guatemala)
(Shown: Rosa Bracelet, handcrafted in Guatemala. Every purchase of this bracelet empowers women in Guatemala out of poverty!)
Using traditional Guatemalan beading techniques, Artisans handcraft this feminine and romantic adjustable Rosa Bracelet to create a beautiful chain of petite purple diamonds with silver accents. Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in Guatemala.
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
When the lights go out & you crawl into bed for the night, alone with your thoughts… do you ever wonder: “Am I going to Hell when I die?”
Maybe during the day you make conscious effort to do the right thing & be a nice person, & so you are good at burying that little annoying doubt under loads of feel-goods… but when you’re alone with your thoughts… are you solid in convincing yourself? Or does that little nagging doubt follow you like an ominous shadow that you can’t quite seem to shake?
How Can You Know?
Satan definitely likes to make Christians doubt the power of God on this point, but for some, that nagging little doubt is a nudge from God’s Spirit, letting you know that the way you are headed, no matter how laced with good deeds & good intentions, is leading you straight to Hell.
But how can you really know for sure?
I don’t want you to live with doubts & wondering. I don’t want you to be weighed down by anxious thoughts & worry. I want you to know that you know that you know. Once & for all.
And trust me… there is a sure way to KNOW.(If you haven’t read last week’s post, that’s a very good place to start: “Have You Met Jesus?”)
You Need to KNOW, So You Can Shove That Annoying Little Doubt Away for GOOD
You see, I want you to know the truth. That if you have not admitted to the sin in your life… those things where you went your way over God’s or did any scrap of wrong AT ALL (God is pure, holy, & perfect, so our sin naturally separates us from Him, no matter how “small,” “infrequent,” or “inconsequential” you may try to convince yourself it is)… you are going to Hell without Jesus. NONE of us have ANY chance without Jesus.So it’s really important that you know Him.
Are You Willing to Just Chance It?
No amount of good deeds will ever give you the rest & assurance you’re seeking, because deep down, your heart knows that will never be enough—no matter how hard you may try to convince yourself otherwise.
No amount of being a nice or good person will ever even the scales in your favor. Any amount of wrong in your life separates you from God.
No amount of knowing all the right answers in church, or perfect church attendance, or going to every church function, or doing all the right “churchy” things.”.
No amount of being generous.
No amount of trying to feel good about yourself.
You’ll always come up short… miss the mark… do you really want to take that chance?
Do you really want to risk eternal anguish & suffering by hoping you can do “enough”? … to risk never experiencing the calm, contented, PEACE & LOVE of Heaven because Maybe you’ll make it in?
What Is Hell?
You may say, “well, Hell can’t be that bad. Heaven sounds boring anyway.”
No, my friend. Hell is complete & absolute, eternal separation from God. While on earth, you still experience His goodness & love, mixed with the hurt, stress, & pain results of sin in this world. But in Hell—take out the good parts… leave only the pain.
You don’t want that & God is NOT forcing you to go there because you’re “not good enough.” Because NONE of us are. ANY sin makes us separated from God. ANY. (Romans 3:23-24)
It’s not that the “beyond saving” “have to” go to Hell. Or that only the “bad” people go there. No, we ALL deserve Hell.
Don’t let yourself remain tormented with that nagging question: “Am I Going to Hell?” Because you can KNOW you’re not, because the way to Heaven doesn’t depend on what you can offer, but what God already offered, through JESUS..
Jesus came down from His heavenly throne, to be born as a man, so He could be our once-and-for-all perfect sacrificial Lamb, giving HIS life to redeem OURS. (1 John 1:9; Isaiah 53:4-6; John 1:29; Matthew 1:23)
But… How?
You don’t have to get cleaned up first… that would take eternity & still not happen 100%.
You don’t have to be good enough or earn it… because none of us are & none of us can.
All you need is a humbled heart that says, “Lord, I’m sorry. Please forgive me for all of the ways I have wronged you, big or small. Forgive me. Please, Jesus, cover my sins for me. Thank You for paying my debt FOR ME! Amen.”(Romans 10:9-10)
“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:22-24)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16-17)
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)
It is the gift of God.Have you accepted?
Am I Going to Hell?
Do you know for sure?Have you made your peace with God?Have you surrendered your sin to Him in exchange for the gift Jesus offers?
Don’t be content just trying to bury that question… SQUASH it.
Be SAVED from your own sin-debt to God. Let Jesus cover you in everlasting, assured HOPE.
It is definitely true that Satan will try to derail & decommission even a Christian by harassing them over a mistake they have made, whispering “are you really saved?” But, JESUS paid for that, too—so don’t let yourself or Satan forget that!
Shine HOPE by taking your sin to the feet of Jesus & asking Him to cover your sin… to be your Savior… to be your HOPE.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)
This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Liberty Necklace (East Asia)
(Shown: Liberty Necklace, handcrafted in East Asia, bringing hope to artisans rescued from sex trafficking! Every purchase empowers women in East Asia.)
This beautifully feminine necklace is made by women rescued from brothels in East Asia. Every Liberty Necklace is totally unique with real dried purple flowers displayed in clear resin and set in a round silver tone frame. Every purchase helps support a sex-trafficking survivor in East Asia with safe housing, health care, trauma counseling, job skills training, and dignified income.
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
Maybe you have heard others talk about Him. Maybe you know Him as a “good teacher” or a “nice person who did good things a long time ago.” Maybe you know Him as someone in history or believe Him to be the fictional imaginings of those who want something to cling to on their darkest days… a crutch.
I know Him a little differently than that. And you can, too. He is not dead & He is not a fictional imagining & He is not just a good person or teacher. He’s a lot more. A whole lot more.
Maybe you grew up hearing about Him at church or maybe through a friend you had growing up… maybe you only ever hear about Him at Christmas through Christmas songs or phrases such as “Jesus is the reason for the season.”
Maybe you think of Him as just another ‘god’ that some people choose to worship to feel good about themselves… their “god of choice.” Or maybe you consider Him to be another hokie “Christian-y” thing.
No matter what you believe or how you think of Jesus, I want to introduce you to Him today.
Jesus Is More
Jesus is so much more than we could ever wrap our minds around.
He is God, before time began… Who came down to earth as fully man, fully God, condescending Himself so that He could fulfill the law of God.
You see, before any of us were born, before the world even began, God was. And He made the world & everything in it… & in His PERFECT wisdom & knowledge, He intended for us to simply steward His creation as we walked with Him in loving harmony, trusting Him with the cares of the world & letting His peace define our lives… letting HIM be God. (Genesis 1-3)
We ALL Miss the Mark
But… sin (sin means ‘missing the mark,’ or basically anything that dishonors, displeases, disrespects, or disobeys God). Sin separates us from God because He is PERFECTLY HOLY & His holiness cannot intermingle with unholiness. We all sin & fall short of the glory of God.(Romans 3:23)
Adam & Eve, as the first humans, decided that ‘just’ trusting God wasn’t enough. (I definitely act sometimes as if I think this way, too!)They were tempted & lied to by Satan(who continues to do this with us even to this day)& they made the CHOICE to disobey the very singular rule they were given—not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good & evil.
They were tempted to know for themselves, to make their own judgement call, to vet maybe anything God led or decided in their lives. They wanted to be equal to God in that way & have that control. That was the first sin. (I am definitely guilty of this! I get uncomfortable when I don’t know where God is leading & I want to know first before I follow.)
God Never Gives Up on Us
Because Adam & Eve sinned in that way, that sin passes down to every one of us. We are BORN sinners. We are BORN wanting OUR way over anyone else’s.
But God did not stop loving us. He did not ever give up on us.
So, God gave Moses the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), that if we followed His law, now that we wanted to choose for ourselves & make our own judgement calls… then we would be okay.
But, He knew not one of us could ever keep it perfectly.
So, God gave the sacrificial instructions to the priests so that by killing an innocent animal, our sins could be forgiven (showing the severity of sin & God’s hatred of sin—because it always hurts us & others & He knows it & He wanted us to take sin that seriously).(Exodus 29)
But again, God knew our sins would always end up outweighing that of the sacrifice. More sins would come & we would never be fully covered, no matter how many animals we were willing to kill because of our continual sin.
But AGAIN, God did not stop loving us. He did not EVER give up on us.
From the Beginning, It Was Always JESUS
So, throughout all time, even from the beginning, God had a plan to express His great, unending, inexhaustive, unconditional love for us… JESUS.
Jesus.
God knew from before time that the ONLY way we could be redeemed would be JESUS. And guess what… even knowing that… He made us anyway. That’s how much we are loved by Him!
Jesus came to make peace between us & God… to pay OUR debts that we could never sufficiently pay through animal sacrifices or in TRYING to be perfect… to end the bloodshed of innocent animals to cover our wrongs before God—(you would think having to kill an animal every time you sinned because of how terrible a thing sin is, that it would be motivation enough to stop, but boy are we prone to wander, aren’t we? I can’t even judge them on that one, no matter how terrible it sounds in hindsight for us).
But God sent Jesus. Jesus came willingly, out of love for us… out of love for you.
We Deserve God’s WRATH, But Jesus Brings Hope in His GRACE
He saw our lowly state, our inability to save ourselves from our own deserved punishment, had compassion on us… & came to pay our debts by giving His own life on the cross.
The cross was not an easy, quick death. It was long, drawn out, humiliating, gut-wrenching agony. And He was so anguished leading up to it that He sweat BLOOD.
And yet, He went through it with such grace & humility—being GOD, who could have swept in & just killed everyone in righteous WRATH for their disrespect & dishonor to the ALMIGHTY–HIM.
But instead, He went like a sheep to the slaughter, without a fight or resistance. He went willingly to suffer a humiliating, excruciating death… for you. Because His love for you demanded that He do something to save you.
Have You Met Jesus?
Have you met Jesus?
Jesus wasn’t just a good man. He was a perfect man… God in flesh. He condescended Himself from His heavenly, eternal throne to be rejected, despised, spat on, humiliated, whipped, stripped, beaten, & HUNG because He loves you.
People like to say, “Well, why would a good God send anyone to Hell? I don’t want to serve a God who would do that anyway!”
But let me ask you this, the real question is this: “Why would anyone CHOOSE Hell over a GOOD God Who condescended Himself as Almighty GOD to humble MAN to pay YOUR debts because HE loves you THAT MUCH?!”
And He offers that GIFT of GRACE to ANYONE willing to accept it.
Jesus ROSE
But Jesus didn’t stay dead, praise GOD! He ROSE AGAIN, victorious over death AND our sin! Hallelujah indeed!!! (Matthew 28:5-6)
People say He was just a good teacher, but He is the All-Wise, All-Knowing GOD Who created all life! When the Bible says “FEAR GOD” (Proverbs 9:10) it is a reminder that HE is GOD & YOU ARE NOT.
Jesus was not just a good Man. He was our perfect, sinless, spotless Lamb Who put Himself on the alter as our once-and-for-all sacrificial offering for our sins.
Jesus–A Gift for All Who Will Receive Him
And guess what? He doesn’t ask for anything to earn it or be good enough for it.
Just. Faith. In. His. Payment. That is ALL.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13)
To come face to face with your sin, admit it to God as SIN… that you wronged Him & hurt Him with your disobedience to Him. And say, “God, forgive me. Please forgive me. I cannot save myself. I need You. I need Jesus. Take my sin. Help me to turn from my way of life to Yours. Teach me Your way… in the way everlasting. Take my sin & heal me… forgive me… make me whole again. Jesus, please be LORD of my life from now on. I need You. AMEN.”
Confess your sins to Him. Admit your wrongs against Him. Accept that you will make mistakes but allow God to prune your life to ever be more pleasing & honoring to Him. Accept Jesus as your LORD… as your REDEEMER before God.
Thank You, Jesus
Have you met Jesus? I would like to introduce Him to you… because He has loved you with an everlasting, unconditional love before you were even thought of… & He made a way for you to be right with God once & for all, through His blood, sacrifice, & LOVE.
Shine HOPE by sharing our only true source of HOPE with EVERYONE you know.
Life is short. You are not promised tomorrow.
But Jesus is waiting today… for you.
Will you meet Him?
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my newly added FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)
This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Emery Saddle Bag (India)
(Shown: Emery Saddle Bag, handcrafted ethically sourced leather bag, made in India. Every purchase provides safe jobs for women in areas of poverty in India.)
Discover beautiful Artisanal style inside this smooth palomino genuine leather bag from India with screen-printed, peach poppy flower designs throughout its tan 100% woven cotton lining. This ethically made Emery Saddle Bag is handcrafted in India with a unique round bottom and stylish front flap that’s finished with a decorative tassel and a magnetic snap closure. Keep your valuables organized and safe in the zippered interior pocket and interior slip pocket. The removable strap allows you to choose how you wear this must-have bag – as a shoulder bag or as a clutch! You can even wear this Emery Saddle Bag as a crossbody with the Emery Crossbody Strap (sold separately).Every purchase creates safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty in India.
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
I am currently sitting at my kitchen/dining room table, surrounded by mess everywhere–on the table, on the floor, & everywhere else within eyesight (& beyond). We are at the point in our move-in process where most everything is unpacked, but not everything has a space yet. Coming from a larger space into a smaller one (with no outside storage) has presented us with the challenge of getting creative with our space &/or figuring out what to purge. Couple that with the fact that most every storage space in our home was left incomplete, it’s quite the endeavor (hence the mess).
Well, not sure about you, but I don’t always work well with chaotic mess surrounding me. It makes my mind too distracted to focus. I feel overwhelmed & anxious & just want to tune it out & avoid it. In other words… I definitely don’t want to be productive, even with my blog.
Then, here I am with another bad night of sleep last night & an impending cold I feel creeping in on me….
I basically just feel bleh. Cozy blanket & cozy pajamas & a cozy bed of sleep is all I want to think about right now. I love being here & having the honor of hopefully encouraging you each week, but some days I am just not in the mood because all I want to think about is ME & being more comfortable.
Just. Show. Up.
But, God made it clear when I began this blog journey over 4 years ago that despite my level of motivation, excitement, or good/bad attitude, He wanted me to show up & be consistent with this space… to be genuine, to show & share my weaknesses, & to just show up for Him… to demonstrate that He is enough in my lacking & worth it in my bad attitude about it.
I think I often make the mistake that if I feel I am not good enough for a task or don’t feel I have the right attitude or a strong enough will to do it… it’s best saved for another time or for someone else… but I’m not here because I have all the answers & handle every situation in a way that makes God “proud” of me, or because I am always chipper & ready to work… I’m here because even when I feel inadequate, fail, & just feel plain stubborn & whiney… He is worth showing up for.
He asks me to JUST. SHOW. UP. Warts & all.
It’s Not About ME
And not only is He worth showing up for, but this whole thing isn’t about showing you, “Hey, listen up everyone! I want you to see what a GOOOD Christian I am by doing this super “Christian-y” thing of writing this blog!” Ha. No.
It’s about saying, “Hey, I have flaws, too. I have days where my attitude is THE WORST. I have days where I think to myself, ‘I just don’t care because I want to just do absolutely nothing today instead. But God? He doesn’t mess up or have bad attitude days. He ALWAYS shows up & is present & ready to be our help, our strength, our joy, & our wisdom. I am weak… & that’s why I need Him. YOU are weak (sorry, not sorry)… & that’s why I show up… to point you ever to our constant source of HOPE–HIM (& to remind myself the same).”
I don’t have a great attitude right now. It’s not the worst, but it’s also not the best. I’m tired. I want to neglect this ‘showing up’ & just do nothing today. I want to choose comfort. That’s my true heart… my fleshly, comfort-idolizing heart.
But… God is worth showing up for… even at my not-so-great… even at my worst.
He’s Worth Showing Up For
So, yeah… God… He’s worth showing up for… even on my off days.
Shine HOPE by taking your NOT ENOUGH & showing up anyway, determined to cling to Him & honor Him & live a life to please Him by & through His help EVERY step of the way.
Because He’s worth showing up for.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my newly added FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)
This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Elise Bracelet (Peru)
(Shown: Elise Bracelet, hand-crafted in Peru. Every purchase empowers women in Peru out of poverty.)
Interlocking silver links create an intricately woven metal rope that forms the exquisite Elise Bracelet. Peruvian Artisans weave links together to create a rope-like design, truly creating a work of art. The Elise Bracelet is handcrafted in Peru in a workshop committed to empowering the next generation with traditional Artisanal skills training. Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in Peru.
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
If you have ever faced tragedy, this is a question that could possibly have crossed your mind: “How am I supposed to hope in God when all feels hopeless?”
Just like I mentioned last week, when I surrender to God on any given occasion, I am not numbing myself from what I want (to keep myself from hating God). Nor am I just tossing it to the wind as if to say, “Fine, whatever. I guess I don’t get what I want then,” hoping against all hope that maybe God will someday “change His mind.”
It’s not a surrender to the numbing. It’s not a surrender to the whatever happens, fine.
It’s an ENTRUSTING to an Almighty God who loves you so much that even knowing you wronged Him, knowing you could never do enough to “even the scales,” & knowing you could never hope to be good enough to earn reconciliation with God because of your fleshly sin nature… He made a way possible for that by sending Jesus, Who WILLINGLY paid your debt for you so you could receive forgiveness & reconciliation to God if you but put your faith & hope in HIM.
And it is no different when tragedy comes crashing through your life like a devastating tornado of destruction, ripping apart your hopes & dreams & everything you love… When everything turns hopeless.
How to Hope in God When All Feels Hopeless?
So, I ask again. HOW can you hope in God when all feels hopeless?
It’s a valid question from the perspective of human flesh. We can’t see what He sees. We can’t KNOW what He knows. And to us, to me (sometimes too often), it feels incomprehensible that a God who gave SO MUCH to express His love for me, through Jesus, could ever do anything or ALLOW anything that could crush me so deeply.
But He does. He does allow it sometimes.
And yet… He is still GOOD.
How can that be?
Obedience Breeds Trust
I have been down that path many times. Struggling with depression throughout most of my life, I have gone down some pretty dark paths & questioned this very thing many, many times before.
Do you happen to remember a post I did last year maybe? About how we ought to “Want to Trust God? Obey Him”? How I incorrectly tried to seek how I can trust God better SO I can obey Him better? How I thought that seemed a righteous goal to pursue, but later, God helped me to understand the distrust & the selfishness it displayed because it was a sort of “vetting process” where I wanted to know I believed God & understood everything to my comfort level before I would be willing to obey Him? I wanted the control.
How the Truth of it is that Trust is actually bred OUT OF obedience, because it is ONLY through a taking of God at His Word—before I have vetted it—& obeying first, that I can actually step back & see, “WOW, that made NO sense to me, but I did it because He said to & it actually WORKED!!”
I Have Asked Those Questions
The same is true in the midst of tragedy & devastation.
It is in those moments we often most want to scream for a way to trust God somehow, some way to get through this & when it stays hard & it doesn’t get better, we want to scream AT Him. We want to pull away in bitter hurt. We want to turn our back & give Him the silent treatment because our prayers seem to be falling on deaf ears & the more we pray, the more silence we feel in return, & the fear becomes, “if I ask one more time without relief from Him, I am afraid of what that will do to my faith or how I would end up dishonoring God with my anger, so I will just stop asking because I can’t handle more of it.”
Anyone else? Just me?
I have been through those dark days.I have craved an end to my life. I have been in a place that my deepest anger was the fact that I was too afraid of hurting others by ending my life because I wanted to just end it already. End the pain. End the struggle. End the hopeless, crushing weight that I carried.
I have been there. I have asked those questions. I have wondered how to hope in God when all feels hopeless.
Back to Surrender
And back again to surrender… to the entrusting… to the obeying first to build the trust we crave… where all the pieces slide into place….
How can you hope in God when all feels hopeless?
By determining to trust in God & His goodness & His love & His sacrifice for you–even when all hope feels lost.
You may not feel it. You may feel hopeless. But DETERMINE to cling to TRUTH, even when you feel it just can’t be.
Entrust the pain & circumstance to Him… to His goodness.
A Desperate Prayer of Surrender… to HOPE
Be willing to drop to your knees & say, “God, I get it. I live in a world FULL of sin because we all have sin. And as a result, I know that sin causes pains & hurts to plague this world.. But this pain is TOO MUCH. I can’t bear it. I’m too weak. I’m crumbling beneath the weight of this. I CAN’T HOLD IT ANYMORE! Help me. Please. I know, deep down, somehow some way… that You ARE Good. I don’t see it right now. All I see is my painful circumstances. But somehow… I know it’s true even if I can’t see it right now. Help me cling to You, Father. My grip is weak. PLEASE help me hold on. BE my strength. I don’t have enough. I need You. Please be my help. Be my shelter in this storm. Be my enough. Hold me. Help me to keep crying out to You & be my comfort through this valley of death & darkness. ‘Lord, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod & Your staff, they comfort me.’ (Psalm 23:4) Remind me that ‘You go with me & You never leave me, nor forsake me.’ (Deuteronomy 31:6)Keep my eyes on You as the storm rages on & don’t let me be swept away in it. Be my anchor. Be my steady, firm ground. Help me to praise You still, even when all feels lost. With You, there is always hope & I don’t see how that can POSSIBLY be right now, but help me to trust You with it despite all appearances. Help me to be obedient in my hope, even if I am not sure how yet to trust You in this. In Jesus’ wonderful, mighty name, AMEN.”
He Is with You Always, Even to the End of the Age
Don’t give up, dear one. Don’t let satan tear you to shreds through this trial or any to come… even if you have to cry in a whispered breath, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.”(Mark 9:24)
Put on your armor, GOD’S armor, as demonstrated to us in Ephesians 6:10-18.
DETERMINE to cling to the GOODNESS of God, even if you can’t see it right now.
Shine HOPE, by demonstrating hope in God even when all feels hopeless, knowing He is fully worth your entrusting of your worst trial to Him.
It is okay to not be okay. It’s okay to not be enough. That is why we ALL NEED HIM.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my newly added FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)
This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Caribbean-Coast-Bracelet (Haiti)
(Shown: CARIBBEAN COAST BRACELET, handcrafted in Haiti. Every purchase empowers women in Haiti out of poverty!)
This ethically made green, turquoise, and light blue bracelet from Haiti features three genuine amazonite stone beads and coordinating glass beads accented with silver-plated accent beads. Designed to coordinate with the Willow Bracelet the naturally varying shades of genuine amazonite stone make each stretch-to-fit Caribbean Coast Bracelet unique! Every purchase provides jobs for women in areas of extreme poverty in Haiti and helps mamas keep their babies out of poverty orphanages.
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!
Last week, we talked about how we ought to surrender to God’s plan when it contradicts our own will. (Read that post, here: “Surrender to God When His Plan Contradicts Yours”) But really, to find true joy in life, everything in our life requires surrender… every little bit of it.
The wonderful thing about that fact is the truth that as we surrender to God’s will & His help in every little thing, big or small, we begin to take so much of the weight & burden off our own shoulders & place it on His very capable, inexhaustible shoulders(Matthew 11:28-30).
Everything takes surrender, whether it be a bad attitude, feeling gloomy or frustrated or even days where you feel like rolling your eyes at everything… & even on a good day, when you think you have it all together & you’re just rockin’ it—because doing what seems right in our own eyes, no matter how righteous it seems, will ALWAYS fall short of deferring to God in any given moment. We need Him.
Let’s go through some areas that require daily surrender.
Rise & Shine? Or Waking Up with the Grumpies?
When I begin my day, it’s my morning attitude & sleepy grumpiness that I must surrender first. My alarm goes off & I confess, my initial response is NOT “Riiise & shiiine, & give God the glory, glory!!” (Anyone else have camp leaders sing that to your hall every morning… oh LORD, I needed to pray for patience & grace those mornings!)
But, NO, that is not my usual first feeling. Normally, I groan in disgust, pinch my eyes shut in annoyed defiance to the required wakeup time, roll out of bed slowly, unwillingly… & pray something like, “God, I’m sorry. Please forgive my bad attitude. I am SO tired I just want to go back to sleep! Please help me honor You today & help my attitude get in shape this morning. Help me not ruin my own day with my own bad attitude. Help me give You glory today instead. AMEN.”
Surrender.
God Asked Me to Do It, But _____________________
Sometimes the need for surrender comes in those moments where I feel an annoying little nudge-prompting from God to do something that intimidates me or something for which I feel ill-equipped. My heart rears back & I feel fear & defiance & anxiety take root.
It’s when I feel too busy to handle it… or too easily distractable… or too worn out… or too ________________________. Distractions & inadequacies & obstacles seem to come in every shape or form when I feel anxious about something God asks of me.
And then God whispers over my heart the reminder that whatever He asks of me, whether a habit I need to get to making, or an area of obedience I am avoiding, or a task to speak to or help someone… no matter what it is… HE will take care of the details & the how. I just have to be willing to say, “Yes, Lord. Show me how. You know this scares or intimidates me because I want to be honoring to You, but practically, I don’t know how to do this. But if it’s something that honors You, I need to remember that You WILL help me to do it if I just be willing to let You.Don’t let any obstacle or limitation keep me from trusting You can make it happen anyway. Show me how & give me the strength to do it… & I will do it. AMEN.”
Surrender.
Love & Pray for My ENEMIES?
Or, here’s a good one. You know the verse that says to “love our enemy & pray for those who persecute us?” (Luke 6:27-36) Sometimes someone is straight up RUDE to me & they know it & they just don’t care one bit. Or, they are completely & utterly CLUELESS to how their bad attitude is being directed at me & so don’t feel the need to apologize at all.
Is my natural reaction to love & pray for them? NO! A BIG no. I want to throat punch them & tell them to shape up. I want to DEMAND the injustice & unkindness be righted.
What I DON’T want… is to be gracious(remember, by DEFINITION, grace is UNdeserved.)
I have to take a deep breath, swallow my righteous anger (because really, I have a right to be angry, but God instructs us to be angry & NOT SIN. (AKA no hatred & yes to loving them & praying for them instead), (Ephesians 4:26-32) & I have to stop & pray: “God… GOD… You saw that. I know You heard what they said & that You feel the hurt it caused me. I want it made RIGHT! I want justice. I want an apology. I want to scream. But I know bitterness & grudges & bottling up my anger doesn’t please You. You want me to love them & pray for them. HOW?!? Help me forgive them. Help me give grace. Help me remember I am just as in need of grace as they. Help me to leave it in Your hands & trust You to handle it. Show me how I can possibly love them. Teach me how. Love them through me & teach me to pray for them versus stewing in it or slandering them over it. Please help me. AMEN.”
Surrender.
So Many Things Don’t Go My Way… & Surprisingly, That Always Ends Up Being a Good Thing
And then there are my plans & goals & dreams, like I talked about last week. Sometimes God says “no.” Sometimes He says, “not right now” & sometimes the “when”not right now” seems so far off or so unclear that you’re not even sure if maybe it’s actually a NO. And it hurts.
Maybe it’s lacking a relationship & you wonder if you’ll be single forever(been there), watching your younger siblings & friends get married while you are yet to have any true prospects (again, been there). Everyone else seems to be enjoying marital bliss but you.
Or maybe it’s a job or career path that ever seems to be slipping out of your grasp or you feel like you’re floating through life, still completely unsure of “what you want to be when you grow up.” Everyone else seems to have it figured out but you.(I can also relate).
Maybe it’s wanting children, but every month you are hit again with the realization that it won’t be this time around. And that happens over & over & over again & you wonder why it seems God won’t answer that for you. Everyone else seems to have a happy family with game nights & camping trips & time with cousins… but you arrive childless to every family gathering. (That was my heart hurt for MANY years, although God has grown me to appreciate the different plan He has had for us. Read about that story, here: “To the Barren Woman.”)
Maybe it’s a prolonged illness, a bad diagnosis, a terrible injury, a mental disorder, or a trauma that seems to haunt you on the daily.Everyone else seems capable & able to live life to the fullest, but you feel stuck, missing out & held back against your will.
I could go through so many maybes, but the truth is, sometimes life just doesn’t happen the way we so, SO want it to.
And that takes surrender. Surrendering to GOD’S will when it seems so opposite your own. DETERMINING to cling to Him & trust His GOODNESS, to trust HIM. No matter what.
True Joy Comes in Living a Life of Surrender
EVERY decision He makes, as absolute authority over heaven & earth is ALWAYS meant for BOTH His glory & your GOOD. Always. 100%.
True joy comes in living a life of surrender, whether it’s my attitude, or little choices in how I respond or treat a situation, or being obedient to Him even when I don’t want to or it’s hard, or facing the fact that God’s plan may not line up AT ALL with mine.
It brings true joy to surrender to Him in all things because STRIVING after & CLINGING to & DEMANDING to have your way happen or that you DESERVE to feel that way or react that way… when we do that, we hurt ourselves.
Let God take on that heavy weight. And let Him carry YOU. Let Him care for & comfort you.
Say, “God, I don’t like the way this is turning out & I want to be bitter & mad at You even. I’m sorry for that, but it’s the truth. I don’t understand why You would allow this to be my life. How can You say you love me & allow this to be my life? I don’t understand. But I want to trust You. I want to trust that You’re still good & that somehow You know what You’re doing & that You’re even ENOUGH for me in this plan I DO NOT like. Help me. I really want to believe You, but it hurts so much. Help me fall back on You & know that You will be there to catch me. Help me stop striving & to start abiding in You & Your comfort & Your enoughness. Show me how. Teach me. Help my broken, bitter heart. Forgive me. Amen.”
Surrender IS Hard, But It WILL Change Your Life for the Best
It’s called surrender because it means the giving up of your way of doing or handling things, of giving up the way you’ve always wanted things to go… of choosing His will over your own.
But that’s where true & lasting joy breeds… in a surrendered-always-to-Him LIFE.
It seems nonsensical that by giving up the way we feel things should be handled or how I want MY life to go… that it will somehow make things better? But we’re not just throwing it all away to chance & then hoping at least some good will come of it, resigning to just giving up or numbing ourselves to what we want so we can bear to carry on… no, we’re ENTRUSTING that difference & contrast to an Almighty God who LOVES us so very much& Who sent Jesus to pay your debts so you could be set free from your due punishment.
He wants what is best for you & He KNOWS what is best for you… even if you think it doesn’t look very much like how you would want it… That’s a GOOD thing when you consider Who is doing the planning!
So, shine HOPE in your life by determining to choose surrender in the big & the small every single day & let HIM be GOD of your life. AMEN!
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my newly added FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)
This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Kaia Earrings (Philippines)
(Shown: Kaia Earrings, handcrafted in the Philippines. Every purchase empowers women in the Philippines out of poverty!)
These elegant eco-friendly earrings feature ethically sourced, sustainable, capiz shells that local families harvest from the bottom of the sea surrounding the Philippine islands. Artisans handcraft these natural capiz shells into blue ombré teardrop shapes and then wrap them in silver-tone metal frames before adding silver-tone fishhook ear wires.
Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in the Philippines.
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
It’s Hard to Trust Him When His Plan Goes Against Mine
Have you ever wanted something so badly that it hurts & yet your prayers seem to fall on deaf ears? You know God sees your aching heart & feels your hurt, & yet, He doesn’t answer the way you want?
Or have you gone through something so incredibly hard that you beg God for a solution or healing or an end to it… & yet none comes?
Why surrender to God when nothing is going your way? HOW can you?
Hitting a Crossroad… Sometimes Prayers Don’t Get Answered the Way That I Want
I feel like life is a constant progression of coming to these crossroads: Will I choose my will… or His when they’re very different?
First that I can remember was my depression era in high school, where I wanted to die more than anything else… I wanted the pain to stop but it just never would… like I was trapped in a broken, fractured mind that barraged me constantly with thoughts about how much of a worthless burden I was. I prayed for freedom from the constant onslaught of attacks, but none came… for two straight years, none came.
Then there was my romantic heart where any boy that was nice to me… well, I was already basically picturing what our kids would look like & what our life would be like if we ended up together. I wanted to be married more than anything else… I loved the idea of feeling completely & utterly loved… but traumas & fears caused me to run whenever it got serious… & nothing ever felt quite right… like I was chasing validation versus real, sacrificial reciprocated love. I prayed & prayed & prayed, but everything hit a dead end, watching my younger sister & younger friends all wed before I even came close… & it hurt… a lot.
And Hokkaido… the isolation… the loneliness… the culture shock waves that would knock me off my feet unexpectedly… the stress buildup that started ripping apart my threshold for stressors… snapping & crying & rage & despair & feeling trapped by the effects the stress was having on my life & not feeling able to stop it… & no one in my life seemed to understand, isolating me even more. I prayed for it to end, but it always seemed to just only get worse.
Surrender to God When His Plan Contradicts Yours
I have been through even more examples of times when nothing seemed to go my way(like not being able to get pregnant or fighting through traumas), no matter how reasonable or good intentions my pleading had, it never seemed to be enough… the agony didn’t end… the answer to my prayer seemed nonexistent… God was silent when it came to giving me what I so badly wanted.
Surrender seems the least obvious choice here. Well, maybe surrender to the despair or hopelessness… but not to God & the possibility that He may have a different plan than I do. When God withholds the way I want so desperately for things to work out, it doesn’t spark an eagerness to surrender to Him at all… it makes me want to hold on & fight, as if maybe I just need to BETTER convince God to hear me out & help me & answer my way.
When All Hope Feels Lost… Will You Surrender to Him AS Your Hope?
When you are stuck not getting what you so desperately want… the thing you ache & long for, whether it be the end of constant pain or the end of loneliness or freedom from constant stress… will you choose to cling to the end of that struggle above all else?
Or will you surrender to God & ask for His will to be done in your life, EVEN IF it is different than your own?
“God, You know I’m hurting. You know how desperate I feel right now… But I also know that You are God & You are good. You have a perfect plan in this. You are sufficient. If You choose to take me a different route, hard as it may seem to me, can You please show Yourself sufficient to me? Help me remember You want my good & that You love me & that You are always enough? Help me trust that You know what You’re doing better than I do... that You see the WHOLE picture that I don’t. Help me learn how to better trust You when Your plan seems so wildly different than what I so, so badly want. I have to trust that, even if it doesn’t go my way. Help me to trust You, to surrender to You, come what may. AMEN.”
Surrender to God’s Will ALWAYS–Even If It Means the Hurt Won’t Stop, It Means He Will Carry You through to an Even Better Plan Than Your Own
In my biggest battle with depression, where I had already listened to Satan’s lies so much that I had spiraled to a place so dark I didn’t even know how to find my way out anymore… I not only prayed but tried everything to pump joy into my life my way, only to find it progressively worsen. It wasn’t until I fully surrendered that I found freedom. I gave up every pursuit to make myself happy, to control my happiness input to ensure I would be happy, to instead say, “God, nothing else. Only You. Nothing else.” And only in the surrender of my pursuit of happiness to rest it all on Him no matter what, did I find that freedom… & not ONLY freedom, but the definitively clear dispelling of doubts I had carried my whole life, giving me an even richer freedom that I never knew could even be possible in my life.
In my longing, lonely, desperate heart of singleness, watching everyone else get married while I seemed to be on a path of eternal singleness, I was inspired by my aunt who had lost her husband & in that loss, she clung to God as her hope. I used to pity her, but after a long, unexpected car ride with just us, I saw behind the image I imagined & instead saw a woman who had such peace & assurance & inner humble confidence. I realized then that singleness was not a curse, but a blessing… if I would but surrender to God’s will over my own... His sufficiency & His love.
And then there was Hokkaido… where I didn’t surrender. I wanted to feel comfort. I wanted to escape the stress. So, I hid from it. I idolized comfort above all else, even above God. I avoided by tv binging & gaming & food. I didn’t learn from my past… that surrender leads to HOPE. I fought God’s plan to keep me in that stressful atmosphere rather than surrendering to that FACT that He would be ENOUGH for me IN it. I let bitterness against God take root & I didn’t get to see the hope that surrendering to Him brings.
Surrendering to God’s will seems THE LAST thing I want to do when life isn’t going my way, but it is in that surrender that I finally find that HOPE I so desperately search for.
God Can be Trusted in Our Surrender
God knows what He is doing. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, & perfectly, without-any-mistakes-ever WISE.
God sees the big picture: all the pieces in play, all unexpected turn of events, spanning through all eternity. He sees it ALL, while I just think I know what I see in my tiny fraction of it.
God can bring beauty out of ashes. No matter how impossibly hard something seems, it ALWAYS is appreciated when it is finally over when I choose surrender to Him in it.
God can be ENOUGH for me in the hard. He is NEVER lacking & how obvious it becomes when I struggle & feel at a complete loss & yet allow Him to be enough & see that He indeed IS.
It’s in the hard that we can see it’s not me or getting my way that will bring me joy & peace & fulfillment… No. It’s found in surrendering to HIS way where we find all that, even when His way seems the COMPLETE OPPOSITE of our most desired way.
Let God Have His Way–You Will Never Regret It
So, why surrender to God when His plan contradicts yours?
Because God is GOD. He can be trusted 100%. He is enough. And if you let Him, He will take your less than ideal & paint a beautiful, unique masterpiece out of your life, one where you will one day look back in awe & wonder & PRAISE that in the impossible, God made a way… & not just A way, but the most beautiful story you never could have imagined for yourself.
So, shine HOPE by learning the beauty in SURRENDER—even when nothing in life is going your way & even when God seems to want the opposite of your own desperate desires.
Surrender to Him… always.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my newly added FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)
This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Kavita Necklace (India)
(Shown: Kavita Necklace, handcrafted by artisans in India. Every purchase empowers women in India out of poverty.)
Handcrafted by her fellow Artisans in India, this eye-catching necklace is named in honor of Kavita, who inspires women in her community and around the world to become heroes of their own stories! Naturally varying shades of raspberry, blue, white, green, black, and faded pink make this colorful design truly mesmerizing, whether you wear it alone or layer it with more of your favorite fair-trade designs! Every purchase creates safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty in India.
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
It May be ‘Just Another Day,’ But to Me, It’s a Fresh Beginning
Going into each new year is exciting to me. I realize that it’s technically no different than any other day, but for me, it feels like an opportunity for a reset.
New Year’s resolutions get picked on a lot, & while I sort of agree, seeing as I should A. Not wait for a new year to try something new, because I can start whenever, & B. Not quit when it gets hard because any new thing will feel hard at first…. But, something about starting a whole new year just seems to emphasize the world of possibilities ahead.
Looking Back in Looking Ahead
A new year is a chance to look back at all God has taught me & where He has brought me from & what He has brought me through… it is a chance to reflect on weak or blind spots I have & consider how I might change my behavior or attitude moving forward (& to ask God for help both with recognizing it & for help changing my patterns).
A new year is a new opportunity to see my potential for growth & to set intentional plans to better cling to God in every area of my life, versus acting in my own wisdom or autopilot mode based on how I grew up.
Making Intentional Change for the Better
These plans may be, as it was several years ago before I began regularly reading my Bible each day, to maybe START doing that, even if just committing to reading one paragraph a day, feeding my heart & soul with TRUTH… because, let’s face it, the world feeds us its world view every single day, in media & through others’ perspectives, so what better way to learn to cling to God in all things than to be regularly feeding your mind, your soul, & your heart with Truth from God Himself?
Or maybe you look at your prayer habits & think to yourself, “you know what, I tend to act first & pray later or when all else fails,” or maybe you think, “I sure have inner dialogue in my heart, knowing God hears it all, so maybe I ought to turn those thoughts into a conversation with Him, relying on Him & turning to Him for guidance & help each step….” Maybe it means setting intentional pockets of time each day to pray: as you shower & get ready for the day, as you drive to work, as you eat your lunch, as you lay in bed…. Ask God for pockets of time to pray & for Him to make you aware of them.
Taking Steps Forward
Maybe it’s loving as an action, taking time to sacrificially give of your time, efforts, &/or resources to help someone God places in your path & on your heart… maybe it’s asking Him to show you opportunities for you to let Him love others through your obedience.
Maybe it’s being a blessing to someone else through accountability, taking time to meet regularly for intentional & edifying fellowship with another woman, so you can encourage each other on your journey to better cling to God in all things throughout life. (Check out my Journal Printables for an Accountability Partner Guide & Question Prompts if you would like some assistance on knowing how to get started with this.)
Or maybe it’s taking your Bible reading to the next level, taking time to learn about context & original translational definitions, or taking time to make it personal versus just reading text on a page, considering what it may teach you more about Who God is & what He cares about so you can better honor & please Him with your life. (Check out my Journal Printables for a Bible Study Question Prompts to get you started if you’re not sure how to begin, or, check out my friend’s website, where she teaches women how to study the Bible in easy to understand & follow techniques that will change how you read the Bible at: www.katieorr.me)
Let this new year be a promise of HOPE in allowing God to continue to shape & mold you, as you seek to know & love Him more in this upcoming 2023.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving
“God, thank You for never giving up on us… for always being near to us, even when we least deserve it. You are so kind & forgiving & gentle. When I think of Who I would consider God to be with all of Your power & authority & infiniteness, I would not immediately or instinctively consider you to be so loving & patient. Thank You. Every year is potential for a fresh start, but so is every moment. You are so quick to forgive me. I don’t deserve You. Thank You for Your ever-constant loving pursuit of us. You stand for Truth in a world of ambiguity because You want us to have a steady foundation we can rely on… even when that Truth makes us uncomfortable, You are still ready to speak it to us, knowing the life-giving it offers us. Thank You. Almighty, Wonderful, Awesome, Loving GOD. And thank You, THANK YOU, for Jesus. AMEN.”
Shine HOPE in this new year by seeking His face more & more every day, clinging to Him, relying on Him, & seeking to please & honor Him more in everything you do—in attitudes, habits, actions, plans, free time & thoughts.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my newly added FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)
This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Natalia Blend Coffee Sample (Guatemala)
(Shown: Natalia Blend Coffee Sample, grown in Guatemala. Every purchase empowers women in Guatemala out of poverty!)
This 2 oz. sample of ethically produced ground coffee from our Artisan partners in Guatemala is a great way to taste test our 100% premium high-grown Guatemalan coffee with notes of chocolate and cacao. Our medium roast Natalia Blend Coffee is available as a single purchase or as a recurring auto-ship order. Both options include two 14-oz. bags in your choice of whole bean or ground coffee, shipped direct from the Artisan’s coffee farm to preserve its rich, fresh flavor.
In the mountains of Guatemala, Artisans create unique blends of ethically grown, harvested, and roasted premium coffee. Your purchase provides safe jobs, fair wages, lifesaving medical clinics and medications, and therapy for disabled children.
Purchase this coffee and empower families in Guatemala!
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
For me, I envision garlands & twinkling lights. I think of Christmas songs playing merrily on the radio while I drive past decorated homes. I dream of Christmas cookies, Christmas candle scents, & belly laughs with friends. Merriment, joy, contentment. I think of beautifully wrapped presents under a beautifully decorated tree. Friends & family & food & lights & bright colors everywhere. To me, that is my ideal Merry Christmas.
But What About When It’s Not So Perfect?
But what about the woman who sits in her living room, staring blankly out at a black night, feeling the emptiness of the seat beside her. Her children are grown, her husband has passed away, & her future is uncertain & gray. A tear drops onto her cheek. For her, her silent night is deafening.
But what about the mom whose husband is not around, kids begging for presents she can’t afford… Working two jobs & trying her best to take time to decorate & gift the best she can, trying to find time to make some semblance of merry exist for her children’s sake, but constantly feeling like she comes up short. The crying, the chaos, the stress. For her, her silent night is never silent.
But what about the woman who looks around at couples holding hands over the holidays, seeing Christmas movies about falling in love under the mistletoe & she wonders if she is just too messed up or just not good enough to ever be truly loved like that. She feels lonely & sad & a burden to everyone around her because of it, trying her best to be merry for their sakes, while feeling the heavy weight of lonely longing relentlessly pressing down on her heavy heart. For her, her silent night is a night filled with silent sobs.
But what about the girl lying in a hospital bed, seeing the paper cutouts of snowflakes on the wall, made by friends attempting to help her feel the hope she does not feel, knowing her diagnosis is grim, knowing her pain is causing her family pain, but not being able to do anything about it. For her, her silent night is terrifying.
Missing a loved one who is gone… Money too tight to pay the incoming bills… A weighty medical diagnosis… Betrayal, hurt, or rejection… Empty, alone… Abuse… Sick or dying… No backup plan… A scary, uncertain future… For some, their reality is that it is hard to imagine having a merry Christmas in a less than merry life.
A Christmas with Room for the Hurting
This isn’t told to be the downer… to make you feel guilt… to weigh you down & steal your joy… but to open your heart with perspective, that for some, it is hard to have a merry Christmas in a less than merry life.
If you were to scroll back up & read all about my picture-perfect, ideal merry Christmas, their stories just don’t mesh well with any of it–But it is their reality all the same, Christmas or not… convenient timing or not.
My temptation is to cling to my description of an ideal merry Christmas & to tune out anything that doesn’t fit, but is that the heart of Christ? No, it isn’t.
I need to learn better to make room in my Christmas for the less than ideal, too.
Jesus Didn’t Come to Avoid the Pain, But to Bring Hope for the Hurting
I think of the good Samaritan story in the Bible (Luke 10:25-37), telling of those who saw the beat up, bloodied man who had been robbed & left for dead, & yet, they swerved to the other side of the road & pretended not to notice as they passed by. Is that what I do when I want to cling to my Christmas ideal?
Jesus knew why He was coming to earth as God & man. He knew the reason He was coming to be born… Jesus knew what Christmas was really about–it was about bringing HOPE to the hurting (Luke 2:8-14).
He sees your story, your reality–no matter how merry or how messy. He sees every tear, every choked back sob, every desperate, lonely, aching heart. He doesn’t try to block it out because it’s not “merry enough” for His birthday. No, quite the contrary.
Jesus came knowing our realities, even when they are grim & bleak & less than ideal… He came understanding the hurts caused by this sin-torn world. His heart ached for our aches. His love for us demanded He do something about it.
He came so that we may have life & have it more abundantly (John 10:10). He came to give us life, through HIS life (1 John 3:16-18).
And so: Christmas.
A Whispered Prayer for Hope
Sometimes, when life is hard & our faith is weak, it’s a weak, whispered prayer uttered from a numbness within, saying, “Lord…. Lord…. I just can’t. Please help me. I have no hope left. I’m sorry I have such little faith. I’m sorry that all I see is my pain & struggle & hurt & fear. I’m sorry. But please. Please help me to have hope. Help me to learn how You can be enough for me when I feel so empty. I don’t understand how that can be, but God, You are bigger than me. Help me see. Help me believe. Help give me hope. Thank You for coming. I clearly don’t deserve it because instead of rejoicing, I am despairing. I am underestimating You at every turn, I know it. Please forgive me. But thank You for coming for me. Thank You for not trying to tune out my sorrow to keep the day “merry.” Thank You for loving me in my mess & lack of faith. Thank You for never leaving nor forsaking me. Thank You for being born on this earth, God as man, Emmanuel “God with us.” And thank You for demonstrating that love through action. Thank You for coming to pay my price for me. For loving me that much. You are greatly to be praised. Thank You Jesus. Thank You. I don’t know what is to come, but I do know that You are here & You are near me & that You care so much that You came to die for me, to rise again to conquer the penalty of my sin. Thank You. Amen.”
God’s Blessings IN the Hard
I have been studying the fruit of the Spirit with a group of ladies at church & one point that consistently stuck out to me was that little word “OF.” Not the fruit of me. Not the fruit of MY efforts. Not the fruit I produce…. But, the fruit OF the Spirit.
Do you know what the fruit OF the Spirit is? It is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.(Galatians 5:22-23)
What is the significance of that little word “of” before “the Spirit”? It means that it is not something we produce in ourselves “if we try hard enough” to BE loving, BE joyful, BE at peace, BE patient, etc. etc. etc….. No, it is that, as we draw near to God, seeking Him in all things big or small, seeking to know & love Him more, seeking to lean on & rely on Him more in life… HE produces those things within us.
In other words, as we draw from Him & rely on Him, the return on our “investment” in that relationship with Him is His producing of love, joy, peace, etc. in us.
How can we claim that our God does not love us SO MUCH when this is what He wishes to pour into our life? God blesses us, even IN the hard. (Psalm 94:19)
Having a Merry Christmas in a Less Than Merry Life
How can I have a Merry Christmas in a less than merry life? Because I don’t have to try to be & do & live all of those things to be a “good enough” Christian. I just have to pour my life into Him & watch as He pours all of that into my life.
Imagine a joy & a peace that says, “Everything is falling apart, & yet, somehow I just know God has a plan for it & will help see me through it. God, You are good, even when my life isn’t!”
Imagine a love & a patience that says, “This wrong was done against me, but no matter how many times I wrong God, He just keeps on loving me & being gracious with me. And if God can do that for me, I can certainly do it for someone else, with God’s help.”
Imagine experiencing the pain of the stories I shared, but also knowing you are held & loved by the Jesus we celebrate Christmas for? That despite your wrongs & many shortcomings, He pursues you & loves you with a love that can’t ever be taken away or diminished.
We can have a Merry Christmas in a less than merry life because we can remember why we celebrate Christmas… WHO we celebrate at Christmas.
Happy Birthday, Jesus!
“Lord, thank You. Thank You for coming for my stubborn, prone-to-complaining, clings-to-comforts-more-than-to-You self. Thank You for never giving up on me. Thank You for determining to pursue me even when I am sour & bitter & angry with You when my life isn’t going well. Thank You for not rejecting me in anger, but forgiving me over & over again.Thank You for being so selfless when You, of ANYONE have a right to be completely, consumingly selfish. You are so gentle & kind in contrast to my demanding & selfish heart. You are so patient & loving when all I want sometimes is for life to go MY way. I don’t deserve Christmas one bit. But You still came, even for me. I can celebrate Christmas because of YOU. I’m sorry I cling to my ideals. I’m sorry I try to tune out the less than ideal. Help me to love like You. Help me to love more sacrificially, even if it means infiltrating the darkness of someone else’s grim Christmas. Help me to love better. Forgive me, please. Help me to love like You, in that, even though it’s YOUR birthday we are meant to be celebrating at Christmas, You didn’t make Your birthday about Yourself, but You condescended into the form of a weak human, & You offered Your life to us. You came to give Yourself, both in Your life & in Your death. You are the definition of love. Thank You & Happy birthday, Jesus! AMEN!”
Make Room in Your Christmas for the Less Than Merry
How can you help spread the hope of Christmas? The love that Jesus displayed in His birth?
Look around for who is sitting alone at church & invite them to sit with you… or ask to sit with them.
Know someone having a hard Christmas because of loss or a different painful struggle? Bring them cookies with a note of hope & encouragement. Don’t know what to write? Write a prayer for God to show His love to them & to offer them hope in the midst of the darkness they may be experiencing.
Send a widow a letter with plenty of pretty stickers to decorate the card.
Ask to pray with someone.
Invite some singles who are away from family to join you for Christmas dinner or cookies.
Organize to send Christmas goody packages to college students unable to return home for Christmas break.
Send a letter to a prisoner or someone deployed & away from home.
Serve at the homeless shelter.
Bring gifts for orphanages.
Give Gospel tracts WITH a tip
Shine HOPE This Christmas
Find ways to bring HOPE to the hurting this Christmas & ask God to show you ways to do it where you are, with the resources & abilities He has given you.
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, & He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:6)
Shine HOPE by being willing to have a less than ideal, perfect, sparkling, merry Christmas & look to where you can share some Christmas cheer, by sharing the hope we have in Jesus.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my newly added FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)
This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Eucalyptus Rosemary Soap (India)
(Shown: Eucalyptus Rosemary Soap, handmade by women in India. Every purchase empowers women in India out of poverty.)
LIMITED EDITION – While Supplies Last! Artisans in India meticulously craft irresistibly fragrant natural soaps using traditional cold process techniques and ancient blends of moisturizing oils, herbs, and essential oils.
The refreshing herbal signature fragrance of the Eucalyptus Rosemary Soap is a natural blend of moisturizing and healing shea butter and pure oils, including coconut and olive oil with essential oils of eucalyptus and rosemary, which are well known for their soothing stress-reducing, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antioxidant, and decongestant benefits. Rosemary essential oil is also known for relieving fatigue and boosting mental clarity.
–> Every purchase helps empower marginalized and differently abled women in India. <–
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
Well, this is going to be a fun topic & I may indeed ruffle some feathers, but I want you to take a deep breath & at least hear me out, willing to lay aside whatever you believe, how you grew up, what others around you say is acceptable… & be willing to ask God for HIS opinion… because my opinion doesn’t really matter does it? But His? It means EVERYTHING.
What Do Star Signs, Enneagrams, & Mental Disorder Labels Have in Common?
So, why this title? What do star signs, enneagrams, & mental disorder labels have in common? Well, let’s get into it, shall we?
While enneagrams, or other personality tests, can potentially help us better understand our current starting point… & mental disorder diagnoses can teach us about what we’re working with, in regards to our brain chemistry… they all can also have the danger of shaping how you define yourself… versus allowing God to do that for you.
And while star signs can do the same, we must be careful to recognize that star signs, while often seen as harmless fun, are superstitious stereotypes at best.
Well, It’s “Just the Way I Am”
Have you ever heard someone say, “Well I am [or, he/she is] a Scorpio, what do you expect?”
Or maybe, “Well, I am a 4, so that’s normal for me.”
Or even, “I have depression, so really, it’s just how I am.”
I don’t TRY to use them as excuses, but that very well can be what they become.
Now, it’s natural for me to try to figure out how I fit in the world & to want to see my blind spots & my weaknesses, but I need to be careful that I don’t begin to DEFINE myself based on those things.
Personality tests & diagnoses need to be merely a starting point on where I need more surrender to God’s intended design for me.
How We Learned to Survive… But Not the Way It HAS to Be
Much of personality is what we cultivate even from our toddler observations of others around us, taking it all in & determining what seems to work & what doesn’t, how we can be safe or make people like us or get along well in the world.
Growing up, we often hear people tell us, “you’re so smart,” or, “you’re so funny” or “you’re annoying,” & we begin to determine who we think we are from the input we are given… how others perceive & determine us to be.
In other words, our personality is largely an accumulation of your life experiences, how you chose to deal with them, & the patterns that emerged from that... but it’s not how we HAVE to be.
Your personality is not set in stone, but can be tenderly & lovingly shaped & matured over time as you rely less on it & more on asking God to show you & teach you better how you ought to respond or feel about something, yielding your natural instinct & asking Him for what He leads as honoring & pleasing to Him—closer to HIS intended design for you.
God Is the Designer… He Made You… Let HIM Guide You in HIS Design
For example, if I do indeed take a quiz & determine my enneagram number or use some other type of personality test, this can only be used truly to show me where I am at that exact moment. It doesn’t tell me WHO I AM. Only God can determine that—because HE MADE me.
If my specific enneagram number or personality type is prone to one such flaw or weakness, this does not excuse me from needing to submit these areas to God for His work to continue in me.
I can say, “I am this “type”, which can tend to struggle with ________________, SO, I need to be conscious of making progress in not doing that anymore & conscious of my need to ask God to help me reshape that instinct, tendency, or habit.”
Or, if I say, “I have this mental disorder, which tends to make me feel __________________, SO, I need to be conscious of this & ask God whenever my tendency leans toward that versus justifying it as “just the way I am” if it dishonors God or harms myself or others.”
Let God Continue to Shape You to be More Like Jesus
I can’t use a star sign, an enneagram number, or a mental illness label to define myself or excuse myself of behaviors, thoughts, attitudes, or actions that dishonor God.
I must take my tendencies that are sinful in nature (as we are all born sinners & that is what we are naturally bent to do) & lay them before God, asking Him to shape & mold me into Jesus’ image, seeking to please & honor God with all areas of my life.
My tendencies & instincts are not acceptable excuses to God.
My tendencies & instincts are not untouchable from God lovingly shaping me.
My tendencies & instincts do not define me… only God does… because HE MADE ME.
So, whether you believe in superstitious fallacies, personality test numbers/letters, or whether you are diagnosed with a specific condition… don’t allow those to tell you who you are… only God can do that. Let God continue to shape you as you GROW closer to Him.
Don’t Ever Underestimate God
And whatever you feel you “can’t help”… if it hurts you, others, or God… don’t underestimate God’s redeeming power in the areas where you feel trapped or stuck in “just the way it is.” God is more powerful than ANY “just the way it is.”
Shine HOPE by taking those definitions of yourself to God & asking Him to show you HIS design, EVEN IF it goes completely against what those things tell you about yourself.
God has the final say. He can redeem any behavior, attitude, or habit. So, even if unbelieving at first, lessen your grip & allow Him to show you what He can do with your willingness to grow in His design for you, His way. Be moldable.
Coming Next Week
Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.
Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!
As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
(***Check out my newly added FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)
This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3
If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3
Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!
Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world!Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Floral Wooden Jewelry Box (India)
(Shown: Floral Wooden Jewelry Box, handcrafted in India. Every purchase empowers women in India out of poverty!)
What holiday surprise will you hide inside this eco-friendly, intricately hand-carved jewelry box? This unique, ethically made gift features an Artisanal floral design on the removable lid and a subtle whitewash finish. Artisans create this jewelry box using fast-growing mango wood, a sustainable byproduct of India’s mango fruit industry. Every purchase supports families in areas of extreme poverty in India.
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!
