It’s So Easy to Try to Rely on Myself

I think it can be easy to look at someone like me, who has a public platform sharing the hope we have in Christ, & think I have it all together & am the primo example of a “good Christian.” Well, sorry to disappoint.

Here we are on Chapter 8, as we walk together through the story of my life, & all we’ll find here are more ways I found to rely on myself, after EVERYTHING I have already been through & shared with you. God is CONSTANTLY having to refine me & weed out & bring attention to areas where I either compromise or think it’s up to me & not up to Him.

This particular season in my life was no different.

I Thought the Dark Was Over

A few chapters ago, I talked about my depression spiral & the mercy from God that it ended up being for me… how much I have learned about depression & struggling with my emotions—either too many or not enough. (You can read about that in Chapter 3 or in “Understanding Depression with Discernment.”)

Well, to be honest, since it was such a huge pivot point in my life, I really just thought my deep depression in high school was merely a one-time teaching tool for that very specific lesson He taught me through it.

So, when it started to hit me again (read: TORMENT me again), it caught me completely off guard & I spiraled FAST.

The defeat I felt. “I already got through this! God already helped me through this! What is happening!?”

And talk about DARK.

Crying (& Screaming) Alone

I used to go to our community park, drive all the way to the secluded back of the lot (usually only occupied during ballgames)… & I would lock my doors, put the seat down, & SCREAM AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS in anguish & pain until sobs took over & then numbness set in as I stared blankly ahead, wishing I could make the unreasonable, unrelenting emotional pain stop.

Seriously, it felt like pain was being lashed onto my emotions uncontrollably. Like deep gashes & razor slits over & over & over on my heart. Just constant, heart-wrenchingly debilitating PAIN just relentlessly terrorizing me.

It made no sense. It was maddening because it made no sense. I could see the trigger, logically reason that it wasn’t that big of a deal, but my emotional response was like you had killed someone I loved. It was ridiculous & agonizing how little sense it made... but the pain was very much real.

Satan Exploits Our Weakest Moments

Aside from the messed-up brain chemistry involved, it was undoubtedly an attack. Satan was trying to get me to quit God & give up on life. I could feel that oppression in my BONES.

In my car one such day, as I was trying to release some of the built-up oppressive pain I felt so much of the time, crying, rocking on my side whimpering, to screaming… I remember very clearly thinking, “Satan, I’m already saved. I’m already going to heaven. Nothing you can do can change that, so why are you messing with me? LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!”

And I prayed. A LOT. I begged. I pleaded. I cried for rescue. I said, “Please God, please God. I can’t. Please help me. Please. I can’t. Please help me!”

God saw me… God heard me… God had a plan… but the pain continued.

God Is Bigger Than Anything Satan Can Do

This was more than just emotions outpouring from poorly regulated hormones/brain chemistry or whatnot. This was Satan seeing me weak & frail & kicking me repeatedly in the gut while I felt defenseless, trying to get me to renounce Christ & give up living.

Satan did not want me to shine HOPE. He wanted me to be a warning—to make an example of me.

But God is greater. God doesn’t give up on us. And God ALWAYS uses our hard for our good. He NEVER wastes our pain when we entrust Him with it.

God Promises Tribulation & Hardship in This Sin-Filled World… But He Also Promises He Is the Overcomer

I’m sorry I can’t be one of those, “if you honor God, everything will work out like a charm & life will be all rosy with rainbows & sparkles.” That would be a lie.

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

God actually promises tribulation. He promises hardship. He promises we will be hated for our faith, just as Jesus, in all His perfection, was hated even to death. (John 15:18-27)

So, no. It won’t be all butterflies & sunshine. We live in a world broken by sin. It will hurt sometimes. That’s just fact.

God IS Our Enough

BUT, God promises to BE our Enough IN it.

To give us wisdom when we ask. (James 1:5-6) To comfort us when we are weak. (2 Corinthians 1:4; Isaiah 41:10; Psalm 73:26) To be our rescue when we cry out to Him as our help. (2 Samuel 22:17-20; Psalm 107) To strengthen & enable us in our weaknesses. (Matthew 11:28-30) He IS our sufficiency. (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)

IN it.

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:17-18)

From Thinking about… to Planning… Suicide

Well, that was the first time in my life, in all the days in my high school depression years & then in that period of time, that my thinking about suicide turned into planning my suicide.

It felt like the ONLY way to make the relentless, terrorizing day & night PAIN STOP.

Heaven was something I craved SO DEEPLY because the pain of living was that intense & overwhelming. I wanted it to stop. I NEEDED it to stop. I wanted to DIE.

And that reality scared me so much. I prayed for rescue & God pushed me to confess to my mom my plans.

In high school, my expression of a need for help wasn’t really understood to be as desperate a plea as it was, so I was scared to confide & if misunderstood, what that would lead me to do in my desperation, but I obeyed God’s nudge to confide & so I went & I confessed my plans for suicide.

I Got Help

God used that obedience to lead my mom to urge me to call the advice nurse line & eventually get help by way of a wonderful psychologist who helped me understand my brain chemistry & patterns better so I could create healthier patterns & defenses to protect myself from falling prey to the lies my misfiring emotional terrors were telling me.

God used her knowledge of the human brain to help me understand & fight back.

I am so thankful for what I learned through that experience. Not being a victim anymore, but having tools to recognize where my brain was failing me so I wouldn’t so easily fall victim to Satan terrorizing me through that weakness.

The Lingering Stronghold… What I Went to Instead of GOD for Help

But through it all, one little problem remained.

Whenever I was struggling or feeling terrorized or emotionally hurt… I would listen to music that backed me up & made me feel validated. You know, things like, “you don’t deserve that!” or “you deserve better!” or “I wish someone loved me more” or whatever.

I think it’s because the intensity of my emotions felt like an avalanche that I couldn’t tame or understand or justify… it made me feel crazy & broken… so music that made me feel justified in it gave me some sense of security.

What I really needed was to be pouring truth into my heart, rather than just seeking validation for my feelings, I needed to be seeking God as my hope in it… I needed to lift my heart & my hurts to HIM.

I needed to be intentionally lifting my heart in worship to God, singing of His goodness & mercy & love & hope, pouring sweet truths over my heart while lifting up the one true God Who is deserving of my praise & worship… shifting my gaze from the terrors to the One who gives me HOPE.

Lifting my eyes above the waves. Focusing instead on HIM.

God Is My Comforter & My Hope

And God opened my eyes to this problem by leading me to read through Authentic Beauty, by Leslie Ludy, with my good friend.

After reading this book, the author directs you to download a PDF & encourages you to take old boyfriend notes, or anything else from your past or present that you are clinging to for security in place of the One true God, our Father, through Jesus Christ… & burn them. Get rid of them for good. Make it impossible to run back to them.

And one day, with my friend, we brought things we were clinging to as our “this proves I matter to someone” or “this makes me feel validated” items, we lit a fire on a grill at the park, we separately prayed through our PDF list, & we burned our items when we felt ready to surrender them in exchange for seeking hope in Him alone.

The freedom I felt that day was indescribable. And I remember writing in my prayer journal that I had brought with me that day only 2 simple verses & nothing else.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

I burned that binder of CDs worth hundreds of dollars & determined that day that I didn’t want to depend on anything other than Him as my hope & my salvation through the darkest trials I may face. God is my comforter & my hope.

What Are You Clinging to Instead of to Jesus?

And I would understand completely if you don’t at all believe what happened next to me. Both the most terrifying & the most perspective-shifting event I couldn’t ever imagine took place as a result of this simple prayer & it shook me to my core (in a good way)… but that’s for the next chapter….

So, what are you clinging to in place of Jesus? Where are you supplementing? Where are you trying to control your own happiness/security/validation? What do you feel you NEED to feel whole… that isn’t Jesus? That’s a stronghold & you need to get rid of it.

Shine HOPE by going to HIM in your darkest times. He knows where to get you help. He can sufficiently offer peace. He knows what you need more than you do. He knows what steps to take for healing. He has perfect wisdom. He cares for you. He is your supply. Don’t turn to anything else but Him… because you will not find hope anywhere else but 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 FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for over FIVE years now! (THIS IS BLOG POST #300!!!) 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!!

Enchanted Set (INDIA)

LIMITED EDITION – Available While Supplies Last! Save $15.95 when you purchase this set, which includes the Enchanted Twist Cuff and the Enhanced Ruby Studs, that doubles your impact for women ending poverty cycles in India! The two designs pair perfectly to make a great gift or a holiday look for yourself! The Enchanted Twist Cuff features two thin, golden strands twisted together to create a beautiful design perfect for everyday wear. The stunning Enhanced Ruby Studs are made using faceted ruby stones set in a gold-tone frame.

*****Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty in India where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops.*****

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!

God Cares About the Small Stuff

God is in the little details of life, have you thought about that fact?

I used to think God was just in the big stuff… that He was there to cry out to when things were crashing & burning… but God cares about me (about you) far beyond our comprehension.

Yeah, I know, I know. That ought to be obvious, right? I mean, God loves us so much that KNOWING we could not save ourselves from His wrath that we very much deserve in even EVER asserting that we know better than Him as the very One Who MADE us… He sent His own Son, Jesus (fully God AND man) to live a sinless life & eventually die willingly on our behalf, taking on the full weight of God’s wrath so that we don’t have to if we but accept that gift offered to each & every one of us for FREE (well, free to us, but it did come with great cost).

So, yeah, if He is willing to go to SUCH lengths to express His love for us… oh, & not even as a last resort… He KNEW from the beginning of time that it would be required in order to rescue us from our own wretched undeserving (Genesis 3:15)… how much more so would He be willing to be with us & care for us in the small details of life?

But it wasn’t always so obvious to me… it’s still something I struggle fully grasping, if I am completely honest with you.

How Can We Hear God?

It’s hard knowing how to hear God’s voice, to see Him as interacting with us in the small stuff, isn’t it? Between your own thoughts & temptations & lies of the deceiver (Satan- who is very good at deceiving) (John 8:44)… how can we tell the difference between our own thoughts, Satan’s, or God’s?

And how do we HEAR God when He doesn’t audibly SPEAK?

Those were questions I wrestled with for much of my growing up as a Christian. It made no logical sense to me, but I knew I was supposed to follow God’s lead & to do that, I needed to know how to tell when God was leading.

So, as with all things I have & do wrestle with…. I prayed & asked God for wisdom here.

How Do I Know It’s God Speaking to me?

I asked Him how to hear Him when I pray… how to tell it was Him… how to KNOW when it was Him. I wanted to recognize the voice of God, even just if understanding some idea or thought was His guiding me.

This was not a once & done prayer. I did not pray & then, BAM, now I know exactly how to tell! No, it took years of practice & growing & praying in this area of my life.

Ask God to Confirm When You’re Not Sure

We’re not supposed to test God (Deuteronomy 6:16), because that shows doubting He can or will, BUT, we can very much test WHETHER it’s OF God. Ie. “God, I want Your will & nothing more in this area, so if this is of You, please ___________________, to confirm & I will move forward in it knowing it’s Your lead.”

… Not testing/trying to control God or having God prove Himself… but a confirmation of His will so you know it’s of Him versus you merely WANTING it to be of Him or versus letting your fears/apprehensions call the shots instead.

Gideon is an example of this. (Judges 6:36-40) He was SO scared to obey God because the odds seemed so ridiculously NOT in his favor, so he was wanting confirmation that it was really a leading from God, & if so, & ONLY if so, he was then willing to go… knowing that if God really was leading this, even though he (Gideon) wouldn’t otherwise stand a CHANCE… He knew that God could handle the insurmountable odds just fine.

So, if you are learning to discern the voice of God in your life SO THAT you may follow Him & only Him, ASK FOR CONFIRMATION & TRUST HIM TO ANSWER!

And KEEP asking. Don’t ask one time, not get an answer, & then move on to your own wisdom to take over the lead. No. WAIT ON HIM. (Psalm 27:14) He has perfect timing. He is not caught off guard by anything ever. He doesn’t need a heads up. But trust Him to confirm versus running away or doing it your own way.

God Wants You to Know Him & God Revealed Himself to Us

Trust that God WANTS you to know Him, so praying to know how to tell it’s Him is something He very much wants for you. He is your Shepherd & He wants you to know & recognize His voice. (John 10:3-15)

READ THE BIBLE. I know, I know, this seems so cliché. But God’s Word is NOT just a “helpful life manual.” It is the Word of GOD. And not only that, but it is God-breathed. It is ALIVE & ACTIVE. His Word ALONE has POWER. (2 Timothy 3:26-17; 1 Peter 2:2-3; John 1:1-5)

When we feed on (read & think on) His Word, we NOURISH ourselves. We are strengthened with His might.

This isn’t just about knowing rights & wrongs, but about knowing God Himself!

And the more you take in His Word, the more you will be able to discern His leading, because it will always line up with His character & His promises. So, if you want to hear His voice, you need to get to know His Word.

How Do I Read the Bible When I Don’t Feel I Can?

If you struggle with this, as I did up until maybe 5 years ago, remember:

1. There is no set “Reading Plan” in the Bible, so stop quitting because you fall behind with a human-made plan. Just READ.
2. Satan will exploit every weak point in your determination to nourish your soul with the TRUTH of God’s Word, so EXPECT PUSHBACK. Maybe it’s stubbornness, bad attitude, I-don’t-want-to-hear-it type pride, headache, distractions, busyness, not knowing where to start, inability to concentrate… WHATEVER it is, Satan is guaranteed to pay attention to what works in keeping you away, so don’t let him win.
3. God is more powerful than Satan. And more powerful than all your obstacles & unwillingness combined. So trust that & PRAY FOR HELP. Trust that if this honors & pleases God (hint: it very much does) THEN He WILL help you do it. (1 John 5:14-15) So, PRAY & then DO IT.
4. You can also read some former posts I did on this subject if you’re needing some more encouragement here: a) “Intentionality: Reading & Studying the Bible for Yourself” & b) “How to Do the Things We Know We Should Do, But Just Can’t.”

As I continued to grow up, learning to trust God with more & to follow His lead in my life, He was patient with me & He used many instances to confirm that He heard me, that He cares for me (even in the little things) & that He is infinite & limitless—which means He will show up in the massive things just as much as He will in the little ridiculous things that matter to no one but you.

God Was Gentle with Jonah When He Was Less Than Deserving

Remember Jonah being all grumpy about the Ninevites not getting what they deserved because he finally listened to God, obeyed, & told them of God’s impending judgment if they refused to repent & turn to God (as God had asked him to do), & then those evil people repented & turned to God & God relented on His punishment…. Jonah was not at all happy. He wanted to watch them PAY for the wretchedness they committed—NOT to be offered a CLEAN SLATE. (Read the story of Jonah in the booked named after him, starting in Jonah 1.)

But what did God do? God provided shade for him to rest in his bad attitude/sulking. Jonah did not come around, as far as we know from God’s Word, but God still did this small act of kindness to show He cared regardless. (Jonah 4:6)

God Speaks… Are We Listening?

There have been so many examples of God hearing & God expressing His care to me.

From finding a way-too-expensive t-shirt I loved, feeling lack of peace about the price, wanting it anyway, but trusting that lack of peace, trusting God to know better, & putting it back, only to find it a month later on the clearance rack with only one left—& it being my size.

To having a $5 budget for DVDs, FINALLY finding one at that price that I had been wanting for over a YEAR, feeling that same lack of peace, carrying it around the store with me “just in case I get peace after all”, NOT getting that peace, trusting God to know better, putting it back grumpily, to then finding it for 50 cents at a yard sale that SAME weekend!

Don’t Try to Out-Logic God

To feeling like God was saying “NO” to going to a friend’s house when I had no homework, no incomplete chore responsibilities, nothing, so I “logic-ed” my way into going anyway, even though I felt a very obvious void of peace, only to be driving on a straight road in a storm toward her house, hear on the radio “He controls where every lightning bolt goes” & at that EXACT moment, a hugely bright lightning bolt strikes directly in my line of sight—I went home, never even knowing the why… but I knew it was Him.

To feeling a complete lack of peace about a trip to FL with friends where most of the expenses were covered, I had no job to take off work from, had savings to draw from, with friends I trusted, felt a complete lack of peace, angrily went anyway as if God just didn’t want me to have fun—only to face a near-death totaled car crash incident where it was a MIRACLE we all survived.

To how He confirmed repeatedly walk away from my first love, not knowing whether I could ever be loved like that again (Read about that story from last week, here: “Growing Up a Christian–A Grace-Filled Life, Chapter 6: God Knows Best Even with Love.”)…. But also, God confirmed repeatedly to stay with my now husband. (More on that story to come….) God KNEW. I didn’t. I’m glad I trusted Him.

God Cares About Us Even in the Moments Where No One Sees Us… God Does

To having the absolute worst day in college of waking up late, rushing to get ready, no time to wash greasy hair, wore wrong (uncomfortable) shoes on the day my class was across campus, had to run to the bus, missed the bus, & the cherry on top was that it was a HOT breezeless day… & as I panted from the running, choking back the sobs that threatened to release… I asked God for comfort as I held back my miserable whimpering. I asked God to remind me He was still with me & had me… & all of a sudden, this refreshing breeze swept across me & through my hair & I felt His comfort wash over me.

To being at a stoplight, restless & annoyed I missed the light, doing my secret ritual of counting down in my head, trying to get “0” to come just as the light changed… only to hear this thought of “you should have started at 8” & I adjust accordingly & I land on 0 JUST as the light changed—an encouragement that meant so much to me that day, like God was being silly right along with me so I would feel someone cared about me right then in my impatient frustration.

God Sees the Details We Can Only Guess About

To making plans to attend a college friend’s wedding with a group of friends that we were planning to split hotel & rental car costs, only to back out before we all paid/booked because I felt that same car-accident-on-the-way-to-FL feeling, having no real “makes sense” reason to offer my friends & feeling really awkward about that, but not wanting to risk another unforeseen tragedy God may be trying to warn me about… only to have one of the biggest snow storms we have ever had come through, blocking all routes to the wedding, forcing cancelations that I was free from dealing with.

God sees you. He knows you. He knows everything.

Don’t Speak for God

Have you ever had a nudge on your heart that didn’t make sense, so you just ignored it, only to wish you had listened to that initial nudge?

I make the mistake way too frequently of speaking FOR God. As in feeling a nudge to get my umbrella & then filling in the blanks with, “yeah, but God, I NEVER even USE my umbrellas whenever I have brought one, because I just make a run for it, so, no, I will not be bringing it,” as I shake my head thinking, “duh, God, You should know that about me by now.” (Wow, the arrogance, right?) Only to unexpectedly have to wait outside in line for something I can’t get out of by necessity for whatever reason, getting completely DRENCHED, (AKA cold, wet, & MISERABLE) because “I don’t use umbrellas so I’m not going to listen to God.”

God is SO all-knowing that NOT ONLY did He know it was going to rain (where I figured His knowing ended, hence my refusal to get said umbrella), but ALSO that I, who normally never uses an umbrella, would DESPERATELY wish she had one.

Don’t fill in the blanks for God. Don’t try to logic away His nudgings because they don’t make any sense to YOU. God sees all of everything all at once AND has perfect judgment—can you say the same about yourself?

God Cares Enough to Speak Up, Even When He Knows We’ll Be Rude About It

God doesn’t just know everything. He knows YOU. He knows what you will wish you had before you know you wish you had it.

I have felt convicted about eating a certain meal, for example, & so go on a spin of indignation toward God, thinking, “OH, I GET it. I’m fat & now I can’t ever ENJOY this because of it? Is that it? Well, I don’t CARE. It’s just a ONE TIME TREAT & I shouldn’t have to feel guilty about that!!!!” Only to get food poisoning & realize that maybe, JUST MAYBE, that is why God was convicting me about that one-time treat I got so defensive about. (smh)

It would be laughable if it wasn’t so arrogant. Me thinking I know better than God? EVER? Wow. Please forgive me, GOD ALMIGHTY!

God doesn’t guilt or shame you. He doesn’t pressure & rush you. He doesn’t “OR ELSE!” you.

Jesus already paid for all that, so why would God put any of that on you?

God Wants Us to Know Him

God is a gentle guide. He wants you to know Him. He wants you to recognize His still, small, gentle, loving voice. He wants you to trust His care for you. He wants you to trust His Word & spend time getting to know Him while nourishing your soul.

He wants you to obey, sure, but with His help. Not to be “good enough” but because He knows it’s what you need. God doesn’t need your help. Let go & trust His lead.

Trust that the more you spend in His Word & the more you ask for Him to teach you how to discern His voice & direction in your life, the more He will grow that certainty in you. It does take time, but it is worth it. God wants us to know Him & to know His voice.

Shine HOPE by letting God be God. By determining to pray & ask God to help you know His voice SO THAT you can follow it. By getting to know God through His Word given to us so that we may know Him & know 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 ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for FIVE 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!!

Resilient Bracelet (CAMBODIA)

This adjustable handcrafted Resilient Bracelet is the perfect bracelet for everyday wear. Acid attack survivors in Cambodia hand bead these stunning bracelets with a varying bead pattern using seed beads and gold-tone plated beads. Each bracelet is adjustable with a slide-knot closure and is beautifully finished with coordinating beads.

*****Every purchase of this Resilient Bracelet supports the acid attack survivor in Cambodia who created it with a safe and dignified opportunity to earn a sustainable 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!

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

No Longer Compromising to Be Loved… But Still Feeling Unworthy of It

So, here I was, learning that I didn’t have to try to fit in or be cool to feel okay with myself (read about that in Chapter 5), but that didn’t mean the insecurities were all gone… I just no longer was foolish enough to believe that compromising on God’s design was the solution to my problem.

I still struggled with my appearance. I still wanted to be accepted. I still felt that I was a lesser choice because of how I looked & that I was too annoying…. I just was no longer willing to play a part to try to solve it.

But I still feared that I may never be enough to be loved.

He Was There, Standing Across the Room

In comes a new guy in my life, back about maybe 20 years ago.

I had been friends with some people who went to a college about 30-45 minutes from me & would visit campus to hang out with them on occasion. I felt included & grown up & cool as a fresh out of high school teenager hanging out with friends at their college campus. All grown up.

And one day, I saw him… he was standing across the room at a parent welcome-to-campus party, cup in hand, waiting in line to get a slice of pizza. We locked eyes, like in a movie, & I felt like my heart melted instantly.

I knew I had to know him.

Smitten

Soon, he was offering to get me a soda & I was dancing in my head.

And that’s how it began. I was smitten, & he expressed that the feeling was very much mutual.

Pretty much right away, we became the dynamic duo, spending all of our free time together.

I visited campus so much more than I ever had before & he would drive to see me at home as well. We were inseparable. We instantly hit it off, effortlessly.

There Was One Little Problem

The only problem was that he was not a Christian. He didn’t trust in Jesus with his life & his eternity.

Why is that an issue, you may ask? Well, all of my decisions were usually filtered through prayer, through seeking God’s thoughts on things… & if I were to marry this man, I would need to submit to the decisions of someone who did not seek God as His guide in life…. Who did not seek God’s glory as his motivation in life.

I thought that maybe I could help change his mind, but what happened was that to smooth things over & avoid uncomfortable disagreements, I started to keep my mouth shut, which in turn led me to not bring God into everything as I once did.

I was compromising again for the sake of peace in our relationship. I loved him too much to let go.

I Was Accepted & Cherished & Loved… & I Didn’t Want to Let That Go

But, it was too late. I had already fallen hard for this guy. For the first time in my life, fat & all, I was accepted & cherished & loved.

God used his love for me to show that I was capable of being loved just as I was, flaws & all… insecurities & all… & in turn, showed me how God could love me flaws & all, too.

Sure, I may have dated other guys who loved me, or thought they did, but it was all during the time when I was trying to be what I thought everyone wanted me to be… I didn’t feel freedom to just be me & have that be enough, even bad days or days when I was feeling grumpy or crabby or nonsocial—not that they couldn’t have loved the real me, but rather that I never had given anyone the chance to do so before this particular relationship.

It felt so refreshing, so freeing to finally feel available to be myself & nothing more… & to feel loved in it. Before this man, I truly doubted that was even possible. I thought surely, if I were to reveal my true heart on bad days or if I were to be a less than ideal girlfriend, anyone dating me & seeing that would obviously see the truth & want out eventually… it felt inevitable.

I Truly Felt This Was a Once-in-a-Lifetime Thing

I had a commitment phobia. A fear of letting myself believe I was loved only to eventually see them turn & walk away because they realized I really am too ugly, or too fat, or too gabby, or too boring, or too lame, or etc. etc. etc. Either too something or not enough something.

But, I was letting him love me. I was letting someone love me. I was believing I could actually BE loved. This was HUGE!

A once-in-a-lifetime thing is what it felt like.

But… The Wall

I knew I wanted to marry him. I had never been so sure about that before. I always had doubts somewhere.

And that was the thing… I realized the doubts were there… they were just not about whether I was truly loved or whether I truly loved, but rather whether my marrying him would honor & please God Almighty.

But I was already in love. So, my prayers to God were more like begging than asking… More about WHEN than WHETHER.

And every single time… the only, singular response I ever got to my seeking of answers was like a brick wall too high to climb… complete lack of peace.

As if God Himself were the guard standing between me & the man I loved, saying, “thou shalt not pass.”

Just a Giant “Not Right Now”?

So, I figured it just meant “not right now,” & that if this guy accepted Jesus, well then everything would surely be a green light. I thought I would just be a light & pray for him & then God would give His blessing… that it was surely, merely just a giant “not right now,”

But my compromises grew instead of my light shining any brighter. I wanted to keep the peace & not start anything… so I stopped bringing up anything having to do with God & because I spent most of my time with him… I stopped really turning to God, too.

I kept asking. I kept getting the brick wall as a response.

I would grit my teeth & ask again, determined not to let go of the only person I felt really knew me & actually loved me the way he did. I trusted & loved him & I wasn’t willing to let that go. He was my security blanket that someone actually loved me.

That someone actually COULD love me.

But God kept saying no. I dragged it on so long that this man knew I was wrestling with it but that I wouldn’t admit it. He started to withdraw. I started to cling.

I cried a lot. I begged God a lot.

But God said no.

And He Wasn’t Even the Only One I Hurt…

And eventually, I had to let him go or risk hurting him beyond all the damage my delays had already caused… my holding on & refusing to let go.

It broke me. Hurting him like that broke me. I mourned our relationship for about 5 years it broke me so deeply.

I locked away my heart & had thrown away the key after that. I never wanted to hurt someone I loved like that ever again. I never wanted to believe in love & have it ripped away like that ever again.

And as the cherry on top, I ripped the heart out of a dear friend who cared about me more than I knew, who pursued a relationship with me, only to have me go back to the man I loved in the middle of all of it, thus humiliating & crushing my dear friend in the process. He had been only kind & I was so desperate to believe that it could work with the man I loved that I was willing to crush another man who had only been the dearest of friends to me.

Two heartbreaks in one… three if you counted my own.

I swore off ever making that mistake again.

God Had the Key from Then On

Unless God were to provide the key, to make it clear it was His move, not mine… I was not willing to ever jeopardize the heart of someone I cared about again. (No wonder I made it so hard for my now husband to pursue me. I was so desperate not to ever make that same mistake ever again.)

The day I said goodbye to that man was the day I accepted not knowing whether I would ever be loved like that again, or whether I could ever love like that again.

And I never told him why, either. I let him hate me because that seemed far more favorable than ever giving him reason to hate the God who loved him more than he could ever comprehend… Who gave His Son, Jesus, to pay the debt he owed Him.

My feelings were strong & sure, but I knew, deep down, that God would always know better than me & as much as it broke my heart… I wanted to trust God more than I trusted myself… to recognize & hold firm to the fact that God will always know best, even with love.

Today, I Know, But Then, I Didn’t

I couldn’t understand why God would let me fall in love, only to rip him out of my life. That fact haunted me for years to come & the grief would sometimes catch me completely off guard after hearing a favorite song of his or seeing a movie we saw together, etc.; & would send me into pools of tears long after this man had no doubt moved on with his life.

Today, I have hindsight bias… because today, I can see who I am married to & that I am loved & that I love. But I didn’t have that luxury back then.

For all I knew, my one chance for that opportunity was sacrificed in order to honor & obey God, by giving Him something I had coveted my whole entire life—an opportunity to feel truly loved just as I was.

I didn’t understand, but I knew that somehow, God did.

And I was at least grateful for the reassurance that however hard I was on myself in my feeling unworthy of love, God had granted me an opportunity to see that I could very well be loved & to love in return. What a blessing that was to me, even in the midst of all that hurt.

A Love Story for Another Day

I am now married to my husband, Jamie. I believe wholeheartedly that God set aside my love life to be reserved for him… that God has a plan in bringing us together. And I am grateful to God for that beyond measure.

But that love story will have to wait for another chapter… another day.

God Knows Best… Even with Love

Maybe you don’t have the luxury of hindsight bias right now. Maybe you’re so in love but feel a tug of hesitation on your heart that you just can’t shake… but the fear that this is your one chance to be truly loved is crippling you from letting go.

Pray. Be willing to trust God to know better than you… to trust that He loves you enough to say no to what you’re too scared to let go of… that He is looking out for you.

Maybe you feel you made the wrong choice & didn’t wait “long enough for God to work.”

Pray. Be willing to trust that God can redeem. God can rescue. God can heal. God can lead. God can strengthen. God can give wisdom. Trust that God can make a way where there is no way.

Maybe you feel imprisoned by your yearning to feel that you can be loved just as you are. You feel like you are destined to be alone forever because you feel it’s all you’re good for.

Pray. Be willing to trust that God knows what He’s doing. God doesn’t make mistakes & that includes you. God has not forgotten you. God has perfect timing. God is sufficient in ALL things… even this… even with love.

Shine HOPE by determining to obey God, even when it doesn’t make any sense to you, even when it feels it will render your heart unrepairable. Trust Him even then. Because let me tell you… God knows best… even with love.

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 ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for FIVE 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!!

November 2023 Hope Mail (HAITI & INDIA)

Who do you know that would love a beautiful package filled with hope in their mailbox? This exclusive November Hope Mail package makes a great gift for any occasion! Enjoy free shipping on this November Hope Mail package that includes our Joyful Nativity Ornament from Haiti, Sari Hope Hoops from India, and our Joy to the World Sticker mailed in a stylish Fashion as a Force for Good envelope.

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!

I Felt Fat, Ugly, & Unwanted

I grew up believing I was fat & that fat equals ugly & that ugly equals little to no value in the eyes of those around me.

Looking back on photos, I realize I wasn’t at all fat… I just wasn’t skinny or athletic… but that doesn’t change how I perceived myself back then.

Now, I would like to tell you that I immediately turned it over to God to trust that my value was in the fact that He made me & He saved me from myself, through Jesus… but, as I mentioned last week, I was still beginning to understand the fact that God is very present & wants to help with things like this.

So, I thought it was up to me to figure it out. And I thus sought to compensate for my very real feeling of LACK.

I Didn’t Fit In… I Mean I REALLY Didn’t Fit In

So, I worked out my own plan to help others overlook my so obvious slew of personal flaws with my weight, my clueless style taste, my never understanding jokes, my growing-up-homeschooled-as-a-kid (if you know, you know–when I was a kid, co-ops & other group sports & activities weren’t so established yet for the homeschool community as they are now), etc. aka I did NOT fit in.

I studied, by observation, what got the attention of my peers. What made them laugh, what they talked about, what they gossiped about. What they liked, what they made fun of, what they hated. I became a student of my peers, desperate to find a way to be of some value & find a way to fit in somewhere, to have friends, to belong, to be liked.

“Technically Not Sin…”?

Satan really fooled me on this one, just as he did with Eve all that time ago. (Genesis 3) He handed me an idea & I eagerly snatched it from his hand as the solution to my big problem. “As long as I don’t ‘technically’ sin, (aka sex-outside-of-marriage), then I’m sure it’s fine.”

By the way, in case you have convinced yourself otherwise (like I did), it’s NEVER a good idea to try to walk the fine line between direct disobedience & “technically” not sin. You’re certainly not fooling God & it never ends well.

But that is surely what I did. I became crass & crude, working for the shock factor. I dressed for attention. I trained myself in becoming appealing to others–to be likeable, easy-going, & have an air of confidence–all with innuendos & crude jokes.

The problem? Those others didn’t really even like ME. They liked the me I projected to them, didn’t they? Only a few actually knew the real me.

It became an act I couldn’t put down without risk of being found out as “just another fat, ugly loser” (again, how I perceived others would see me). That was my very real perception of the matter then & I was desperate not to be labeled in that way.

Why Words Matter

I am not proud of the me I was in that time in my life, but I can sympathize with her because I knew how scared I was to be alone in the world.

The pressure is very real. You overhear rude comments about others, see people criticized for every mistake or flaw on social media post comments, are told rude things by people you love… & it all feels like you better measure up or you’re worthless in this world.

Especially in middle school, high school & even college years. Words matter, people! How we talk about & talk to people matters.

Something Felt Off

I watched my peers carefully for, (no, I STUDIED) every chuckle, burst of laughter, knowing smile, reciprocated flirtations, shocked face, look of approval, etc. I was learning how to be what everyone seemed to want from me.

And I felt power in that… like a puppeteer who could spin a word or phrase into something inappropriate at the tip of a hat & watch as her audience responded favorably, internally smiling at the success.

I thought I had it all figured out. I was worth something. I was wanted.

But something felt off. Like a glitch that would jolt the success to less-than-satisfying, before I would shove that feeling down & remind myself that this is what I wanted.

But was it?

If this is what I wanted so badly, why did it feel kind of ick sometimes? What was I missing?

I Thought I Had It Made

Boys flirted with me every day & hit on me, like I was worth being hit on.

Everyone laughed at my crude crassness & my twisting of everything inappropriately to get the desired shock factor. People liked it.

I felt in control instead of a loser.

I felt desirable instead of fat.

I felt wanted.

So, why did something feel off?

FINALLY, I Wondered If God Could Help Me… But I Was Too Afraid to Really Ask

I started to finally pray about it & ask God His opinion… but I was so disillusioned that I wanted to believe my actions were far from sinful because I “wasn’t actually, technically doing anything wrong.” But every time I prayed, that disillusionment would slip a little & I would feel guilt & shame take its place. I didn’t like that.

That didn’t feel good. I mean, I wasn’t TRYING to be sinful, I just wanted to be wanted & liked so badly. I wasn’t trying to dishonor or displease God or anything.

Then it became too scary to pray. I didn’t like my successful measures being put into question. I was finally happy! I was finally wanted!

Or… was I…?

My Disillusionment Was Slipping

This went on for at least a couple years, surprisingly, even following my depression-shattering experience. (Read about that in Chapter 3.) I really was fooled. And I really was foolish.

But the pang seemed to only get stronger as time went on. My stuffing it down became less successful. Something felt off about all of it & I didn’t want to let go.

I didn’t want to be the fat, ugly loser that nobody wanted. That seriously felt like my one alternative & I was NOT interested in going back to feeling that way.

But that pang became an ache inside my heart. I somehow felt used even though I was initiating the inappropriate comments.

I felt gross.

And as time went on, God helped me realize why… something He had tried to wake me up to many times prior: “What they love is not you… it’s who you pretend to be for them to like you…. That’s not real love. It’s all fake. It’s all a show.”

That hurt. It cut me deep. And it scared me. I didn’t want to be alone.

My Way Didn’t Actually Work… It Just Left Me Feeling Empty

All of it was for nothing, because deep down, I still felt like the fat, ugly loser I believed I truly was under the façade I had so carefully crafted for the world to see…. And if that façade were to slip for a single moment, or if I didn’t feel I had the desire to keep it up for even a day, I knew all of that would come crashing down & mean nothing because they would all see the truth.

It was exhausting, quite honestly. It had become my prison.

My desperate need to be wanted & accepted had caused my compromise that didn’t actually even fix or solve my problem.

So, timidly, I began to pray… SCARED.

I Was So Scared to Pray… That God Would Convince Me to Stop & That I Would Lose Everyone

I was terrified that praying to this end might mean the loss of everyone who supported me or cared about me… that they would see how boring & uninteresting & ugly I really was & that would be it… it would be confirmed as they all turned their backs on me & forgot I existed.

I was terrified of that!

But, I needed out of this prison somehow, so I figured that if anyone knew who I was meant to be, it would be the One Who made me—GOD.

So, timidly, I began to pray to that end, as scared as I was of the result.

My Prayers Went Something Like This:

“God, to be honest, I am scared to ask for Your opinion & help in this. I’m afraid that You will confirm what my heart suspects, that even though I am not “technically sinning” as I have determined, I am still dishonoring You with my actions. I’m afraid that it would mean I have to stop & that friends won’t want to be friends… that they’ll all gradually fall away because I won’t be interesting or fun anymore. I’m afraid they won’t want me as just a fat girl with nothing else to offer. I don’t know who I am anymore without this. This has been my life for YEARS. How can I just change? I won’t feel ME anymore & that terrifies me. What if there is nothing left if You take this away from me? What if I lose my value? What if I am alone? But God, something in me feels ick & I can’t shake it anymore. Something feels off. I feel trapped by this image I have created for myself. I don’t like that either. I don’t know what to do anymore. So, please, God… if ANYONE knows who I am… it would be You… because You made me. So help me to see who YOU made me to be. Even if I lose everyone I care about, I want to see me in Your eyes, how You intended… not my determining anymore. Your way. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

God Began to Shift My Heart & Make It New

I prayed something similar to that for MONTHS… & little by little, those quick retorts & innuendos just sort of faded away. I lost the desire to play along or try to play a part to be liked. It just didn’t seem to matter so much to me anymore.

I started to realize that I was going to be just fine. This confidence started to bubble up in me that I had never experienced before… like I didn’t really care if they approved of the changes in me or not anymore. It really surprised & delighted me.

That I was okay just being me.

Of course, I didn’t fully understand who that was really yet, but I felt okay letting God help me figure that out versus trying to mold to everyone else’s ideals, opinions, or desires of me.

God made me… not me… not them… GOD.

And I wanted HIM to have the final say on who I was from then on.

God Made Me, I Didn’t

If anyone knew who I was created to be, it was going to be the very One Who created me. My loving God Almighty, Creator of heaven & earth, Redeemer of my soul, through Jesus Christ.

If you are feeling stuck in a world of trying to fit in… to cover up or compensate for your flaws in order to feel “wantable” or accepted… just know that you aren’t alone in that. But also know that God is big enough in that struggle as well, because He made you & He loves you so very much. You don’t have to pretend with Him.

Shine HOPE, by not letting opinions, insecurities, the world, family, upbringing, culture, or anyone else define you. Leave that up to the One Who MADE YOU.

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 ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for FIVE 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!!

Cacao Tea (GUATEMALA)

Enjoy a smooth and flavorful blend of 100% Guatemalan loose-leaf tea, made of the roasted husks of cacao beans. Every purchase supports families in areas of extreme poverty in Guatemala with safe jobs and fair wages.

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!

Gaining a Sure Foundation

And there it was: I had surrendered my life to Jesus when I was just 5 (“Chapter 1“), gone through a whirlwind of doubts that sent my life into a tailspin, starting in middle school (“Chapter 2“), faced 2 of the darkest years of my life, only to discover that those dark years were a significant & sufficient display of God’s mercy & His truth (“Chapter 3“). All of my doubts on Who the true God were… were squashed. I now KNEW that I knew that I knew that HE was the right & only true choice for hope & heaven.

God had used that dark time to show me that if I had absolutely nothing, but I had Him… I had everything.

Hope was solidified. I was set free from my prison/whirlwind chaos of doubts. I was praising God for the darkness that had revealed Him as the one & only true light of hope. I now had a sure foundation on which to build my life.

A Forever Work in Progress

BUT, even though I had been a Christian (a believer on Jesus Christ as my HOPE from my sin debt to God, for heaven) since I was 5 years old & even though I had now had this magnificent display of God’s sufficiency, authority, & grace through the 2 years of depression being what squashed my years of unstable doubtings… I didn’t become perfect along with it.

I was still human (still am), which means I still made mistakes & had wrong thinking (still do).

Sanctification, the weeding out (by God’s Holy Spirit working in us) of the human nature/fleshly will, actions, thoughts, etc. & replacing them with that which honors & pleases God, is something that will not be completed in its entirety this side of Heaven. I will forever be a work in progress.

And although I strive to lay down or put away from me those things that dishonor or displease God, I am never going to be perfect at it. And the more I grow, the more I see my very real need for Jesus.

Failing Forward

We grow up observing the world around us & drawing conclusions & forming patterns of thinking that we don’t always think to stop & question whether they entirely line up with God’s will & way. That’s why we need His help working in & through us.

There are many instances throughout my life that I could very clearly see that while I would be tempted to drown in the ocean of my recognized inadequacies, God so graciously takes me one step at a time, in His patient, kind, gentle timing.

Sometimes, He didn’t even address the main thing that, looking back on, I would call the more important issue. He knew I am human & am flawed & have flawed human thinking. He took me one step at a time, patiently, kindly, gently. They weren’t the end-all-be-all for Him.

I think at times that I am more pushy with myself than He is with me. It’s as if He has this overarching understanding that “Jesus paid for & sufficient in that inadequacy, too,” that I forget sometimes. It’s just me failing forward.

Not Used as an Excuse When We Know What Is Right or Wrong, Though

Now, do not misunderstand me on this. I am not saying He excuses wrong thinking/actions as “not that bad” or that I ought to not take it seriously in my seeking to honor & please Him with my life because of Jesus covering it.

I am saying: If it is not directly a sin or an act of disobedience against Him, but merely skewed understanding or an immaturity in an issue that I still need to grow in… He is patient in leading & growing me versus, “YOU MUST UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING RIGHTLY RIGHT NOW, OR ELSE!” Sanctification will take a lifetime+ & He very well knows that.

He knows those things don’t change my status of rightness before Him because Jesus’ perfection & sacrifice on the cross covers ALL of my imperfections & inadequacies & lacking. He is my Sufficiency.

But it ought never be used as an excuse to continue on in what He does call disobedience or sin… because that is very obviously NOT honoring or pleasing to Him. It’s disrespectful & mockery to the gift for which He gave His all through Jesus.

Learning to Trust Him Every Day

So, in the months that followed my release from my spiraled depression prison, He spent time building my trust in Him in the day-to-day versus just counting on Him for someday Heaven.

I remember so many little things of this nature, but obviously, even a book series could not cover all the ways He showed up in my life, teaching & guiding me in His perfectly loving, gentle, PATIENT way. Seriously, emphasis on PATIENT because sometimes I feel like God thinks to Himself, “Michelle, how many times do you need to learn this lesson to not have to learn it again?”

I was learning to trust Him every day, not just relying on Him for Heaven someday.

God Wants Us to Know His Character & His Love for Us

Yes, God cares about our obedience. Yes, God cares about our sin. Yes, God calls us to love Him with all we have. Yes, God calls us to honor Him with our choices & do all we do for His glory. Yes, God says to avoid certain things because He knows it will harm us.

BUT, God also cares that we know His character & His love for us just as equally as all of that.

The problem is, sometimes it’s just really hard to marry the two. The tendency is to either focus so much on His call for obedience & holiness that we see God as a bossy, controlling Master, OR, we focus so much on His love that we excuse away our slack choices & wrong behavior/thoughts “because God loves us.”

BOTH are wrong on their own. We need both TOGETHER.

God Wants Me to Know HIM, Not Just One Side of Him

So, after He made it irrefutably clear to me, through those 2 years of dark depression, that He alone is the One, True God, squashing my doubts about His authority, His offered salvation, & His love for me once & for all… He then began to reveal more of Himself to me as I sought to know Him more.

I wanted to KNOW Him, not just casually, but personally. It didn’t happen overnight… it takes a lifetime+ of learning to obey Him & trust Him. (Hint: Obedience Grows Faith.)

And little by little, as I called out to know & love Him more… He lovingly revealed Himself as trustworthy, caring, & kind through small acts of love. Nothing extraordinary… except to me.

A Small Display of His Kindness

There was one instance in particular that stands out to me & it happened more than once.

I would be out shopping, come across a DVD I had been wanting ON SALE, would get excited… & then feel a complete void of peace about buying it.

I would scoff & think, “Oh, what, is this not good enough? Am I supposed to only buy boring movies now? Is this wrong? Nothing in it is really bad because there’s no inappropriateness in it, but I guess it’s not good enough? (I automatically always assumed God was a dictator guilting me away from any & all fun to “prove myself worthy”–the whole problem that led to my depression spiral–can you see how I never seem to learn my lessons the first 10 times?) Maybe I’m just imagining it because it’s not a Christian movie or something. Maybe it’s all in my head. Maybe God doesn’t care. I’ll just get it. No, I can’t… something feels off & I can’t get over it. I’ll just keep shopping, keep it in my cart, & pray about it until checkout time. Then, I’ll decide.”

I would get in checkout, pray one last time, & still feel this wall of “don’t pass” aka a complete lack of peace about it & I would take a deep breath of resignation & say, “Ok, God. You win. I don’t get it, but I know You’re pushing back on this for whatever reason & I don’t want to risk disobedience if that really is the case here, so I won’t get it, okay? I won’t get it.” And I would tell the cashier I changed my mind on the DVD & move on.

God Is GOD. I am NOT… &, He Loves US

A week later? I would find that exact DVD at a thrift store for 50 cents OR a friend would have gotten an extra as a birthday gift & decided to give me the spare–like I said, this happened more than once & this was my thought process each & every time. I’m dense sometimes, I know.

God knew. I didn’t. I accused Him left & right when all He was doing was saying to me, “Michelle, I know everything. You don’t. I see everything in advance. You don’t. PLUS, I care about you. You can trust me, Michelle. I love you more than you know.”

He didn’t address the “whether I should get it” or the “whether it really was the best choice….” To look back & think, “wow, that was not the best choice for me to be making, but He let me make it knowing He is big enough to work through even my less-than-best choices.” God doesn’t jump to guilt trips, manipulation, shaming, etc. He gently, lovingly, & PATIENTLY guides us.

And oh how humbling that is!

He Is Not My Accuser; He Is My Redeemer

He is not shoving all of my shortcomings in my face, but rather, He is gently bringing attention to them one-by-one & walking me through them hand-in-hand, gently & lovingly sanctifying me, even then, all those years ago.

He knows it’s not a matter of my salvation—Jesus paid for that & I already accepted that free gift. Nothing I can do will ever earn & repay that. I am not enough. Period.

He knows it is not a matter of direct disobedience to His Word—AKA “I know the Bible says NOT to do this, but I found a loophole to enjoy it & ‘get away with it.’” That would make a mockery of His gift, a spitting in His face action.

But He is also not at all satisfied leaving me in my brokenness & He will always be diligent in fighting for me through His working in my heart, thoughts, & life. Because He cares too much for me not to.

Same goes for you, too.

Choose Him Today & Every Day After

If you have been rejecting or “putting off” accepting His gift, please stop it. You’re only hurting yourself. He’s worth it.

If you think you would be “missing out” by accepting His gift or living His way, that is a huge, fat LIE. He IS our fulfillment.

Our heart is so deceitful & wicked. We are bent toward sin nature, so it feels natural—because it is! But God is worth our surrendered hearts. He CARES for us & KNOWS what’s best for us. He can be trusted every time.

This was only the beginning.

Seek to Know & Love Him More… & He Will Reveal Himself to You

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) He longs for you to know Him.

If you struggle to see Him in small moments such as my DVD instances, ask Him. Say to Him, “God, I want to know You like that. I want to trust You more. I want to live through Your help & guidance more so I can please & honor You more. And please help me to do my best to please & honor You even if I struggle. I believe, Lord, help my unbelief. (Mark 9:24) In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Doubting is not an excuse to sin or to live your way over His. Seek Him & You WILL find Him–He wants to be found by you.

Shine HOPE by being a living testimony to the fact that God CAN be trusted & He LOVES us so much more than anyone else ever could.

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 ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for FIVE 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!!

Festive Card Set (HAITI)

LIMITED EDITION – While Supplies Last! Send cheerful and unique Christmas wishes to all your loved ones with this set of four festive cards from Haiti with colorful hand-embroidered and printed designs on the front.

*****Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in Haiti.*****

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!

My Childlike Faith Slipped Away… & I Went with It

So, my family watched Left Behind & my world was SHOOK. (Read about how that started in Chapter 2.)

All of a sudden, I didn’t want to run from my questions anymore. I NEEDED answers.

I looked up Bible verses. I asked questions of my Christian friends. I asked my parents & church leaders. I became obsessed with wanting to know FOR SURE that I had the right answer… the true hope… in Jesus… that I wasn’t believing amiss.

I remember being SO jealous of people at church that just seemed to BELIEVE what they heard without questioning everything.

That childlike faith was no longer in me. I wanted to know.

Looking Deeper

Now that I am older, I can see some things at play here.

1. Questions are not sinful. God is SO far above & beyond us, that it makes sense for us to not understand… & for us to want to—this is a reason why God gave us His Word, the Bible!
2. Satan likes to take these questions & make you tempted to doubt God altogether… either to render you fruitless in your faith, to make you miserable, or to make you turn away from God altogether. Be careful!
3. We need to make sure that our questions don’t get mingled in with a subtle built-in “excuse” to sin. AKA, “well, if God ISN’T real, maybe that’s okay because then I don’t have to feel bad about wanting to do something God calls sin.” BE CAREFUL HERE!

I was ALL 3 at different points.

It Started with Legitimate Questions–I Wanted to Know What (Who) I Could Put My Full Faith In

I had legitimate questions being a limited human being serving a limitless God. His grace is beyond reasonable because it’s completely underserved. He made EVERYTHING. Plus, the world around us claims so many lies that they believe 100% that it seems the current is constantly flowing AGAINST you.

But Satan also used the questions to make me doubt God & start trying to find “backups” “in case God didn’t come through for me.” I mean, sometimes I would pray for something—like the end of a struggle—& the hard would just remain… sooo….

I Wanted to See for Myself

And so then, number 3… I started using my doubts as an excuse. I didn’t WANT to keep acting in that willpower I talked about last week. It was tiring trying to be a perfect Christian all the time (in my own strength), seeing other Christians seem to care far less about pleasing God… wishing I could care less, too… wishing I could do things God called (or hinted as) sin without feeling so bad about even the thought of it.

I started thinking up “loopholes” to God’s Word (I put loopholes in quotes here because, really, God isn’t fooled.)

My very real questions became my “excuse” to bend the rules… to look elsewhere for happiness… “just in case.”

But boy was I setting the stage for my own ruin. I was heading toward destruction. Part of me knew it & part of me didn’t care anymore. I wanted to see for myself.

Heading Out into Choppy Waters

And so the journey became more & more choppy. I had so MANY questions & no matter how many people I asked for answers, I always came back to the same conclusion: “to err is human.” And that being true, how could I trust any answer given to me by any living human being or any human in history?

How could I trust a Bible I wasn’t around to see completed? What if it was all made up? What if it really was just a bunch of men coming together? What if it was faked?

How could I trust physical evidences of God, the Bible, biblical history, etc., if evidences were faked all the time about other things?

How could I prove God if I couldn’t see Him, hear Him, feel Him, etc.?

Okay, so I trusted Jesus to save me, somehow even in all of that turmoil… but what if there were other ways to God? What if I was wrong?

I grew up a Christian, in a Christian home. What if I was just brainwashed by my upbringing. Not lied to, but believing only because I was told it was what I ought to believe?

What if God just made me & saved me & just doesn’t care about me much beyond that? What if He doesn’t even know what’s going on on earth or just doesn’t care?

The questions swirled & raged & tormented me. Nothing in life felt certain anymore. Nothing made sense. Nothing was sure. I didn’t know what to believe. I was scared.

Then my depression began to spiral. And everything got a whole lot worse.

I Thought God Wasn’t Listening… But He Had a Plan All Along

I no longer had a firm, steady, sure foundation, so when the depression symptoms began to creep in & the consequences of that started to show themselves & Satan started to exploit all of that… I didn’t have anything to hold on to. (Read more about how to recognize the different parts of depression so you can fight back, here: “Understanding Depression with Discernment.”)

I prayed for freedom from it. It didn’t come.

I prayed for an escape from it. It didn’t come.

The lack of response reinforced all of my doubts & all of my fears. I felt like God could care less about me.

I cried all the time, begging Him to help me… & yet the inescapable, gut-wrenching pain inside of me raged on—there was no escape… no relief… no freedom.

I Went My Own Way… Big Mistake

I was a prisoner in my own mind. No help came. No hope was in sight.

So, my desperate hunger for happiness just consumed me. I no longer believed I could trust God could provide that for me… or would provide it if He could.

But the problem was that everything I turned to for happiness seemed to get ripped out from under me time & time again.

Desperation mounted. I begged God still. Pain continued still. So I chased after anything I thought could help me instead. And all of it failed me or proved insufficient.

Hiding Behind a Smile

I stopped asking for help because seeing someone judge me, not take me seriously, or just be plain clueless on how to help after I had mustered up every bit of courage to ask for help just left me feeling 10x more helpless. The despair would just engulf me completely because I felt it was proof that there was no way out.

I learned how to hide my pain behind a convincing smile, jokes, laughter… an air of “I don’t care because I’m just fine,” while inside I was giving up & losing hope.

“In high school, I learned to come home, greet my family, say something like, “I’m gonna go work on some homework!” with a pep in my step & a confident smile, walk calmly to my room, open & close it in complete silence, turn the lock, drop the smile, numbly walk to my bed, grab a pillow & a blanket, open my closet door, step in & close the door behind me as I slumped to the floor in the corner, hold the pillow up to my face & just sob (& scream) uncontrollably into my pillow until I had no more strength left to cry. Then I would slump against the corner wall against my pillow & just stare into the darkness for an hour or so, whimpering, begging God to make the pain go away. And when it didn’t, I started to think of ways I could kill myself with the least amount of emotional damage to my family.

For 2 years in high school, this is what a majority of my days looked like… & nobody knew.

Where Was God?

It was an internal gut-wrenching ache in me that was so completely overwhelming & all-consuming sometimes. No explanation either. Sometimes nothing even needed to trigger it. It made no sense—so when people asked me why I was sad, I had no clue how to even answer them because I just didn’t know… & that was frustrating beyond comprehension. It was maddening.

I couldn’t understand why God wouldn’t let it stop.

I begged Him every single day.

He didn’t make it stop.

I doubted Him even more. Maybe He couldn’t help me. Maybe He just wouldn’t help me. Maybe He wasn’t enough. Maybe He didn’t care.

My hope was slipping away from me.

I wanted answers to my questions. I wanted to know 100% but every time God would give me a glimpse of relief or a happy day off from the pain, I would KNOW it was Him… a direct response to a prayer I had prayed… but then the doubts would win & I would accredit that relief to something else & move on.

All of My Support Slipped Away

All of my emotional crutches kept breaking.

My grades were trash… A’s & B’s turned into D’s & F’s, with occasional C’s.

Teachers that once praised me as the “good student” now saw me as someone who had given up & who didn’t care… so their faith in me evaporated & their praise & my good reputation went with it.

Many of my friends (not all!) were really no friends at all. I even got invited to a party with friends once, only to be uninvited because they had a limit & a boy someone liked had agreed to go… so I was dropped. Or the time a group of “friends” openly laughed at me, only to have someone speak up with a, “that’s not very nice” to their response of, “it’s just Michelle, who cares?” Quality friendship right there, huh?

I could do no right. I was a failure. I was broken. I was a burden. I was a joke. My pain was annoying. “Why can’t I just be happier?” I was frustrating. I was bleeding emotionally & no one noticed. No one knew how to help me. Some gave up trying. Others thought I was just dramatic. I felt alone.

So, I hid my pain away, pretending to be okay, crying alone in my closet most days when I got home as I described earlier.

The Night When Suicide No Longer Scared Me

And then came the night in my sophomore year of high school when I no longer cared to fight. I no longer saw any sign of hope. I had exhausted all of my failed attempts at happiness. My emotional crutches in life had all proved completely insufficient. I had nothing left. No safe space person in my life remained. I was alone. I had nothing to live for anymore. “Everyone’s life would be easier & less complicated if I just wasn’t in it anymore.” I was the problem & there was no other solution left.

Either God was enough or my life needed to end.

That was my final conclusion. There were no other options left. I was no longer scared of suicide.

Either God was enough or my life needed to end.

Either God Was Enough or My Life Needed to End

The weight of that reality weighed down on me so heavily that I could no longer hold up the weight of my own body.

I slumped off of my bed, slid to the floor, & lay face first flat on the ground with my arms at my side & I just wept into the carpet alone, while the rest of my world went on around me totally unaware.

And I cried out one more prayer to God & it was something like this:

“God, nothing works. I have tried everything. Everything that makes me happy, I have poured myself into only to see it’s never enough. Everything I relied on & cared about in my life has just slipped away from me. I don’t have anything left. I’m alone. I have nothing. I am nothing. I don’t have strength to fight anymore. I don’t care. I don’t want to try anymore. I just can’t do it anymore. I have nothing left. I can’t do this anymore. If You’re not the answer, there is no answer. If You’re not the hope, there is no hope. There is nothing. NOTHING works. NOTHING is sufficient. EVERYTHING has failed me. I have NOTHING. I need You. I need You so bad. I can’t do this anymore. Please help me. Please show me that You are here, with me, right now—NOT off in heaven ignoring me or laughing at me as I struggle… but HERE WITH ME. SHOW me that You CARE about me, that You LOVE me. Show me that I can trust You. I NEED to KNOW I can trust You once & for all. I NEED You because there is nothing else. I need You. If You are not able to sufficiently show me Yourself that I can indeed trust You completely & that You’re here & that You care about me… just KILL ME already, because I have nothing left. I no longer care about the consequences of my death because the pain is drowning me & I have nothing left in me to fight it anymore. Show me You are real, that You are right here with me, & that You care about me… or let me die. AMEN.”

Not the Words I Prayed, But the One to Whom I Prayed

There’s nothing magical about that prayer. If you are struggling, then memorizing or quoting that prayer will do you absolutely no good.

No—what it came down to was me recognizing once & for all that there is only ONE God. Only ONE hope. No other. No other emotional crutches, no substitutes, no supplemental supports I needed were going to give me hope.

ONLY GOD ALMIGHTY. ONLY JESUS.

ONLY.

Nothing else.

And when I recognized that & came to Him with nothing else as my backup & I prayed from that heart recognition….

Something that none of my efforts ever could accomplish happened in a single instant.

God Had a Perfect Plan

Chills spread across my body. The ache lifted out of me like it was being super-vacuumed out of me. The weight just dissipated instantaneously.

I felt free.

I felt light.

I felt HOPE.

Sobs of relief flooded through me & I felt like I could BREATHE for the first time in 2 years.

And in that moment, as I brought myself up to sitting cross-legged on my carpeted bedroom floor, I felt as if a warm embrace physically wrapped around my entire being & I felt a flooding sensation of LOVE & SAFE just fill in every dark crevice of my soul.

The relief I felt in that moment was indescribable & overwhelming. I cried… but this time, it was from a relief & joy that flooded me.

And all of a sudden, I knew that those 2 years were an undeniable demonstration of His gracious, loving MERCY… of His indescribably GOODNESS. Because now I KNEW He is Who He says He is once & for all.

God Knew Exactly What I Needed

My doubts had taken over my life & left me rocky & unstable & unsure & all of a sudden, all of that just was swept completely away by an absolute assurance that God is GOD & that when I have absolutely NOTHING… if I have Him, I have EVERYTHING.

He. Is. My. ENOUGH.

God knew I would tirelessly credit everything & everyone but Him… that I would always put something else in the credits of my hope & joy. God knew He needed to strip away everything else I relied on as my security & hope for me to see that HE IS my Hope.

I know I still get pulled away by comforts & other things I try to support me. I still fail & mess up.

But now, deep down, I have an assurance like none other… that all I really need is Him.

He Is Worthy!

Why do I do what I do? Because I want YOU to have that SAME ASSURANCE flowing through EVERYTHING in your life.

That He is WORTH IT. That He is DESERVING. That He LOVES YOU INDESCRIBABLY so.

Living for Him is an honor. Living for Him requires sacrifice, but only for that which is far greater.

Growing up a Christian—A Grace-Filled Life

Why is this series called “Growing up a Christian—A Grace-Filled Life”? Because grace implies an undeserving, & wow is that an accurate depiction of my life.

How often how ungrateful I am. How often I chase other things for comfort. How often I want to wallow versus pray. How often I want to live for me versus give my all for Him.

I will forever be a work in progress. It will always be a grace-filled life because I will never deserve it.

But THANK GOD He will never give up on me & that He will never stop loving me….

The same goes for you, too.

So, shine HOPE by taking doubts to Him… by learning from my experiences & coming to that conclusion that HE IS WHERE YOUR TRUE HOPE COMES FROM & that even if you lost it all… if you have Him, you have it all. SHINE THAT 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 ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for FIVE 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!!

Forest Critters Ornament Set (NEPAL)

HOLIDAY EDITION – While supplies last! This adorable, festive Forest Critter Ornament Set from Nepal will add some adorable charm to your holiday decor! Each ornament set features four friendly forest critters made entirely out of 100% wool—a little fox, white bunny, gray squirrel, and an adorable hedgehog. Each Forest Critter Ornament Set is handcrafted using traditional wool crafting techniques that have been passed down for generations.

*****Your purchase provides a woman in an area of extreme poverty in Nepal with a safe job and fair wage.*****

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!

Growing Up a Christian

I really don’t remember too many specific things from my childhood, following the biggest thing that has ever happened to me that one day, back when I was 5. (You can read about that, here: “Growing Up a Christian–A Grace-Filled Life, Chapter 1”)

I remember some people in my life at the time. I remember memorizing Bible verses for treats at church. I remember meeting at the Boys & Girls Club because we didn’t have a church building. I remember some of my friends.

But I also remember loving my children’s Bible. I loved the pictures, which helped me visualize the stories of past events as told in the Bible. I loved learning about God, even at a young age.

I Was No Angel Child

Now, this doesn’t mean I instantly became an angel child. Our sin/flesh/human nature is still very much in us after we accept God’s free gift of Jesus paying for our sin against God.

I still made mistakes. I still made wrong choices. (Still do sometimes.)

But God was working in me, even as a little kid. I had an insight few seemed to be aware of in themselves. I was acutely aware of sin & others’ excuses for their thoughts &/or behavior–& that sense annoyed people sometimes. It honestly annoyed me sometimes, too.

I began to struggle as a child because the human, fleshly side of me wanted to serve me… but the new spirit in me, born of a new life in Jesus Christ, wanted to obey God.

I Tried to Be a Good Christian… Without God’s Help

Back then, I really didn’t understand the fact that God was my missing piece in this battle as well.

As a human, I can only get so far on sheer willpower. And quite honestly, even having the will to do something in the first place.

I didn’t learn this until about 30 years later, back about 5+ years ago, through Andrew Murray’s book on Prayer, that we’re NEVER meant to obey God ON OUR OWN. We NEED His HELP to do it!

If you look through so many of the commands in God’s Word, the Bible, you will notice they say, “by God,” “through God,” “by faith,” or “through faith.” Faith in Who? GOD! We need Him to help aid us in obeying Him. We need His wisdom, & His will to enable us to obey Him. We HAVE to draw from Him & lean into Him through prayer, aka asking Him for His help & trusting Him to be faithful to give it!

But I didn’t know that back then. And I fought without His help… & oftentimes lost the tug-of-war with myself.

Knowing Better, But Still Wanting Me First

Because I had this God-given insight, even at a young age, I felt so much pressure to live up to every bit of insight I received. I could see excuses clear as day in others & it made me even more aware of my own.

I called this insight my blessing & my curse.

It was a blessing because I had a sense at all times what God wanted of me & even of those around me. It was a curse because I didn’t always want to know. I didn’t always want to do it or felt I couldn’t live up to it to the degree that I was aware of it & I didn’t like feeling uncomfortable when asked my opinion on something only to have them frustrated with my response. It felt overwhelming & impossible… too heavy a burden to carry. And I wanted to be liked.

I became more frustrated. I progressively felt more & more like a “bad Christian.” I wanted to do what was right, but at the same time, something in me didn’t. I didn’t understand that. I wanted to be a normal teenager when it came to that age. I didn’t want to feel so convicted about everything around me all the time.

I questioned my salvation because of it. I began to fantasize about alcohol misuse because of it. I didn’t want this burden of always knowing what was right when I didn’t always want to follow it. I wanted to be a little more clueless & a lot more carefree. I wanted to fit in.

God Offers Himself to Us… Even Before Heaven

I didn’t know that God wanted to interact with me in my life… versus just getting me into Heaven because of Jesus. I didn’t know then that He both wanted to & could help me live for Him & obey Him. It wasn’t something for which He was expecting me to be good enough on my own.

I didn’t know how to lean into Him & draw from Him… or that it was even possible/offered by God Himself. I thought to be a good Christian, I had to do it myself & WANT to. (Philippians 2:13)

Prayers felt like making sure I said all the right words, as if it were some trigger to get God to do something.

I thought prayer was just about asking God to help me get what I wanted… & when that didn’t happen… I thought He was saying He didn’t care or wasn’t involved in my life.

It was very confusing to me because I greatly misunderstood prayer & God’s working/presence in my life. But God wants to be Who actively leads my life.

God Can Work Anywhere–He Is Never Limited by the Darkness Surrounding Us

Then enter middle school. In 7^th grade, I went to public school after being homeschooled my whole life (other than 4^th grade).

I want to be very clear right now that I am in no way demonizing public school, nor do I believe any of us should.

God can work anywhere, even in the darkest of places—much darker places even than public school. Nowhere is out of God’s reach to work in the lives of those who seek Him.

AND, God can use even the worst life experiences to shape us & to cause us to recognize our very real, immediate need of Him.

But, moving on…

My Faith Was Tested & I Didn’t Exactly Pass with Flying Colors

With being in a public school, I heard all sorts of opinions on who God was, how many gods people believed there to be… how many “ways to heaven” people believed there to be… all the while asking me a little question I didn’t quite know how to answer: “How do you know YOUR God is the ‘right’ God?”

I was unprepared. I was caught off guard. I was shocked. I was embarrassed that I didn’t know how to answer.

And all of a sudden, my faith began to shake a little. A crack had formed. Questions began to pile up. I doubted God.

From that point on, my life with God was defined by doubts, tossing me around like a rag doll at some points in my life. Life all of a sudden felt uncertain & unsteady.

I believed, but I didn’t know why… & that really bothered me.

I Thought It Was “Un-Christian” to Have Doubts about God… So I Hid My Questions

But I stuffed all of those doubts down because I felt like a “bad Christian” for having questions. My parents worked with the youth ministry team at church & everyone knew them & I was afraid that if I admitted I had questions, it would reflect badly on them & on my family… that maybe they all would wonder if I was even saved at all.

So, I pretended not to have those questions.

… Until one fateful day that forced me to face everything I had tried to bury.

My family watched Left Behind, & all of a sudden, I seriously understood the weightiness of the fact that I better know what I believe once & for all, because if I didn’t, the consequences could be absolutely & terrifyingly devastating.

Let’s talk more about what came of that next week…. (Talk about a cliffhanger, huh?)

A Grace-Filled Life

Aren’t you so glad that God is SO patient with us? I am!!

Shine HOPE by allowing & welcoming questions, knowing God is not scared off by them. Go to God with questions. Take others’ questions to God, in prayer to Him for wisdom & through searching His Word, the Bible. 1. Don’t be afraid of questions, but also, 2. don’t let questions be a door for Satan to use to help you question God Himself.

Remember that fearing God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). AKA recognizing that God is GOD & you are NOT, is the beginning of wisdom. And 3. don’t use those questions to fuel your fleshly desire for sin. Doubts do not equal worthy excuses to sin against God Almighty.

AND, ALWAYS depend on God’s help, asking Him for it & obeying, trusting He will be faithful in answering that. Your willpower will only get you so far… You NEED Him. And He WILL supply.

Amen? 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 ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for FIVE 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!!

Nepali Nativity Set (NEPAL)

HOLIDAY EDITION – While supplies last! The perfect nativity scene to add to your holiday decor! Each Nepali Nativity Set includes three figurines, Mary holding baby Jesus, Joseph, and a little lamb. This adorable nativity set is handcrafted using traditional felt-crafting techniques that have been passed down for generations. *****Your purchase provides a woman in an area of extreme poverty with a safe job and fair wage.*****

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!

A Living Testimony

I have done this before, in a previous series I did years ago, but I am going to attempt a fresh take on the story of my life. (See the previous series, starting here: “Pivot, Pivot! #1: The Simplicity of Grace.”)

My purpose in doing this is not so that you will look over my life & think that I am deserving of praise, but so that no matter what stage of life you happen to be in, you can see the very clear blessing it is to surrender your life to the loving, almighty God who made you… NOW.

May this serve as a testimony of how much of a blessing it is to grow up a Christian… to surrender NOW (no matter how old you are) & not wait… to live a grace-filled life. A testimony of the beautiful grace of GOD ALMIGHTY.

Made to Give God Glory

We were made to bring God glory. All of us, whether we accept Him or reject Him. It is our purpose in life. Now, as God showed through the Pharoah in the retelling of Moses’ life (Romans 9:17), even those who reject God until death will serve as a highlight to God’s glory, to show others what NOT to do, essentially, & to show that no matter how much we fight God, He will win every time & that no matter how WISE & PROGRESSIVE we feel we’re becoming, our wisdom is NO match for that of God Almighty (1 Corinthians 3:19; Isaiah 55:9) & that no matter how much we reject God, He will pursue us with an opportunity for HOPE until the day we die (the day we meet our judgment before Him) (Hebrews 9:27) because that’s how much He loves even those who reject Him.

He desires that no one should perish but that all should come to eternal life in Him. (2 Peter 3:9)

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

But whether or not you get to personally experience the HOPE He offers, or whether you will bring Him glory through your rejection & missing out of that hope… God will be glorified.

I choose surrender. Not an “I give up” surrender, but an “I choose HIM over me” surrender.

The Sin Displayed in a Child

When I was a little kid, even from the beginning… maybe because I was the firstborn & felt pressure to be this way?… I wanted to please my parents & not get in trouble. But, I was still (& still am) human & I did act accordingly.

I begged at the grocery store, long after my mom’s nerves were shot, to be allowed a treat in the checkout aisle. I did the same when we were at any store, really… I wanted a toy or a new whatever. I think I saw my mom getting stuff & I wanted to feel grownup, too. But, nonetheless, I was no doubt headache-inducingly annoying sometimes about it.

I also have a sister 2 years younger than me, & we would get in all-out brawls. Slammed doors & “I hate you!!!” screaming & everything. The WORST was when Mom would make us HUG & say “I love you” “until we sounded like we meant it.” UGH. She would say, “friends come & go, but sisters are forever, so you guys have to make up & be good to each other.” (So, SO grateful for that now because I love having my sister as a best friend of mine. (This was long before my other sister-also a best friend of mine-was born.)

Sometimes I wouldn’t listen when asked to do something, because something else seemed far more important to me in that moment. Maybe I was styling my yard sale Barbie’s hair or coloring… any of which seemed more important than chores or helping my mom with something boring.

If you have kids, you are probably well aware of the fact that we are born sinners & my parents could probably list a LOT more things than I came up with here. As humans, we want what WE want. We want to serve SELF above anything else. It’s our innate nature.

I was no different as a kid.

Younger Years

I grew up going to church with my family. I don’t really remember too much about it from my preschool years, other than the nice people we went to church with, learning Bible verses for pieces of candy, or things like that.

But I do remember I owned an illustrated children’s Bible. I was curious about things I heard in church sometimes, although I didn’t always understand what it meant. I remembered hearing that God loved me & that Jesus died for my sins because it was often talked about… but I hadn’t really grasped on to what it meant.

It Clicked… I Was a Sinner… I Needed Jesus

Then there was one evening when I was sitting in bed looking at my children’s Bible around 5 years old & I remember seeing something about Jesus & asking God about it because I didn’t understand.

And at that moment, it clicked. Sin = things that made God angry? Sin = doing things God says not to do? Sin = why Jesus had to die for me?

And sin = not listening to & obeying my parents when they ask for my help with something? Choosing me first?

And sin = being mean to my little sister?

And sin = lying to my parents?

And sin = thinking mean things in my head?

I sinned. I was a sinner (still am). I make God angry. I do things God says not to do. I do things that made Jesus die for me.

And all of a sudden, I realized I was who that was talking about. (Well, not just me—but I certainly was not the exception to it!) I was the one needing Jesus to forgive my sins!

5 Years Old… Asking Jesus to Cover My Sins

It all seems so clear a memory looking back on it even right now, 35 years later. The weight I felt in my little kid heart. The need I felt for Jesus to forgive me so God would forgive me. I needed Him!

And so, I ran to my parents & asked them how Jesus could forgive me, too.

I remember sitting on the couch in our living room & my parents asked me questions about where this idea came from & what made me think I needed Jesus’ forgiveness. They wanted to make sure, no doubt, that I wasn’t just regurgitating words I heard from someone, but that my little child heart understood what I was asking.

And I told them it all. And I felt desperate that God please forgive me.

So, they walked me through it.

Jesus Saves! God Forgives!

God says, in Romans 10:9-10: “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (emphasis added)

So simple, even a child can understand, & yet so profound & life-changing!

“Repent [turn from your sin to God] therefore and be converted [let Him begin to change you to His ways over your own], that your sins may be blotted out [forgiven by God & washed away], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19) (brackets & emphasis added)

“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3)

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

5-Year Old Me Was Saved from the Eternal, Deserved Consequences of My Sins That Day!

So my parents helped me to confess my sins to God & to ask Jesus to cover that sin for me so that I could have forgiveness & eternal life in Jesus Christ. Not because of what I did or did not do… but because of what HE did on my behalf.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

And from that day on, my life was changed forever. I was set free from the consequences of my sin FOREVER… because of JESUS, not me.

More on that to come….

Growing Up a Christian–A Grace-Filled Life

I don’t know if maybe you’re tempted to believe kids are too young to get it… too young to hear about Jesus DYING for them. But let me tell you, they absorb much more than we often give them credit for & they need those words floating around in their brain as early as possible. Because, while God can meet you at any age… what a blessing it is to know Him early as I did.

Don’t EVER underestimate a child’s ability to understand their need for the Gospel… nor God’s power to reach into the heart of a little child & lead them to Him.

Shine HOPE by sharing the hope we have, through Jesus’ death & rising again, conquering sin & death on our behalf… even with the little children…. They’re listening.

“Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” (Luke 18:17) (Not that you have to BE a child, but to have a childLIKE faith. And if it requires us to have a childlike faith, then by all means… a child can have faith “worthy” of salvation, through faith in Jesus.)

My Prayer

God, many in my family are trying to live life their way, on their terms… & deep down, they know full well it isn’t working as they’d hoped. Open the eyes of their heart. Show them they need YOU. Break down their walls & bring them to their knees to humbly accept Your love & Your grace. You are enough. Break through & help them to have the faith of a child–not having to have it all figured out… but trusting You are full enough to fill in the gaps. Break their pride & lead them to the way everlasting…. And for those who struggle to preach the gospel to children, open their eyes through my testimony that You can reach into young hearts sometimes easier than the jaded adult hearts. Let us remember to be a light for You to any & every age. You can work where we see it impossible! In Jesus’ glorious, life-giving, gracious name, 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 ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for FIVE 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!!

October 2023 Hope Mail (NEPAL & KENYA)

*****Every purchase of this month’s Hope Mail provides safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in Nepal and Kenya where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops and human traffickers.*****

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!

“Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
Tremble before Him, all the earth.” (Psalm 96:9)

Holiness Really Is Beautiful

I came across this verse last night & thought, “I like that: “the beauty of holiness.”

When I try to live in a way that pleases & honors God, it really does make life seem to blossom. Even in the hard times, there is a ray of hope seeming to always shine. Life becomes richer & fuller & more meaningful.

How can this be? Because God’s ways are perfect because He is perfect. He knows everything & has perfect wisdom, so He can’t even make mistakes. I can count on His Word & His way, every time, to be best. Living His way really is beautiful.

Some Days in My Life I Just Feel Like the Definition of a Struggle Bus

I feel like I suffer/struggle a lot. I zone out, feel numb, struggle to do the simplest tasks some days because my brain just doesn’t want to cooperate. I’m emotional. I can get hurt very deeply when someone lashes out at me or misunderstands me & doesn’t seem to care for clarification. I take it too personally because I try so hard to be the best I can be & to be a friend to everyone I meet & to be respectful & kind. I care a lot, so when others don’t seem to… it hurts a lot.

Some days I’m just like, “Why does everything always seem to feel so hard for me sometimes?”

Plus, add in just everyday hardships, struggles, & trials. (AKA I feel like I am given A LOT of opportunities to lean into God for help.)

Can anyone else relate? Maybe my suffering seems trivial or pathetic to you. Maybe you get it completely because you feel the exact same way (or worse). Either way, this verse [Psalm 96:9] really is true–when I strive to live to please & honor God, it is a surprisingly great beauty in my life. It’s worth it.

We Tremble Because His Greatness Overwhelms Us

Every time I see something magnificent & so incredibly unbelievable, I literally begin to shake with awe & wonder, as tears burn the sides of my eyes. My throat tightens & I get overwhelmed with what I am witnessing in that moment.

For example, I once had the great opportunity to have a maybe 15′ long manta ray “fly” about 10′ above my head while I was scuba diving, blocking out the sun above me with its magnificent size & I actually cried from the overwhelming awe & excitement I was feeling in that moment because it felt so surreal. It was breathtaking. I will hopefully never forget how that felt.

The same can be true after I have been rebellious because I didn’t want God’s way in a specific situation or had a really bad attitude about something rather than trusting God with it… & then I witness His great patience, forgiveness, & help & I just get overwhelmed. I don’t deserve His love for me, nor will I ever deserve it–but He gives it anyway all the same. And sometimes that overwhelms me–in a good way.

Not Contradictory at All

Consider the second part of this Psalm 96:9 verse, trembling before God. Seems to sort of contradict any idea of beauty in holiness, doesn’t it? Like coercion… like you HAVE to, OR ELSE… like you’re doing it because you’re scared not to… like you’re considering God’s way as beautiful because you feel that’s how you’re SUPPOSED to feel.

When I read through Psalm 119 for the first few times, all about praising God’s way & God’s Word… that’s how it felt to me… that those many believers were just saying those sorts of things because it’s “what a good Christian ought to say about the Bible & God’s ways.”

But, no. That’s not it at all.

An Overwhelming Gratitude in Praise to God for His Steadfast Love!

That “trembling before God” bit is more the idea that you GET it… you SEE it… God is DESERVING… God is GOD & I am NOT.

But it goes even beyond that, because if you really think about it… even that can sound like obligatory praise of God, His Word, His ways, & living holy.

It’s realizing that God’s deserving is not “JUST” because He created everything, sustains everything, is the Beginning & the End, Alpha & Omega, All-powerful GOD… not “JUST” all that… but that He also calls Himself our Friend… our Father… & He gave His all, through Jesus, to rescue us from our own deserved ruin because of our sin against Him.

He’s not just deserving because He holds all power in Heaven & Earth, but because He has an all-encompassing, all-consuming, unrelenting, unconditional love for us every moment of every day, independent of our underserving, & because everything He does or tells us to do is filtered through that very deep, rich, REAL love for each & every one of us.

Deserving INDEED!

The Surprisingly Great Beauty of Holiness

That trembling in verse 6 is a response of “OH, WOW. I STAND BEFORE A HOLY, ALMIGHTY GOD WHO LOVES ME SO MUCH MORE THAN I COULD EVER, EVER BEGIN TO DESERVE!!! PRAISE GOD!!!”

And because of that understanding, I can look to the concept of holiness & think to myself, “HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS!”

When I strive to live for Jesus, to please Him & honor Him with how I live my life… it transcends whatever hardship I am facing.

It means no struggle is EVER wasted, because my response in it (even if because I had to pray & ask God for help with a right response) is a “rare, beautiful opportunity” to point to the GRACE of GOD. No struggle is ever wasted! (Read more about that in last week’s post: “Rare, Beautiful Opportunities… in the Midst of Our Deepest Hurts & Struggles.”)

ALL for HIS GLORY!

I don’t feel coerced… I feel honored to represent Him. Come what may.

Let me suffer… as long as I get to point to Him as my hope IN the suffering.

I don’t need strength… I WANT it. What I NEED… is Him AS my strength.

I don’t need to know/understand it all… I WANT it. What I NEED is a reliance on HIM.

I don’t need everything to be easy & comfortable again… I WANT it. What I NEED is to remember that He is my Enough even when it stays hard.

I don’t NEED everyone to like me… I WANT it. What I NEED is His love… & I have it, even when I least deserve it.

Choose to Listen to & Follow God’s Way

Are you trying to dance the fence? “Have your cake & eat it, too” as the saying goes? In other words, have your “faith in Him,” but live your way at the same time? Deep down you feel the ick in that, don’t you?

Trust me, it’s not the culture or your church or parents “making you feel bad about it.” It’s God’s Spirit telling you that you can never be truly satisfied until you humbly hand that over to Him & say, “God, if You choose to take this from me… I would rather have You.”

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)

It’s not worth it trying to have both. Holiness, the striving to express love to God by being pleasing & honoring to Him in all things is ALWAYS worth it.

He Is Worth It

I mess up every day, all the time. But I have to bow that down, ask for forgiveness right away, & let the Holy Spirit take the reins when I just feel like letting my natural flesh win.

Obedience is not only right, it’s worth it. Living for Him is worth it. Living through prayer for His help is worth it. Living with Him as your only strength through hard times is worth it.

HE is worth it.

Holiness is beautiful because it’s a laying down of our broken, flesh-driven responses, attitudes, thinking, habits, & actions… either led by our deceitful heart, our rebellious flesh, or our limited human understanding… trading all of that to let God’s perfect & perfectly love-filled Word & way lead the narrative of your life instead.

We tremble, not because God is vicious, but because we understand we can never deserve Him, but are in complete awe & reverence because He offers Himself & His love to us all the same.

Deserving indeed!!!

What Are You Holding Back?

What are you making excuses for?

Where are you trying to dance the fence of “having faith” while still doing things your way in a certain area of your life?

What does God not have full control of in your life right now?

We will ALWAYS be a work in progress—until heaven—but let’s not wait. If God’s Spirit nudges us in an area, let us say, “God, letting You have this area scares me because I want it my way or this way. But remind me that You know better. Remind me You have full control & power to overcome anything I can’t. You know everything & You love me more than anyone else. Help me be willing to let You take that control in my life. I don’t deserve You, but You give Your all to me anyway. THANK YOU. In Jesus’ saving name, AMEN.”

SHINE HOPE by determining to strive to live a holy pleasing-to-God life, with His help of course!

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 ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for FIVE 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!!

Gingerbread House Set (INDIA)

HOLIDAY EDITION – While supplies last! Display the darling Gingerbread House Set along with all your favorite holiday decor! This set of three, unique hand-painted mango wood houses will create a beautifully cozy feel when placed on your mantel or in a tablescape display. These eco-friendly, decorative houses are made from fast-growing mango wood, a sustainable byproduct of India’s mango fruit industry. Each house features unique natural wood grains and hand-painted gorgeous designs. Every purchase supports families in areas of extreme poverty in India.

In addition to being eco-friendly with fast-growing mango wood, our Artisans use up ALL parts of the wood! Nothing is wasted. This leads to many variations in the set, showing off its natural beauty.

Every gingerbread house set has variations as a part of the Artisan-made charm!

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!

So Many Opinions

I get a lot of differing responses to the fact that I run a blog & my own website.

Some have expressed that I (just by the very fact that I write a weekly blog) seem smug or as if my reasoning behind doing so is because I think I am somehow better than everyone else. (Ha! As if.) Some seem to think I have NO business doing this because of how obvious a mess I am. Some put me on a pedestal I don’t deserve to be on. Some think I do this because I am a “good person.” Some think I just want the spotlight all on me. Some seem to physically be struggling to hold back an eye roll to my face.

I don’t know what your opinion is, & honestly, to risk being rude, it really shouldn’t matter at all... because NONE of that should determine why I do this.

What Motivates Me?

In fact, if it were completely my choice, I probably would NOT be doing this. I don’t think my writing is good enough. I oftentimes don’t think my post has anything “inspirational” to say. I feel weak & inadequate & honestly, it really highlights so many areas of weakness in me that I would much rather sugarcoat, brush over, & move on from in private.

I really needed to establish early on what exactly motivates me on this blog journey. The opinion of others? Or honoring what God has put in front of me to do–to consistently be a presence that points repeatedly to God, through Jesus Christ, as my only true hope–good mood, bad mood, good attitude, bad one… whatever. All to Him. All for Him. All through Him. To God be the glory, Amen.

ALL struggles, pain, & weaknesses have the potential to point someone else who is struggling similarly to the only place I have found true hope—God, through Jesus Christ.

Keeping My Dignity or Letting Everything Shine for Christ?

I used to wonder why I struggle with emotions so much. Why it can be so easy for me to get so low out of nowhere.

If you have not personally experienced a situation or depression symptoms or a particular flaw/weakness, it can be quite easy to raise an eyebrow, roll your eyes, & think to yourself, “Well isn’t she begging for attention at every turn?” or, “How has she not figured this out yet?”

Trust me, I am sometimes tempted to keep my mouth shut because SOMEtimes negative reactions from people are more common than prayerful, patient, gracious responses. And, let’s be honest… I want to keep some form of dignity intact.

God Has Me… No Matter the “Even If”

I used to cry & ask God, “WHY?!” Why do I have to drop so low out of seemingly nowhere sometimes? Why do things that seem normal to so many people have to feel like an all-out battle for me? Why does the darkness keep trying to take me under it?

And guess what, sometimes I still feel that way when going through a dark day. Truly.

But, as I was reading one of Paul’s letters, inspired of God in God’s Word (the Bible), he was talking about prison & going places where he was wanted as dead… & yet he faced them with joy & hope, because He knew God NEVER wastes our pain. He ALWAYS has a plan. He’s completely sufficient IN them. And in those places, Paul KNEW he could have a rare & beautiful opportunity to shine HOPE to people who would otherwise never come near him or bother to listen. He could share the hope of Jesus where few dared to go… & come what may, because of Jesus… he had Heaven to look forward to, knowing God had him no matter the “even if.”

And it dawned on me. When we go through hard things in life that bring us incredibly low, we have that same rare, beautiful opportunity to shine HOPE to people who would otherwise never care to listen about Jesus.

Even Here, God CAN… Even Here… There Is HOPE in JESUS

When you are brought to low places, other people in those same low places can get a glimpse that “EVEN HERE” God CAN. Even HERE, there is HOPE in Jesus.

Do I like having all of these hard situations, emotions, failures, weaknesses? Definitely no. But I can glory in the LORD & PRAISE Him for them because they take me to places where people can relate & can clearly see that EVEN IF… God is enough… JESUS’ sacrifice offers HOPE… REAL, I-CAN-COUNT-ON-IT HOPE.

Is it more comfortable to save face? Oh, yes. But is it worth it to save face? No, not at all. I don’t ever want to waste one of those rare, beautiful opportunities.

No matter what I face, even if it’s where I got to myself… I want everything to point back to Him.

Sometimes I Have to Pray for the Right Mindset to Bring God Glory Versus My Natural Wanting to Crawl in a Hole & Hide

I do not always have a good attitude about it right away, either. Sometimes, I’m like, “NOPE, this one is being kept to myself…” but then I realize: then what is the point of the hard experience if God won’t be glorified in it? I don’t want to waste it! Because, no matter how HARD something may be, He is ALWAYS sufficient in it. And not a just enough sufficient, but an overflowing sufficient.

Listen. I have been in some dark places. I’m sure many have been through way worse than me, though.

But in those darkest of places, even if mine seem trivial in comparison to your own… let my life be a constant reminder that you can look to Him & you can find HOPE there & only there.

Where Does My Hope Come From… from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven & Earth!

Sure, it may feel that hope is accessible in many different places & forms… but LASTING, no-strings-attached, covers ALL… HOPE… is ONLY found in Jesus. Periodt.

And no matter how weak it may make me look, or how pathetic, or whiney, or sad, or annoying, or “show-off-y.” I don’t care. I want everything in my life to remind you that HE IS WHERE YOUR HOPE COMES FROM.

Verse Reminders AKA Truth Reminders

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)

“My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah (Psalm 62:5-8)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son [Jesus}, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, [or face suffering/trials], or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) (brackets added)

My Prayer

 “God, I know I have the tendency to want to be what people want… to save face… to be liked… to appear strong & put together… to not make a scene & to stay in the shadows when I feel less-than… to not seem whiney… to not put all of my less-than”ness” on display. Forgive me for wanting to make it only about me… about my comfort… about my reputation… about people accepting/liking me. Please continue to remind me that my pain, my failures, my weaknesses, my struggles are all rare, beautiful opportunities to be brought low so that I can point to You as my only true HOPE in ANY & every situation in life. Use my weaknesses & failures to glorify Your name. THANK YOU for sending Jesus for us. We don’t deserve You. We don’t deserve our wrongs against You living for ourselves & by our own way, to be covered by & through Jesus. THANK YOU for not leaving our forgiveness up to us. THANK YOU for MAKING a way, through Jesus. HELP ME to be a light for You NO MATTER the circumstances. You are beyond worth it. BE my strength. BE my comfort. BE my refuge…. COME WHAT MAY. In Jesus’ Almighty name, AMEN.”

Rare, Beautiful Opportunities… In the Midst of Our Deepest Hurts & Struggles

What are you struggling with right now?

What weakness seems to creep up on you too many times to comfortably admit?

What hurts you?

Where do you feel alone?

What brings you low?

And how can those areas become rare, beautiful opportunities to rely on & point to hope in Jesus?

Will you let those hurts/struggles be wasted? Or will you use them to point to God as your truest sufficiency come what may?

Where can you use those areas to shine a light of hope in Jesus to the world watching around you?

SHINE HOPE by determining to not let your human struggle to go wasted… to use it all as rare, beautiful opportunities to give God glory.

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 ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for FIVE 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!!

Hand-Carved Acorn Set (INDIA)

LIMITED EDITION – while supplies last! This adorable set of three wooden acorns is meticulously hand-carved in India by women earning fair wages for their work. Each acorn features a hand-carved tag tied with satin ribbons that say: “gather,” “grateful,” and “blessed”. Made of eco-friendly mango wood, a fast-growing, sustainable byproduct of India’s mango fruit industry and the acorn stem at the top is made from antiqued aluminum.

*****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!

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!