Grace, By Definition, Is Undeserved

Being gracious does not come naturally, does it? Because, by its very nature, grace is undeserved.

Even if you may feel it not a weakness, I definitely struggle with it.

You know, if it’s something small or if I can tell nothing was meant by it, I can sometimes easily brush it off & move on… but when it was intentionally meant to hurt me or they recklessly hurt me, followed by zero remorse or compassion… yeah… not so easy for me then.

But today, I want to cover 4 people in the Bible whose demonstrated graciousness has really challenged me in this area: the slave girl, the prisoners, the betrayed brother, & the Lamb.

The Slave Girl

At church yesterday, our pastor spoke on the story of Naaman (2 Kings 5:1-16). Naaman is described as: Commander of the king’s army, a great man in the sight of the king, highly regarded, a valiant soldier… but he had leprosy.

But we’re not here to talk about this “great man of valor.” We’re here to talk about his wife’s slave girl. She is described as: taken from her home by raiders, held captive, & now a servant of Naaman’s wife.

Now, if it were ME we were talking about, I would find out my master’s husband had leprosy which he would most likely eventually die from, & think he kind of deserved it & that maybe it could even lead toward me finding a way to be released from captivity so I could go home.

But that is not how this slave girl responded to her unfair, hurtful circumstances that dragged her away from her home & family.

She surprisingly responded with GRACE. We know this because it was HER idea to tell Naaman’s wife that a prophet of God lived in Israel & could, through God, heal him of his leprosy.

Her Grace Led to His Healing, in More Ways Than One

And guess what??! Desperate man that he was, under all of his high praise titles, he LISTENED to her & WENT. And long story short, Elisha (the said prophet of God in Israel) did not show any recognition whatsoever to Naaman’s prestige, which greatly offended Naaman… because God wanted Naaman to see that it wasn’t JUST his physical malady He wanted to heal, but his heart & soul as well… & God KNEW Naaman needed to be humbled first, to be put on the same playing field as everyone else so to speak, & reminded that at his very core, Naaman was just simply a person like everyone else.

And through the urging of his servants to look past his offended pride & anger, he did indeed follow the instructions given by Elisha & he was indeed HEALED of his leprosy… & through all of that humbling, his heart was able to recognize the glory & splendor of the God Who had healed him!

He surrendered his life to God because a slave girl saw past her unfair circumstances, looked through the lens of grace, & had compassion on her master.

Was That Grace Easy for Her? We Don’t Know…

We aren’t told what went on in that young slave girl’s heart. Maybe she wrestled with wanting to let him suffer… maybe she had to bow down her natural inclinations to allow God’s perspective to override her feelings on the matter… or maybe she abided with God so closely through talking with Him (prayer) & reading His Word (Scripture texts), that she knew already how God would will her to respond. We don’t know.

But regardless of her process to get there, respond with grace she did. And her master will be grateful for her compassion & grace into all eternity.

All because a slave girl was gracious to a man named Naaman who wasn’t at all deserving of her grace.

The Prisoners

The second challenge to my struggle with graciousness is the story of 2 men who were “stripped, beaten, & severely flogged…” & then taken to prison because they freed a slave girl from the control of a demon & it made her masters FURIOUS because her fortune-telling made them heaps of money at her expense. (Acts 16:16-34)

The response of these 2 men—Paul & Silas? … “Praying & singing hymns to God as the other prisoners listened to them.”

In the middle of the night, earthquakes SHOOK the prison & caused the prison doors to fly open & all the chains on the prisoners to be loosed!

But you know what they did? The jailor came RUSHING in, SAW all the doors wide open, drew his sword & was ready to kill himself (the punishment for losing prisoners on your watch was SEVERE)… but then, a voice calls out….

Paul shouts out: “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” (Acts 16:28)

Their Grace Led to Hope for a Jailor & His Whole Family

The jailer was humbled to his CORE & was trembling as he asked, “What must I do to be SAVED???”

“They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.” (Acts 16:31-34) (WOW, it’s hard not to get choked up at that response!)

We don’t know how uncomfortable prison was for them, how wronged or hurt they felt… we know they were beaten & stripped & humiliated. And yet, they chose to worship God & trust God even in the midst of ALL THAT. And God used their time in prison & their attitude of graciousness to reach the heart of a particular jailor & his WHOLE family.

All because 2 prisoners saw beyond their uncomfortably poor circumstances & showed GRACE undeserved through it. Wow.

The Betrayed Brother

And then, this story, this betrayed brother that I have talked on so often in the past almost 7 years of doing this blog… Joseph, betrayed by his brothers. (Genesis 37-50)

They wanted to kill him, but then decided they could profit better from the situation by selling their own brother instead to passing slavers.

But you know what? Joseph, in being threatened to be killed by his brothers out of jealousy, being threatened to be abandoned to die of starvation or thirst in a hole by his brothers, being SOLD by his brothers to slavers, being bought, being accused wrongly because his new owner’s wife wanted him & he refused her honorably, being thrown in prison from false accusations, forgotten & left behind after helping someone in that prison, etc. etc. etc. The Bible says God BLESSED everything he did because he would strive always to do his best, even when it wasn’t earned by those demanding it.

What a life of GRACE he demonstrated, huh? I don’t know if I could have done it, outside of MUCH prayer & sobbing for home.

His Grace Led to Saving His Whole Family During a Time of Terrible Famine

But, in the end, God showed Joseph that what others meant for evil, God meant it for GOOD, because all of these HORRIBLE circumstances led him to be in a position of impressing the PHAROAH of Egypt so much so that this Pharaoh gave him power over his entire kingdom! AND, because of that gifted power, Joseph was in a position to provide food to his whole family when YEARS of famine struck all the land.

GOD KNEW… Joseph was faithful & gracious…. GOD PROVIDED.

(***You can read Joseph’s powerful story in Genesis 37-50. One of my FAVORITE stories. And it’s a TRUE one at that! God is so GOOD!***)

The Lamb

But then, we are at Person #4, who challenges me the most out of all 4: the Lamb.

More particularly, the Lamb of God… Jesus Christ.

Jesus is GOD. Imagine with me the ROBES that FILLED the throne room… the GLORY & MAJESTY like you can’t even begin to imagine….

And His love for US… it COMPELLED Him to step down from His heavenly throne when all of humanity’s efforts failed. The perfect garden with His presence? Wasn’t enough for us…. The 10 Commandments? Couldn’t keep ‘em. The sacrifices? Didn’t stop the sin.

So, Jesus came as the ultimate sacrifice… a once-for-all type sacrifice… as the Lamb of God.

His Grace Brought Us HOPE

We sin & we sin & we sin & we sin & we have no hope. We are naturally OWNED by our sin nature.

BUT GOD. God had compassion. God showed grace. God had His ONLY Son JESUS to pay our price FOR us. And Jesus, although overwhelmed by the weight & pain of it, willingly condescended Himself on our behalf. Talk about undeserved GRACE!

Aren’t you so incredibly GLAD that God did not leave us to our own sin & deserved punishment in Hell? That He provided an OUT? That He offered HIMSELF?

The perfect Lamb. Our perfect Sacrifice. Our SAVIOR.

What Does the Bible Say About Jesus?

“Behold! The Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”” (John 14:6)

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

“… 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.” (Romans 10:9-10)

“For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord [Jesus] shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

“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)

“All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on [Jesus] the iniquity of us all.

[Jesus] was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
[Jesus] was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So [Jesus] opened not His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:6-7)

Graciousness, as Told By: The Slave Girl, the Prisoners, the Betrayed Brother, & the Lamb

Who else is challenged in the area of GRACE today?

The slave girl, the prisoners, the betrayed brother… the Lamb…. Because they were willing to extend grace undeserved, God was able to change lives through their graciousness.

Praise GOD for GRACE.

May this urge us all to live in the perspective of grace. To live beyond & above our awful, difficult, unfair circumstances….

… To see ALL circumstances of unfairness as God-appointed opportunities to be, as our pastor termed it: “Messengers of Mercy.”

Shine HOPE by living a life of graciousness in moments of unfair treatment/circumstances, so that you can live as a “Messenger of Mercy” to this broken world owned by sin, to be redeemed by God’s GRACE.

(***Read more about grace undeserved in some of my previous posts: “An Undeserved Grace,” “Living Hard Things with Grace,” “Care More About the Person Than the Hurt,” & “Just an Average Person Used by an Almighty God.”***)

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 6.5 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!!

Ardent Necklace-Golden (INDIA)

Create safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty in India by purchasing the Ardent Necklace! The design of the Ardent Necklace makes it uniquely customizable, featuring its twisted cord, elegant metal finishing and an adjustable golden bead for easy wearing. This necklace is easy to pull over your head and adjust to your perfect length. The gold-tone pendant is an organically shaped pendant with a freshwater pearl.

***Use the “Shop Here” link below to purchase this beautifully handcrafted necklace & help create job opportunities for women in areas of extreme poverty in India.***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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 living for His glory in all that you do!

The Most Important Type of Surrender

Well, this is a big question, isn’t it?

I talk about surrender a lot, mainly because it is something I have seen as a necessary vein that runs through every part of our lives. But, it’s also very uncomfortable sometimes to think about, isn’t it? That’s what makes it surrender.

Surrendering to God starts with a surrendering of our sin & a surrendering of trying to live our way & a surrendering of thinking we can pay our own way to heaven, accepting that our sin is too great, our trying to live our way dishonors God & really is to our detriment, & that we could never even hope to come close to paying our own way to heaven.

That’s the first & greatest surrender of our lives. It’s a decision I made at just 5 years old & even these 36 years later, was notably the best decision I have ever made.

Be willing to pray: “God, I am a sinner. I have wronged You in so many ways. I cannot save myself. Please forgive me of my sin & please, Jesus, cover my sin. I no longer want to live my way, but Yours. Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross to cover what I could never pay. Please be LORD in my life from now on. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

(***Read more on this topic: “Have You Met Jesus?” & “Am I Going to Hell?” & “Before Life Began, God Had a Plan for Grace”***)

A Life Defined by Surrender… & That’s a Good Thing

But the surrender doesn’t end there. Yes, surrendering your life & sin in exchange for forgiveness because of Jesus is the only surrender that gains us God’s grace & forgiveness, & an eternity in heaven, but there is still so much more surrender awaiting us as we strive to live our lives pleasing & honoring to God—which ought to be our overarching, ultimate goal in life.

A life of surrender means taking our wants, our beliefs, the “even ifs,” & all of our self-effort to His throne & laying it down for His will, His way, His plan, & His help.

Surrender to God also looks like doing His way over your way. It is a trusting He knows more than you do, sees more than you can, & can fit the pieces of life together better than you could ever even attempt to do.

I Want What I Want…

We want a lot of things in life, don’t we? Whether it’s hoping to be liked & accepted by peers. Whether it’s getting your dream job. Whether it’s getting married… having kids… having a dream house. The list can literally go on forever.

But the things we want aren’t just the big things, right? They’re the little day-to-day things. Like having things go the way we feel is best, like getting a break when we want it, like being recognized for a job well done, like feeling appreciated.

But live just a little while & you will already see that we don’t always get what we want, do we? It can be easy to feel disappointed or discouraged or invisible even at different seasons of our lives.

God wants to hear about it. God wants you to tell Him all about it. God cares for you. But God also doesn’t want it to control you. He wants you to trust that He can be enough for you in its place… even if you don’t get what you so badly want.

Surrendering Our WANTS to God

So, what does surrender look like then? It looks like taking your requests to God, but trusting that if He chooses not to allow what you hope for, that you will choose to trust Him more than you trust that desire you have for whatever it is.

It’s a laying down of that thing you want, whether it’s wanting a comforting word when you got a harsh one instead… wanting a break, but getting an interruption or another task… wanting a spouse, but getting singleness… wanting recognition, but getting ignored… wanting a child, but ending up childless… wanting a good day, but getting a hard one.

Trust God’s perfect timing. Trust God’s perfect plan. Trust God’s perfect foresight. Trust God’s perfect wisdom. Trust God’s care for you in all things. Trust God’s perfect sufficiency in all things… even when you don’t get what you want.

Be willing to say to Him: “God, I want ________________ soooo badly it hurts. I feel like it’s right for me to want it. I feel I need it. I feel like I can’t be happy & live without it. But, God. I know You are sufficient in all things, even when I struggle to feel it. Help me trust Your plan, Your will, Your sufficiency. Help me not to make _____________ into my idol. Help me trust You more than my feeling I need ______________. Help me to trust YOU. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

(***There are some “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides made available if you are struggling to even WANT to pray with a heart of surrendering it to God. You can check those out on the “Resources & Recommendations” tab on my website: “Prayers of Surrender.” Currently available topics include: Childlessness, Singleness, Financial Struggles, & Depression/Anxiety.***)

What You Believe Vs. What God Says

The next common area of surrender is in what you believe to be true put up against what God says is true.

Maybe it’s identity, sexual preference, gender confusion, believing something feels too good & innocent to be sin while God says it is.

Whatever it is that you believe so intensely in your heart of hearts, that you feel you would defend to your grave… consider Who made you.

Consider Who made this world.

Consider which of you has perfect & complete knowledge, understanding, & wisdom… & which of you only sees in part.

Consider which of you has ultimate & almighty, limitless power & authority over this world.

I’ll give you a hint: It’s not me… & it’s not you either.

If We Disagree with God… We’re the Wrong Ones

A big part of surrender is taking all of your ideals, understandings, & beliefs… all of the world’s philosophies… all of culture’s whims & whimsies… all of everything… & laying that down at the King of king’s feet, recognizing that He is God… & we are not.

To say, “God, I don’t get this. THIS feels SO REAL & TRUE to me. And soooo many people AGREE WITH ME. So how can it be “wrong”? I don’t get it. I don’t like it…. But… YOU made this world… I didn’t. Help me to trust that if You made this world, then You alone know & get to determine how it was made to be… not me… & not anyone else You made either. Help me learn to trust YOUR way over what I feel so strongly about. You are God & I am not. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Surrender can be so hard sometimes, can’t it?

The “Even If” Type of Surrender… When the Storm Clouds Seem to Linger Too Long

The next piece I want to talk about, with regards to SURRENDER, is one I probably talk about the most, especially with my lifelong wrestling through different seasons of depression: it’s the “EVEN IF the hard doesn’t stop” surrender….

I talk about this one A LOT, mainly because I feel like it’s the one I struggle with most noticeably. Yes, I am sure, though more in subtle ways that are more difficult to recognize, I struggle just as much with surrendering my wants & beliefs… but this one I actually FIGHT against sometimes.

My main idol is ease, easy, & comfort. Anyone else? I do not like to struggle.

I Don’t Like It… I Don’t Want It… But God, Help Me Trust You Anyway

Lack of sleep? Sickness? Allergies? Asthma? Depression? Heartache? Struggles with others? Super typhoon? Tragedy? Physical pain? Isolation? Trials? Tribulation? Witnessing a loved one in pain? Injury? Loss? Financial struggles? Hurt from a friend? Hardships at work? Arguments at home?

Nope, nope, nope, & an extra big helping of NOPE from me.

But unfortunately, I do not get to control whether or not hardship or struggle waltzes into my (at times) calm, peaceful life.

So, when God allows it to continue, even after MUCH prayer on my part… I have the tendency to feel like God must not care that I am suffering. But the TRUTH is, He wants me to recognize that His sufficiency is not at all dependent upon everything in my life working out just so. He is quite all I need come what may.

Surrender with the “even ifs” when in pain hurts the most for me.

Hindsight Is Our Best Friend Sometimes

I can come to the understanding that what I want can be an idol & that God knows better. Like with children. I hold no grudge against God for my lack of children. He has shown me He has a different plan for me than that. I have accepted it. I love it actually, because I get to pour into other peoples’ lives more regularly because of it—which is what I absolutely love to do. (Previous post: “To the Barren Woman.”)

And beliefs? I can accept that despite strongly believing it… well, I am not God.

Like when I struggled as a huge flirt when I was younger, thinking that was the only way I could make friends being the chubster I felt I was. Believing SO STRONGLY that it was “just who I was.” But when I finally realized GOD made me, so GOD ALONE got to determine HOW He made me, I turned that over to Him in surrender & asked for His way over my way. And He did. Thank GOD for that freedom.

(Previous post: “…Trusting God, Losing Friends, & Finding Myself”; “…God Made Me, I Didn’t”.)

“Just Take the Pain Away…”

But hurts not quitting? Pain extending? Troubles abounding & flourishing? Waters & waves crashing around me figuratively? People refusing reconciliation? Isolation worsening versus improving? Seeing someone I love continue to suffer?

No, no NO. Just take the pain away.

I don’t want it. I want it GONE ASAP. I don’t want to surrender. I want it to stop.

But, again, that is the very reason it is called “SURRENDER,” isn’t it? A laying down of demanding you get it your way & trusting God above anything & all else.

To say, “God, Your ways are above my ways. Your wisdom is above my wisdom. Everything You do & everything You allow is ALWAYS, 100% for my good AND Your glory… never one without the other. You NEVER waste my pain & struggles. Not once. Help remind me. I believe, LORD, help my unbelief. Help me keeps my head above the waves. Be my strength when I have none. Be my sufficiency when I can’t even hold myself up. Help me remember You are enough… that You love me… that Your plan is perfect… EVEN IF. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

LIVING As If I Need Him… Because I DO

And then there’s one area of surrender I think we all often are too quick to forget… the need to surrender to His help.

Self-effort seems like the most Christian, God-honoring thing we can do, but it is laced with the lie that God needs our help.

That to please Him, we must try harder, be better, work more. But He doesn’t need our help.

When God asks of us, He asks of us knowing He is the Vine… aka He is the supply. He enables. He strengthens. He gifts us with what we need. He provides. He leads. He knows what to do & how to best do it.

He doesn’t need your help.

Whether it’s following His call or whether it’s in the day-to-day obedience of living the ways He says we ought—having His Word ever on our lips, meditating on His truth, serving & loving others (even our enemies), speaking truth in love. It doesn’t matter what it is. He can help you live it if you are willing to surrender to His help.

It Takes Abiding. He Is the Vine, We Are the Branches… Apart from Him, We Can Do Nothing

It takes an ABIDING in Him. If we are submitting to Him, talking with Him, taking concerns to Him, seeking His wisdom, getting to know His Word, & trusting Him evermore every day… that is abiding in Him, & as we abide in Him, He supplies what He calls us to as we rely fully on Him in the work.

It doesn’t mean a not doing. It means letting Him do the leading, the equipping, & the empowering. HE does the work to help you as you live for Him, as you abide in Him.

It’s like living through life with Superman as your best friend & striving & straining what Superman could do with just his pinky finger. And God is so much more powerful than he! We need to live like that’s true!

God’s All-Sufficient Role in Our Growth Can Make Us Feel Ashamed… But Jesus Paid for That, Too

I have gotten annoyed/uncomfortable responses to this discussion, & I get it because I have felt it. It takes ALL excuses out of the equation when we begin recognizing God is the answer & sufficiency in ALL of our lack that has kept us from daily &/or big obediences… & it can make us feel like we failed God in our shortcomings by not going to Him through ALL of them.

But God gives grace upon grace. Jesus already paid for your past, present, & future. There is now no condemnation because of Jesus. There is no shaming because Jesus takes our shame. There is only failing forward now. Because you will still get it wrong sometimes. I have 36 years of proof of that.

But, are you willing to stop avoiding, stop neglecting, stop excusing inactivity to surrender to His help? Or is it more comfortable to have an excuse to fall back on when you mess it up?

To say: “Lord, I am awful at obeying with ________________, because I feel like I’m lacking in ______________, but if it’s something that honors & pleases You, I can be fully assured that You WILL help me if I am willing to ask of You. So please help me to be willing to ask You & to trust You can help me if I am willing. I don’t want to give up or settle based on my own shortcomings. I want to trust that You’ve got what I don’t… that You can do what I can’t… That You know & see & understand it all where I don’t. Forgive me for any area of lacking obedience that I have excused because it felt too hard for me, forgetting nothing is too hard for You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

(Previous post: “Self-Empowerment or Self-Surrender?”; “How to Do the Things We Know We Should Do but Just Can’t”; “…God Can Help Us Obey Him”)

5 Areas of Surrender-What Does Surrender to God Look Like?

So, of these 5 areas of surrender, which area are you struggling to surrender in your own life?

What does surrender to God look like? Do you need to surrender: Something you want? Something you believe? An “even if”? Avoiding something or doing something yourself, forgetting He can supply? Or maybe the best surrender imaginable: turning your sin over to Him for forgiveness through Jesus Christ?

Trust He really is enough. Trust He really can sustain you. Trust His care for you is really real. Trust Him even in the even if. Trust He can help you where you lack. Trust Jesus.

Shine HOPE by choosing to surrender. By living a life of surrender, in every way imaginable. Because He’s worth it. Every single time. He’s worth it.

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 6.5 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!!

Defender Necklace (INDIA)

For every Defender Necklace purchased, a baby bottle of formula is donated for an orphaned elephant in Kenya! Wear this necklace knowing your purchase made a difference! Each Defender Necklace has a silver-tone chain and a gold-tone charm with the image of an elephant on it.

***Purchase this necklace, using the “Shop Here” link below to help create safe jobs for women ending poverty cycles in India and vital care for a baby elephant.***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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 living for His glory in all that you do!

Anyone Else Wrestle with Regular Plaguing Doubts?

“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

From an early age, I struggled with doubts. I grew up trusting in Jesus, but the obviousness of it didn’t seem to click with so many people I respected & cared for, so it didn’t make sense to me why that was.

Honestly, I think another part of the doubting was the good ‘ol sin nature we are all born with. My inclination was to self-seek, & with a “take up your cross & follow Me” mandate in the Bible… well, the two don’t exactly mesh well.

As I was reminded in my devotional time this morning, working through one of my longtime favorite studies—“Lies Women Believe, & the Truth That Sets Them Free,” by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, Romans 7 tells us Paul had the exact same type of struggle: spirit vs flesh, wanting to obey God, but tempted toward wrong.

(***You can find the link to the “Lies Women Believe” book/study on my Resources & Recommendations page, under “Bible Studies,” located: here.***)

But, regardless of its source, the doubts were strong in me. I wanted proof, evidence, if you will, about what was true.

Muddied by the World’s Worldly Perspective

I really do think that not all of my doubts were born out of a desire to prove them wrong so I could live the way I wanted without guilt… Some were genuinely just confusion born out of the overt confidence of the alternative from people I loved & respected. I was being influenced.

“For thus says the Lord,
Who created the heavens,
Who is God,
Who formed the earth and made it,
Who has established it,
Who did not create it in vain,
Who formed it to be inhabited:
“I am the Lord, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:18)

And, seeing as how only one side could actually BE correct: Only One TRUE God (Isaiah 45:18; John 14:6) vs “many ways to heaven,” & seeing as how both sides were believed by & preached by humans… coupled with the fun little phrase of “to err is human,” well, I wasn’t quite sure how to prove one over the other… even to myself.

I mean, deep down, I knew I was set free from my sin because of Jesus, but then I let the satan lure me into doubting God just as satan did with Eve in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:1-6)

“I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3)

The Dizzying Loop of Doubting

And most all of my life, as soon as I read something in the Bible that made ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE with how I understood the world, or it went COMPLETELY against what I “knew” to be true about life… well, that threw me for a dizzying loop every single time. It was EXHAUSTING.

I used to pray SO OFTEN that God would clear me of & free me from my plaguing doubts, the poison that kept finding its way back into my heart, muddling the simple faith I had over & over again.

***Well, spoiler alert: He DID answer that prayer & in a MAJOR way. You can read all about that in my previous blog posts: “…Trusting Like a Child… Until the Doubts Began,“ “…The Dungeon of Depression-A Journey to Truth,” as well as my most recent retelling: “…The Doubts I Let Take Over,” & “…Losing My Battle with Depression.” ***

One of My Favorite Verses-“Lord, I Believe… Help My Unbelief”

But honestly, in the frailty of my faith, one little verse was like a beacon of hope to me. It was one I repeated more often than I can count. One that kept comforting the whirlwind of confusion & doubts in my heart: “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)

WOW. What a powerful prayer!

To me, this summed up the entirety of my inner struggle!

Deep down, I KNEW that God was it & that Jesus saved me as I had so easily accepted at 5 years old. I GREW UP knowing that in my heart.

But the hurts & cares of the world, the differing beliefs from others, & satan’s craftiness was working to tear the ground out from under me at every turn.

And so, I kept coming back to this prayer: “Lord, I BELIEVE. Help my unbelief!”

I Knew & Yet I Doubted

I KNEW & yet I DOUBTED. I didn’t know how to reconcile those two things. But I knew God was the One to help me get it sorted. & boy, did He ever.

“You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

He wants to be found. He wants to be known. He wants you to be SURE, STEADY, & CONFIDENT in HIM.

I love a little chart I see pop up from time to time. On one side, it lists things that satan does: rushes you, confuses you, shames you, lies to you, hurts you, worries you….

And on the other side of the chart, it contrasts all those things with how God interacts with us: He calms us, He steadies us, He forgives us, He convicts our hearts to come back to Him vs away from Him, He tells us the truth, He settles us, He heals us, He gives His peace to us, He protects us, He leads us.

If you have already accepted Jesus’ sacrifice as covering for your sin, God doesn’t even need to guilt you, because He knows your wrongs are already covered by the blood of Jesus—THANK GOD! But He beckons us always to come back to Him when we have done wrong, to seek His help to lead us better than we lead ourselves.

God’s Way Is Always Perfection… Even When We Don’t Get It

Do you have little nagging doubts? Or big ones maybe?

Do you maybe read something in the Bible that just rubs you the wrong way & you don’t know how to reconcile that?

I still remember reading all the passed judgments (aka VIOLENCE) from God in the Old Testament, even against sins we consider as so small—like COMPLAINING, & thinking, “God, from a PR standpoint, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING INCLUDING THIS IN THE BIBLE!?!? It makes you look cruel & violent & short-tempered! Couldn’t You have left that out? You look so CRUEL. I don’t understand.”

But then, when I continued praying over the unrest that I felt reading about this cruelty over even “little sins,” I felt God whisper an answer over my heart that I both didn’t expect & that convicted my heart in how easily I justify my “little” sins, “I needed to show how wicked sin really is, the severity of it, & why Jesus needed to die for it.”

It’s not that God is this tyrannical God. It’s that we all too often WAY underestimate the wretchedness of our own sin! PRAISE GOD FOR JESUS’ LOVING SACRIFICE!

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

God Sees You, God Is Near You, & God Cares for You

Do you feel He has forgotten you or is up in heaven laughing, or for whatever reason, worry you maybe can’t trust Him?

I began to believe this one as well. I thought maybe He was real, but not present. I doubted His presence & care for me personally in my life.

But God cleared this one up for me real good, as seen in the extra blog posts I tagged for you previously.

If we seek Him with all of our heart, we WILL find Him. (Deuteronomy 4:29)

That’s why variations of this little quote God put on my heart has been ringing beautifully in my heart for years now, as a reminder, “Everything God does, everything God commands, everything God allows, is ALWAYS, 100% for BOTH His glory AND my good. ALWAYS, even when I can’t yet see it, even when things stay hard, even when I don’t understand. ALWAYS.”

Don’t Let Satan Fool or Lure You Away from the ONLY Place You Will Find Lasting, REAL Hope

But maybe you’re not there yet. Maybe you can’t see it yet. Maybe the cares/hurts of this world, the “problematic” Bible verse, the opinions of others you love & respect, the lies of satan, or even your own sinful nature/drive have driven doubts about God into your heart & you just don’t know how to ever get rid of them.

Ask… it will be given. Seek… you will find. Knock… the door will be opened to you. (Luke 11:9-13; Matthew 7:7-11)

“But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29)

“The thief [Satan] does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. “I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11)

The Beautiful Wrecking Ball

God may wreck your world, as He did mine. But it will be the most beautiful wrecking you could never imagine, like renovating a building by first taking a wrecking ball into it. Painful, messy, not the slightest bit enjoyable… but when it’s done, & the dust settles, & the renovation is complete… chills will cover you, awe will fill your heart, & humble, repentant PEACE will fill your every inch.

He knows what He’s doing. He knows what needs to be done, & He loves you enough to do it… like how resetting a bone may hurt, but is necessary & much better than leaving you as is.

But sometimes it starts just with a meager, uncertain, simple, whispered prayer: “LORD, I believe. Help my unbelief.”

If you’re living the whirlwind torment of doubts plaguing your life… maybe you are holding onto faith by a thread or maybe you have already walked away. God will show you the way back… if you’re willing to trust Him for the way, the truth, & the life… through Jesus Christ alone.

Shine HOPE by taking every doubt to the God Who already knows them anyway, being honest with Him about them, & by asking for His peace to know how to trust Him still, even in the doubts brought on by satan’s lies, our sinful flesh, opinions of others we care for & respect, & the hurts/cares of this world… by saying with me in those moments, “LORD, I believe. Help my unbelief.”

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 6.5 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!!

Ardent Earrings-Golden (INDIA)

Create dignified jobs for women leaving the slums of India when you shop these elegant Ardent Earrings. Featuring a gold-tone ellipse oval shape with a freshwater pearl dangling, these lightweight earrings are classic and timeless. Perfect for everyday wear, the Ardent Earrings create lasting change for families in India.

***Purchase the beautiful golden Ardent Earrings, using the “Shop Here” link below, to help empower women in INDIA out of poverty!***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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 living for His glory in all that you do!

Are You Living It or Just Rehearsing It?

A trend I have noticed over the past decade has brought me to an interesting topic I’d like us to discuss this week: that quoting Scripture is not the same as living Scripture.

Maybe you’re pretty good at trying to memorize God’s Word, the Bible, tucking His truth away in your heart on a regular basis—that is amazing!

We need God’s Word. In fact, the Bible says we ought to crave it as newborn babies crave milk. (If you’ve had kids, you know the desperation.) (1 Peter 2:2)

We also ought to consider God’s Word to be necessary nourishment for our soul. (Jeremiah 15:16; Matthew 4:4) Like, we will be malnourished followers of Jesus without it. I have seen this, too, because I used to think I was “just fine” without it (other than the occasional applicable, quotable verse or passage), but boy did I realize how much I had been missing when I did eventually make it a daily habit. I hadn’t even realized how spiritually malnourished I had been most of my life before that habit was installed into my daily routine.

(*Oh, & just to get this out of the way first thing, all added emphasis in verse quotes are mine.*)

Not Just Hearers, But Doers… Is Not JUST What You Think It Means…

But, in James, there is an interesting little verse there that warns us not to be just hearers (or readers) of the Bible, but also DOERS. (James 1:22)

Now, most of my life, I thought that just merely meant the general idea of obedience or loving/serving others type thing… but how often is the reality of this necessitated command also so much more subtle than that? As in, not just the “big” things, but ALL things. Let’s consider that a moment.

Do We Actually “Cast Our Cares”? Or Just Remind Ourselves We Ought To?

How often do we quote: “Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you,” (1 Peter 5:7) for example? That’s a GREAT verse! But, when you are struggling with many “cares,” do you simply rehearse this verse in your heart until you feel better, reminding yourself of His care for you… or do you actually DO what this verse is TELLING YOU TO DO—CASTING those cares ON HIM?

Do you rehearse the verse FIRST & THEN take a moment to prayer dump all of your cares at His feet, asking Him to help you trust He can take care of them better than you can & asking for His help in them? Do you indeed cast those cares on Him or just rehearse the verse-truth that you OUGHT to do that?

Do You Actually “Acknowledge Him in All Things”? Or Just Remind Yourself That You Ought To?

Or, here is another one I am guilty of, for sure. “Lean not on your own understanding… but in all your ways, acknowledge Him & He shall direct your steps.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Nice truth to quote, for sure. We need this reminder every day, don’t we? I do.

But do we take it from rehearsing the verse to LIVING this verse? Reminding yourself through it that you ought to take all you think you know to Him & say, “God, You are God. I am not. Please guide me. Give me wisdom here. Not my way, but Yours. Not my will, but Yours. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Do We Lean into Him for Strength? Or Just Recite How We Ought To?

Then, the often-lacking-context verse of: “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4:13) which is MEANT to say that whether you have plenty or lack or whatever situation God allows you to face, He can be your strength through it. (NOT that whatever YOU want out of life YOU will get WITH His help… if you trust Jesus to give you strength—no—He is not your wish-granter. He is GOD.)

When God brings you through tough circumstances, whether it be poverty or the temptation to trust yourself in wealth, or sickness or anything, do you really trust Him to BE your strength when you have none on your own?

He Is Your Refuge & Strength & Very Present Help in Time of Need… Do You Quote It or Live It?

The Bible also says He IS our refuge & our strength, a very present help in time of need. (Psalm 46:1)

Do you quote that or live that? Do you slump into Him when you are weary & beaten… when sickness or injury has taken you down… to trust Him AS your strength, *even if* He doesn’t allow YOURS to return to you?

I struggle always wanting to pray AWAY the struggles, but sometimes the struggles remain. And I really believe that oftentimes, it’s because God wants me to remember again that He is enough even when I see I am not. Even if things DON’T get better.

Will I trust Him to truly be my refuge? To be my strength? To be my very present help in time of need? To move forward through it asking God to be my strength, knowing as I pray that He will?

Or do I just rehearse the verses that say so, in place of actively leaning into Him in it, as if it is the Truth that it actually is?

Give Thanks to God in All Circumstances… the Call to Worship… the Call to Praise… Quoted or Completed?

Or what about all the many verses that remind us of the importance of giving thanks to God? Of worshipping & praising Him? Do we recite those over & over? Or actually DO AS IT SAYS? Do we recite the verse AND THEN list out what we know we can thank Him for? Recite it & THEN actually take some time to lift Him up in worship & in praise?

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
    for His steadfast love endures forever!” (1 Chronicles 16:34)

“I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” (Psalm 7:17)

“… in everything give thanks [to God]; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13:15)

Are we actually taking time TO thank Him? TO praise Him? TO worship & adore? Quoting Scripture is not the same thing as living Scripture.

The Bible Isn’t Just Any Book

Now, if you don’t know enough verses to be able to rehearse them to yourself as the Holy Spirit brings back to mind what you have learned when you need it… that is definitely a first step. You NEED His Word—it’s a non-negotiable to prevent malnourishment.

Tuck that truth in your heart so when Satan, in all of his subtle, crafty deception tries to come at you with whacks of discouragement, betrayal, hurt, temptation, etc., that the Holy Spirit can pop in one of those verses you have studied & you can stand FIRM on the TRUTH.

It’s way too easy to be deceived for us to not be equipping ourselves with God’s Word in our heart. I know from personal experience. Jesus-believer/follower for 35 years & I STILL find myself falling for it. BE PREPARED.

God’s Word Is MORE

But don’t leave it there. Don’t stop at the knowing. Don’t even stop at obeying God on the “big” things through His Word… God’s Word is not just encouraging advice, guys. It is TRUTH.

So don’t just be content quoting it, reminding yourself of what God can do as encouragement during tough times. DO WHAT THE VERSE SAYS TO DO.

Can you think of any other examples of this? Of being quick to repeatedly rehearse a verse while never actually doing what the verse says we ought to do?

Quoting Scripture Is Not the Same Thing as Living Scripture

CAST those cares.

ACKNOWLEDGE Him.

ASK for His strength to follow Him.

TRUST Him to BE your strength when you have none.

THANK Him.

PRAISE Him.

WORSHIP Him.

Don’t just TALK about it, reminding yourself of what the Bible says to do. Actually DO what the Bible says to do.

Shine HOPE by LIVING the Word of God, even in the simple verses that are so easy & encouraging to quote that we sometimes forget to move beyond quoting it to actually LIVING it.

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 6.5 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!!

Kairo (Lava Bead) Bracelet (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)

Each stretch-to-fit Kairo Bracelet features a striking combination of grounding black lava beads, warm brown wooden beads, and a dainty gold accent bead at its center. The natural textures and earthy tones make it a versatile piece for any style. Pair it with the Katie Bracelet for a complete fair-trade look — both meaningful and timeless!

***Purchase this beautiful bracelet, using the “Shop Here” link below, to support a safe house in the Dominican Republic, providing education, legal services, safe housing, and trauma counseling for survivors of human trafficking. Empower women on their journey to healing and restoration!***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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 living for His glory in all that you do!

Modern Conveniences Lead to Us Being Able to Do MORE

I sometimes think about the modern conveniences we’re so often accustomed to in the western world.

Imagine washing clothes by hand or even having to go collect water in order to wash your clothes because of no running water. Same for dishes. Or bathing. Literally everything would take so much more effort & time, even to do the simplest things.

And yet, the convenience of modern appliances, while it has made those tasks quicker & simpler, has also freed us up to take on more & do more.

In other words, our lives have continually sped up with each new convenience. Our lives haven’t gotten any less busy, just busy in a different way than before.

There Are Pros & There Are Cons…

Honestly, I think this quick-paced life has its downsides. The more technology advances, the more it seems we’re disconnected from the world going on right around us.

Yes, we have video & video-calling, which are amazing. We can text or DM someone miles away, to stay connected with loved ones far away. What a blessing! Especially for someone who has lived so far from her family for almost 13 years.

But, in all of our technology-available connections, I feel like, at least for me, it has gotten more difficult for face-to-face connections to happen.

Yonder Years

I am at the age where I remember growing up knowing all the neighbors surrounding your house. Bringing Christmas cookies to them during Christmastime & baking muffins to bring over & borrowing a cup of sugar… because, why not, we’re neighbors after all.

We spent more time outside of our house than in it. We interacted more constantly with the world going on right around us.

And I can feel the social differences nowadays. I can feel the disconnect.

How Can We Intentionally Get Back to Getting to Know Those Around Us?

I can also feel the rush around me. As if people put on their blinders, do what they set out to do, then go home. I can feel the hurry.

And the distractions are endless. The to-do lists seem endless. When do we have or make time to just sit with people? To know them?

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this lifestyle of rush & hurry, of lacking in-person communication, is part of what drives so much anxiety & depression in society. This lack of connection with others most likely takes its toll.

We’re not as used to it, so it feels more awkward maybe.

Our Life Is on Hyperdrive… So How Can We Make Space for the Interruptions God Sends Our Way?

And then there’s the making space for one another in our lives. Are we so busy that we can’t make space for other people?

I remember in college, I was part of the student leadership team my senior year & there were plenty of times where I was behind on studying, prepping for a test or presentation, & a young lady would knock on my dorm door, asking for someone to be a shoulder for her & to pray with her.

How inconvenient with midnight fast approaching & my need to finish my work!

Where Are God’s Priorities?

But a gentle nudge got my attention, so I prayed about it in that split second of panic that had washed over me: “God, I don’t have time for this, but I want to listen to You. What do You want me to do? Honor my responsibilities & class requirements for tomorrow? Or drop it for her? What should I do, Lord?”

And every time, I got this soft, gentle whisper over my heart, as if to say, “What do you think matters more to Me? You getting a better grade? Or this hurting young woman standing in front of you?” The answer was obvious then.

Do we allow space for God to interrupt us? And I don’t mean rushing through it to fake your way through caring while you’re really tapping your foot in impatience, thinking about what you might end up missing because of this interaction… I mean, being willing to pray something similar & trust that a person hurting is more valuable to God than your to-do list?

What do you think God would say is more important to Him, if you were to ask Him?

What Can God Do?

Would you trust Him to fill in whatever you miss because of it?

Would you be willing to surrender what you think is more important for whom God deems as more important?

How is your compassion with others? What if they’re a “repeat offender” in the interruptions? How is your compassion with them then?

Do you make space for others?

Do Unto Others…

Honestly, you would think I would have been more quick to jump up & help out the young ladies who came to my door so often that year, because I am one who has experienced seasons of being even more needy than they.

I have felt the lack of space in others’ lives when I have felt great need.

I am my own object lesson & I failed to see it so often.

Is it inconvenient & sometimes uncomfortable when someone has an emotional need we may not feel we understand? Or may feel is unwarranted? Or may feel they’re too much of a repeat offender in this & should have “learned by now”? Is that uncomfortable sometimes? Yes.

Does God still care about them just the same, no matter how inconvenient or uncomfortable it is or how unwarranted it may see to you? Yes.

God Cares When No One Else Seems to Care

God cares when no one else seems to care. God cares when it’s inconvenient. God cares even when they seem to have needed to “get over it by now” & just can’t seem to be able to. God cares even when it’s uncomfortable.

We are never “too much” for God. He just keeps on caring. Long-suffering caring, if you will. Kind caring. Gentle caring. Patient caring. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

It’s no wonder this beautiful little verse exists in the Bible: “… for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

He IS love. It is Who He IS.

Making Space for Others–Are We Too Disconnected?

Do we love like Him? Do we willingly take our hesitations, impatience, discomfort, schedule, & rush to Him & say, “God, I don’t have time for this. You KNOW my schedule. But what should I do?”

Because I can pretty much guarantee what He will do, IF you are WILLING to pray that way….

“What do you think I care about more? Your to-do list? Or this person?”

Are you making space for others in your life? Are we too disconnected to notice them? To take time for them? To allow them to inconvenience us in order to love them the way that God loves them, through Jesus?

How would you respond to that question? Would you be willing to pray that prayer?

Shine HOPE by seeking to really SEE the people around you every day… to connect… to make space in your rush for others who may come as an interruption… to love as God first loved us.

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 6.5 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!!

Katie Bracelet (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)

Each stretch-to-fit Katie Bracelet features striking black lava beads, elegant gold accent beads, and a single luminous freshwater pearl at the center. Lava beads, formed from volcanic rock, are known for their natural, earthy texture, while the freshwater pearl adds a timeless, delicate touch. Create a matching “his and hers” moment with the Kairo Bracelet — or simply pair them together for a complete fair-trade look!

***Purchase this beautifully handcrafted Katie Bracelet, using the “Shop Here” link below, to support a safe house in the Dominican Republic, providing education, legal services, safe housing, and trauma counseling for survivors of human trafficking. Empower women on their journey to healing and restoration!***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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 living for His glory in all that you do!

God Is Deserving of My Surrender

I talk about this little intimidating word: “surrender” a lot, but it really is such a vital piece in our learning to give God the honor & glory He deserves, & in seeing that His ways really are best, even when it doesn’t feel like it or make any sense at all to us.

Okay, so God holds ultimate authority, right? Ultimate right to have a say-so. Ultimate power. Made the world & everything in it. Made you & me. Knows everything. Sees everything. Understands everything… & ALSO has perfect wisdom to know how best to fit every piece together.

I cannot claim a single one of those things for myself personally. And yet, how often do I act like I do with the way I hesitate or offer pushback to God?

Sometimes, I’m not so good at surrender.

I Want to Win…

You see, surrender implies a giving up. Surrender implies a wrestling between what you really want & giving that up.

Imagine a battle. Who surrenders? The losers… the ones who see it’s either that or complete destruction. It’s defeat.

Surrender doesn’t feel good. By its very nature, it is uncomfortable.

And it doesn’t help that we live in a culture that tells you to be the main character of your life. That’s nothing new. That IS human nature at its core. We want what WE want.

Living in a Me-First Culture

In America, we REALLY seem to sell it. Everything is about living your best life, YOLO, whatever feels right, whatever makes you look good, whatever makes you feel good, whatever gives you “main character vibes.”

Even commercials aim to capitalize on making sure you have whatever you want at your fingertips & ensuring you really want what they have to offer.

So, self-denial feels SO uncomfortable, doesn’t it? So unnatural.

And yet, it’s how we’re called to live.

God Earns Our Surrender by His Very Nature

Taking up OUR cross & following Jesus. Denying ourselves. Doing everything, whether we eat or drink even, to the glory of God…. That is what we were made for.

Because He absolutely deserves it. It is literally what we were MADE for. (1 Corinthians 10:31; Isaiah 43:7; Psalm 139:13-16; Matthew 16:24-26)

And it’s not His arrogance that demands it. It is His very nature to deserve it.

It’s like someone winning GOLD in the Olympics & them getting a medal & press coverage & ad deals, etc., & you questioning, “Why should I praise THEM versus MYSELF in this sport???” Um, because they EARNED the right to that prestige. It’s not arrogance to receive honor that is deserved.

God is not puffed up, demanding allegiance superficially. He DESERVES it. He alone EARNED it by His very nature as Almighty GOD, Ruler & Creator of Heaven & Earth.

He Is the Potter, We Are the Clay

He is the Potter. We are the clay. Who is the clay to tell the Potter how He ought to form them or use them? (Isaiah 64:8; Romans 9:20)

You can dislike it. You can scream that you don’t believe it (in your heart of hearts, you know you do, because out of His grace, He has written His law on all our hearts so that we’re without excuse). (Romans 1:20)

But it is what it is, indeed.

And despite all that, surrender is still hard for me.

I Wrestled, Even Though I Knew God Ought to Win

When we moved back to Guam, I did NOT want to come. I had a very hard & negative experience last time we lived here (not everyone or every day or in all things, but a lot of HARD happened those few years) & I thought I was PAST it. And now God was taking me BACK there. I did not want to go.

But, even then, in my wrestling with & begging of God to change His plans, I knew… I KNEW He ought to win. I just didn’t want Him to.

I would pray something like, “PLEASE don’t make me go back there! I know You ought to win with this, because You have a perfect plan & know all & are leading this… but I just don’t WANT You to win here. Please help me even WANT You to change my mind, because I can’t even pray that right now because I DON’T WANT TO GO.”

But, even there, I knew I wanted His plan over my own. Sometimes I don’t even respond THAT well—if you can really see that as responding well at all.

All My Friends Were Getting Married…

And then there’s the fact that I was single for a long time & was a romantic straight out of the womb, I believe, so THAT was hard as well. I know hindsight bias says, “Well, you can’t really complain because I am still single & you’re NOT!” But… I had no clue that it would EVER happen back THEN. I was almost THIRTY when I got married & although I know some of you are single & older than that but just hold on for this next bit….

You see, I really, really, REALLY wanted to get married. I saw my younger friends AND younger SISTER get married before I was even in a serious relationship. It was crushing.

But I had to get to a point where I was willing to lay even that down. To be willing to say, “You know what, God. Even if. Even if. Even if You never see fit to lead me to marriage, help me to trust & honor You first. Not my will, but Thine. Help me trust You over myself. Forgive me for idolizing something You are withholding. Forgive me for doubting You. Forgive me for thinking I know better than You. Forgive me for doubting You care about me because of this. Please help me to surrender this to You.”

Surrender in Sleeplessness

Then, my 2 months of sleeplessness back whenever that was. Getting TOPS about 20 hours of sleep a WEEK—for TWO MONTHS. For perspective, 7 hours a night for one week is 49 hours of sleep a week. I was dead tired ALL THE TIME. (***You can read more about that in the blog post I wrote about it: “Growing Up a Christian: A Grace-Filled Life, Chapter 23: God Is My Strength.”***)

Some nights I just prayed & accepted that God could have me sleep if He chose, so since He chose to withhold it, I knew He could help me the next day, so I just rested in that fact, even though I was getting sometimes 0 hours of rest on a given night.

Some nights, though, I took my pillow, pressed my face into it, & silent-screamed my frustration into it. I was SO TIRED & yet, I COULD NOT sleep. I knew it was a spiritual attack, because it would be the weirdest things. An itch here, a need to blow my nose there, then a dog barks right out our window, then a crick in my shoulder, then my cat starts meowing, then my arm falls asleep, then I sneeze, then my hip feels achy, then my husband starts kicking his leg in his sleep (he does this sometimes). A million & one things slapping me out of sleep, but only just as I was starting to drift off. It was maddening!

And some nights, I would leave my room, defeated, sit at the kitchen table, put my face in my hands, & just cry for like 30 minutes until I went numb & just stared into the abyss. Blank. Defeated. Exhausted. Disparaged. WEAK.

God Would Supply, If Only I Was Willing to Surrender My NEED for Control to Return to Me… & Trust HIM As My Supply Instead of Myself

And I had to come to the point where I was willing to say, “Even if, Lord, even if. BE my strength.”

You see, I learned that I held a lot of faith in feeling capable in & of myself, & through that season, I wasn’t at all. I had to rely on God alone being capable FOR me when I had nothing left in me.

And that is HARD. (If you live this every day with chronic illness or pains, I am so sorry. God is sufficient, but it doesn’t mean it won’t be challenging as all get out surrendering that pain to Him each & every day. Fall into Him.)

Surrender is a tough pill to swallow sometimes, & sometimes I’m not so good at it.

But with it comes so much blessing.

Surrender Brings SO MUCH Blessing

God encouraged me to find 3 things, just THREE things to be thankful for about Guam every day back then. That is how simply He had me begin in even WANTING to ask Him to change my mind. (So gentle, so kind, & so gracious He is!) My 3 things were the same 3 things for MONTHS: palm trees, ocean views, & cool ocean breezes. But those 3 things helped shift to finding reasons to PRAISE Him versus FEAR His plans.

God encouraged me with PEACE in my singleness that I thought a complete & just plain IMPOSSIBLE thing to EVER feel about it, through time with my aunt one long car ride. (I wanted to be married SO BADLY.)

God WAS my strength in my sleeplessness. EVERY day. In my good attitudes & my very not so great ones. Every day that I eventually surrendered to asking for His help in my lack, He SUPPLIED. He WAS my strength, even when I had none of my own. He taught me that I could trust Him to be my supply in that way, never needing to worry if I ever lost my physical strength. Even in the hard, He would be my enough.

Surrender is hard, but when it comes to God, it is 100% always worth it.

For Our Good & For His Glory–100% of the Time, ALWAYS

EVERYTHING He does or determines is ALWAYS for OUR good AND His glory. Every time. (Even when it doesn’t feel like it at all in the moment.) We can trust Him to know & see & understand what we can only presume to know.

What are you wrestling to surrender to Him right now?

What are you clinging to, determined not to let go?

What do you struggle trusting Him to take over?

Sometimes I’m Not So Good at Surrender

Will you be willing to pray for God to change your mind? Or, maybe start as I have to sometimes, with something like, “I don’t want to pray for You to change my mind, because I don’t want to change my mind… but help me to be willing to pray THAT at least. I know You ought to win, because You know better than me… I just don’t want You to win. Help me change that. Please forgive me & thank You that You always know better than me, even when I cannot see it one bit. Amen.”

***I have a section in the Resources & Recommendations tab on my website for “Prayers of Surrender.” If you are wrestling a certain area of life, please feel free to download one (or more) for free to print off (no strings attached, I promise) & help you to put into words the hurt you are feeling in your resistance to Surrender.***

Shine HOPE by letting God change your mind, letting Him have His way… even when you really want yours… trusting God is GOD & you are not & that everything He does or determines is ALWAYS for your good AND for His glory—Never one without the other.

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 6.5 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!!

Mini Stud Set (INDIA)

DAYS OF HOPE – Limited Edition! Create safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops, when you purchase the Mini Stud Set. This dainty stud set from India includes the Knot Studs – a pair of studs that represent a knot, and the Crystal Studs – a pair of small, faceted crystal studs set in gold-tone prongs. These studs are perfect for everyday wear or multiple piercings. These classic studs create lasting change for families in India.

***Purchase this beautiful Mini Stud Set, using the “Shop Here” link below to empower women in India out of poverty!***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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 living for His glory in all that you do!

Running Away from What Unsettles Me

I don’t remember where I heard it recently, but someone said something like, “why do you think it’s so easy to fill our time with distractions? … Because there are things in our life that we can’t explain or fix or solve & so it unsettles us… & that unsettling is uncomfortable… so it feels easier to cover that up with comforting distractions, so we’re not left alone with those thoughts that don’t make us feel great.”

It’s true, isn’t it? At least for me.

Trusting One Minute… Forgetting the Next

Deviating for a second, it reminds me of the Israelites in Exodus 15. They go from singing a song of praise, worshipping & thanking God for His unbelievable, miraculous victory in their great rescue-against-all-odds from the Egyptians, to, in the end of the very same chapter… complaining & whining that God brought them out there to die because they hadn’t found drinkable water.

Like, I’m sorry, what? You literally just listed out all these amazing, impossible-for-human deeds that God accomplished… & instead of trusting that same God & turning to Him to ask for help finding water… they inwardly worry & grumble until it’s not so inwardly & then they’re BLAMING Moses for helping lead them to their freedom.

But don’t I do that exact same shift in my shying away from the unsettling things of my heart? When I self-soothe, numb, avoid, distract… instead of recognizing that He is the SAME God Who has done such miraculous work in my life & then saying, “Oh yeah, God, I need to be bringing this to YOU & trusting that YOU can do more with it than I know what to do with it.”

Praising God & then forgetting all He is & all He can do just a moment later.

What am I Holding That He Can More Than Handle?

What heaviness looms over me or follows me each day just simply because I’ve been trying to avoid how uncomfortable it makes me feel just thinking about it instead of going to God for help with it?

What anxiety makes me uncomfortable around every turn & keeps me walking on eggshells in life simply because I haven’t prayed about it & trusted that God has an answer & His strength to carry me through it?

What nervousness needs to be laid at His feet to trust He can fill where I can’t possibly?

What Is It for You?

Maybe it’s a failure I feel stuck in.

Maybe it’s the opinions of others I feel stuck in.

Maybe it’s a scary decision I feel paralyzed by.

Maybe it’s a step forward that makes me really super uncomfortable.

What is it for you? What do you fight to avoid? What hovers over your head no matter how hard you fight to ignore it? What festers underneath the surface? What hides behind your smile?

Why haven’t you yet handed that over to Him?

Failing Forward… Trusting Him as Enough

It doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be perfect & get it right, but it does certainly mean that you trust to leave it up to Him… to leave it in His capable hands… in His capable timing.

He made us free to be free indeed. (John 8:34-36) Don’t live as if He didn’t set you free & as if He can’t do immeasurably more than you ask or think. (Ephesians 3:14-21) We will face troubles in this world, but we can have confidence knowing He has overcome this world. (John 16:33) Jesus sacrificed much for us, not so we could live imprisoned in our own minds, but that we may see abundant life, knowing He died to show His love for us. (John 10:9-10) And if He died for us, how much more can we entrust everything else to Him? (Romans 8:31-39; Matthew 6:26, 33)

To REST in Him & trusting He has it all just fine.

Made to Crave… HIM

I have been going through the Made to Crave devotional by Lysa TerKeurst, & she says how she began praying something to upset her status quo, to challenge the fear, anxiety, & worry that kept her from stepping out of her chains & into a life that trusted God to give victory as she sought His face.

The prayer was, “God, unsettle me.”

And then, in church yesterday, our pastor talked about how we ought to seek God’s kingdom first, trusting God can handle all the things that worry us.

We don’t need to hide from God. Jesus paid it all already.

We don’t need to hide from our problems. God is fully capable.

We need to be seeking after Him & trusting Him to be fully capable of filling in the rest.

“God, Unsettle Me…”

“God, please unsettle me. Shake me out of the nooks & crannies of my life where I have chosen to hide from things that feel uncomfortable. Help me to step out & into them, knowing You go before me. I don’t need to hide because You are already there. You see. You have a plan. You can do what I cannot. You have it all figured out. You rescuing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt didn’t even depend on the Pharaoh making it easy & caving right away, but even in Your hardening of His heart, making it seem impossible & hopeless… You showed nothing is beyond Your reach or Your ability. I can trust You to rescue me out of the much smaller things I fear & avoid. You are the same God yesterday, today, & tomorrow. I can count on You. Thank You that You never give up on me. Thank You that You are so gentle & patient & kind with me, even when I hide things or avoid them rather than trusting You with them. You know better & yet You wait patiently for me to come to You. You beckon, but You never force. You forgive, but You never shame. Thank You for being so much better than me. Thank You for always being ready when I come. Thank You that I can count on You for what feels far beyond me. I love You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

From Numbing Distractions to Finding Freedom

Where does God need to unsettle you?

What are you avoiding because it feels too uncomfortable to think about?

Where in your life do you need the reminder to turn from numbing distractions to finding freedom in the God Who goes before you… the God who CAN where you can’t… the God Who cares enough that sparing His Son was not an option for Him.

He gave His all so you could know Him.

So you could be forgiven of it ALL.

So you could find hope where hope was unavailable.

So you could see He loves you more than you will ever be able to wrap your head around.

What great lengths. What great love.

We can trust Him in anything that unsettles us….

So, let us all say together, “God, unsettle me,” & let us trust Him to supply.

Shine HOPE by running from those distractions into His loving arms… from numbing distractions to finding freedom.

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 6.5 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!!

Peace Bracelet (EAST ASIA)

Help women escape brothels in East Asia when you purchase the Peace Bracelet! This blue-toned phoenix stone and hematite beaded bracelet includes the word “PEACE” for a fun, fair-trade look! Easy to dress up or down for daily wear, the Peace Bracelet is the perfect bracelet to add to your bracelet stack.

***Purchase this handcrafted bracelet, using the “Shop Here” link below to help create jobs to support sex-trafficking survivors in East Asia with safe housing, health care, trauma counseling, job skills training, and a dignified, sustainable income. ***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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 living for His glory in all that you do!

2025 Here We Come!

Happy almost New Year! It is SO hard to believe that I am starting yet another year with you guys on this website. How am I halfway through my SIXTH year doing this? 7 come Summer! So crazy.

Well, it’s a couple days before 2025 begins & my hubs & I have spent the last week sick. What a way to end 2024, am I right? But, actually, it’s been a little bit of a blessing in disguise because it has forced me to lay low & just rest & reset instead of trying to cram my break full of activities & projects as per usual.

God has a way of knowing just what I need, even though I don’t always see it in the moment & can feel frustrated by it. In the end, I can usually look back & think, “wow, okay, God did something good through that… who knew?”

I find that a lot of things that were unpleasant & undesirable have ended up being a blessing in disguise as well.

God Can Do What Seems Impossible to Me–Bringing Good Things Out of Hard or Undesirable Situations

Even looking back to getting grounded as a kid—yes, I got in trouble sometimes—having tv restrictions ended up being a huge blessing because it prompted me to find more creative ways to stay entertained, like learning a new hobby, doing a craft, or exploring outside & getting fresh air & sunshine. Who knew!

And I think to more recently, how, when we first moved back to Guam, our temporary apartment had no hot water—cold showers in the morning anyone? For weeks? But surprisingly, the girl who ONLY did hot showers, (once I got past the initial WHOO shock of the cold), found it to actually be quite invigorating & refreshing! Now, I actually end showers by INTENTIONALLY setting it colder & colder to get that chill ON PURPOSE because I grew to love it so much. I NEVER would have tried it had I had a choice. Who knew!

Or, when the power went out for the hundredth time after our super typhoon last year & discouragement was just sort of smacking me around because it felt like returning to normal kept repeatedly slipping out of grasp with those frequent power outages, & so, I went to take a shower in the dark, using my phone flashlight as my “candle” & it made reflections of the water droplets light up all over the bathroom like a kaleidoscope. It was beautiful! And I never would have tried it otherwise. Something unexpectedly beautiful in the aftermath of destruction. Who knew!

And even in my not realizing that my current job would be requiring daily bathroom cleaning (my least favorite chore), only to have the unexpected benefit of me getting into such a rhythm with it that now home-cleaning our bathrooms really seems like no big deal. How nice! Who knew!

Or how super hard seasons can really make you soak in & really appreciate blessings & people, when you may have otherwise grown to take them for granted….

In the Hard, We Get the Chance to See the Love of Others Lived Out

And back when I had COVID in the thick of COVID times & was forced to move into isolation apart from my husband, in a room encrusted with dried vomit & dog urine in the carpet, no tv, no food or dishes, no drinking water, rooms mostly completely bare because they were condemned for eventual tear down or remodel but then became the COVID isolation towers… on my BIRTHDAY… AND Thanksgiving… for the entire MONTH of November. We had to rely completely on the generosity of others for food or dishes or toilet paper even for a MONTH—most of it separated & only the last 5 days or so together with my husband (over Thanksgiving). And we got to see our church family aka friends come to our rescue every single day, sacrificing on our behalf… with groceries, clean water, dishes, pots, pans, baking dishes & supplies… bringing me breakfast, lunch, & dinner from favorite spots for my birthday… bringing me presents of coloring books, bath bombs, puzzles, & games for my birthday… & on Thanksgiving, they all pitched in 2 meals’ worth of a full Thanksgiving FEAST, complete with a turkey table decoration. I never would have experienced such generous LOVE from my friends without going through such a miserable experience. Who knew.

God. God Knew.

God’s ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9). God knew. God sees what I don’t… what I can’t. He can DO what I can’t possibly do with the hard… in the hard… through the hard. God knows. We can trust Him to bring good things even in the undesirable & the uncomfortable & the unplanned misfortunes of life.

His goodness is not at all dependent on life “being good.” Thank God for that!

It’s so amazing how God can take the hard in our life & still show us something so beautiful despite of it or even because of it.

It can give you new perspective, new appreciation, & even a newfound sense of compassion toward others.

God really knows what He’s doing. Even in the hard.

What If There Is Something Better?

I know it’s really easy to pray the hard away. To pray for comfort & healing & to take all the struggles away. It’s easy for ME anyway! But what if there’s something better?

A video came across my feed on social media recently & it just really illuminated this point for me… what if God doesn’t answer to take the pain away right away nor replace it with comfort instead when you ask? What if there is something better?

That sometimes He may not answer the way you think you want because He knows that what you truly need is Him.

Even in the Hard

If you feel strength-less & weak… can you choose to trust Him as your strength?

If you feel tortured in your restlessness… can you choose to trust Him as your rest?

If you feel you have nothing left to give… can you choose to trust Him as your sufficiency?

If your life doesn’t “get better”… can you choose to trust Him as Good?

Can you trust that He can bring blessings… even IN the hard?

Can you trust beyond what you can see or feel to know Him as GOOD?

This new year of 2025 does not come with a promise of improvement… or “better”… or of ease, comfort, & “happiness.”

But, if you have trusted that Jesus has died for YOUR sins to make you right before God & you have repented of that sin you could never yourself pay, trusting Jesus as LORD over your life… you can count on this new year of 2025 coming with HIM… even in the hard. (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)

Jesus Is the Only Way to Light in the Darkness

With peace… His peace. Peace that can exist IN the storms.

With love… His love. Love that doesn’t depend on you being lovable.

With hope… His hope. Hope that doesn’t require your efforts to make it so.

With strength… His strength. Strength that doesn’t require yours.

With rest… His rest. Rest that is born through assurance that He is GOD & you are not.

With wisdom… His wisdom. Wisdom that goes beyond your understanding.

What beautiful assurances we have going into 2025. That even in the hard, we have a God Who is GOOD!

Shine HOPE in 2025!

Shine HOPE by sharing the love we have because Jesus was born as God-in-flesh to die for the sins of man, rising again victorious over sin & death. AMEN!

“The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) (emphasis mine)

“God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!” (lyrics from “Because He Lives” by Bill & Gloria Gaither)

“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)

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 6.5 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!!

Rescued Heart Necklace-Golden (INDIA & DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)

DAYS OF HOPE – Limited Edition! Create hope for young girls rescued from human trafficking in the Dominican Republic when you purchase the Rescued Heart Necklace. The United Nations ranks the DR as having the third-fastest growing human trafficking industry in the world. Every purchase of the Rescued Heart Necklace not only supports the artisans through the sales of their pieces, but ALSO gives $5 to Batey Rehab Project in the DR, an organization dedicated to rescuing and providing holistic care to each survivor in their care. 

*****Purchase this handcrafted necklace, using the “Shop Here” link below, to help provide safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops.*****

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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 living for His glory in all that you do!

We Are Never Alone in Our Suffering

Have you ever felt like no one gets you when you’re going through something hard? Like maybe you feel a physical cringe awkwardness from someone, or a subtle “back away slowly & maybe she won’t see us” type reaction or even a straightforward statement along the lines of: “you’re always so dramatic”?

Hurts doesn’t it?

You know what, sometimes I don’t get it either. Sometimes I am the insensitive one toward others because I don’t get it. And sometimes I’m the one going through it & I still don’t get why I feel as if I am suffering.

Maybe it’s my hormones out of whack or brain chemistry or just the way God made me, but boy has it spurned negative reactions toward me sometimes, even if just someone not allowing me space in their life because my sometimes seemingly unsolvable hurt weighs them down. I get it, I do–but it still hurts.

I AM Too Weak… But I Know Someone Who Isn’t…

I don’t hurt all the time. I feel fine right now, in fact. It seems to come in seasons, & no, not monthly cycle type seasons.

I’m in good company, though, I have realized. My friend once said she wondered why the Bible book of Habakkuk wasn’t more popular as it seems to be like Psalms, but so much shorter, to which I responded, “you know what, I find comfort in the fact that Psalms is so long, because I can relate to coming back to the same hurts & crying out over & over again.’

That’s why I say sometimes that I sometimes feel too weak for this world. So many people seem to think it should be easier than I find it at times. Like I just need to shake it off, toughen up, & MOVE ON.

I Don’t Need to Feel Ashamed of My Struggle… Even When I May Not Understand It

And then the whole making emotions almost “equivocal” to sin shtick. Without looking beyond the surface of how much rich, deep, LASTING emotions are depicted in the Bible, not as something to hide from or cover up or be ashamed of as the problem… but as a natural response to the world around them, recognizing that the sin only comes from what you choose to do with said emotions—as an excuse for retaliation, bitterness, isolation, unkindness, giving into temptations, etc.

But I have talked enough about that in recent posts, haven’t I? (Read some of those: “Why Are Deep Emotions So Often Equated with “Being Dramatic”?” & “Facing Big Emotions.” & “The Epidemic of Misplaced Blame.”)

Today, I don’t want to focus on how others may oftentimes respond negatively to my emotions or of those expressed by family, friends, or strangers….

Today, I want to talk about how GOD responds to our emotions & our suffering.

God Doesn’t Shy Away from Our Suffering

Did you know that God doesn’t shy away from our suffering? Even when our suffering may seem unjustifiable? There is no “prove you deserve to feel suffering so I can show compassion & offer you comfort/support.” He doesn’t operate that way with us. We don’t have to prove cause or justify any hurts to Him.

He doesn’t shy away from our suffering, no matter the cause.

He is our strong tower. (Proverbs 18:10)

We can count on Him to be right there in it with us, even if we feel tempted to beat ourselves up because we can’t seem to find or speculate a good enough reason to justify our feeling that weak.

God Is Sufficient All on His Own

I have also discovered that God doesn’t even need our loaves & fish. He doesn’t need us to first give before He can give.

In Hokkaido, I was suffering so often. The strain of living in a world in which I couldn’t communicate with others or read signs/labels, or ask questions, or make a joke to make someone smile, or connect with the world around me was so difficult.

That strain made me tired when I wasn’t tired because every small task required courage & strain & overcoming. Nothing was ever simple. Nothing was ever straightforward. Everything required strain. It was so incredibly taxing.

Even If…

I kept praying for escape. I kept praying for relief. I kept praying for EASIER to come.

It didn’t. It didn’t come… no escape… no relief… no ease from the hard.

And I responded wrongly indeed. I gave up praying for it. Every time I prayed & I didn’t get my way, seeing the constant challenging strain remain & remain & keep on remaining… I stopped praying. Because praying meant reaching out to God, Him not pulling me out of the suffering, & my bitterness growing toward Him. So I withdrew from asking Him anymore because I hated feeling guilty being mad at God.

That was wrong. Wrong because He was still my only hope in my suffering. Wrong because I didn’t get my way, but He could still make a way. I wanted my way—end the suffering—or no way.

That was wrong.

God Worked through Me Even When I Was FAR from Worthy

That wrong got worse. That lack of praying about it turned indeed toward bitterness. Almost a, “why bother asking You—You’re not going to help me anyway, as You have clearly demonstrated.”

I still talked to Him daily, throughout each day—just not about my suffering anymore. I still felt Him patiently there with me. But I had my arms crossed & my nose turned up at Him when it came to a point of suffering with the hard that remained in my life.

And you know what? I WAS suffering. I then had a bratty attitude of my way ONLY. I responded wrongly. I disrespected & dishonored Him in my response to His allowing me to remain in my suffering. I did wrong.

But He remained anyway.

God’s Faithfulness–Thank God–Does Not Rely on My Faithfulness

I had nothing to give Him. Not even a willing heart was I willing to give Him.

But He remained anyway.

I essentially spat at Him, ignored Him, yelled at Him, was bitter with Him. Was a terrible friend. A belligerent daughter. A disrespectful child.

But He remained anyway.

I wasn’t trying to act like I had it all together enough to not scare His help away. I wasn’t trying to sugarcoat my suffering so He wouldn’t back away from me. I wasn’t feigning “okay-ness” so He would stay. I wasn’t forcing a smile or fake niceness. I was outright about it… honest… rude even.

But He remained anyway.

He was faithful when I was not. He was kind when I was not. He stayed when I left. He held on when I let go. He didn’t give up on me even after I gave up on Him.

He remained anyway.

God doesn’t shy away from our suffering.

Beauty from the Ashes

God taught me such beautiful things throughout those 3 years alongside a strong testament to His faithfulness against all odds.

He taught me that I don’t have to be enough for Him because He is enough for both of us.

He taught me that my spiritual gifting is not of my deserving but of His choice in how HE works through me despite my undeserving. He helped others through me in all of my wretchedness because people would come to me with a question & I would roll my eyes in my mind & inwardly pray to Him something like: “Ok God, well I guess that’s You. What do You want me to say? You’re up.” And He would give me the exact right thing out of nowhere & the person with the question would gush how they had been praying for months & my response was the “AHA!” moment missing piece & I would just flatline smile & just point up as if to be like, “that’s Him, not me, but glad it helped.”

I had nothing to give Him. I was no longer trying my best to be the perfect Jesus-follower… & yet, He remained.

He proved that His faithfulness to me is not dependent on ANYTHING I can offer Him.

So much humility was born from that period of suffering. That I can act so wretchedly bratty & disrespectful & be so bitter & angry with Him… & yet, He remained.

God Is Abundantly Sufficient in ALL Things–He Is LOVE

There is nothing I can offer God to add to what He already has in infinite supply. He is sufficient in & of Himself, even when I have nothing left of any good to offer Him.

Even if I respond wrongly. Even if it’s my fault. Even when I give up on Him.

He remains.

“Love suffers long [is patient] and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails….” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

He Is Our Strong Tower

He is our strong tower. He is our refuge & our strength. He is our ever-present help in times of trouble. (Proverbs 18:10; Psalm 46; Psalm 91)

Even when the storm doesn’t end. He remains.

Even when the suffering doesn’t end. He remains.

Even when we don’t get the relief we yearn so desperately for. He remains.

He comforts. He holds our head up. He holds us in His hand. He protects. He sustains. He gives peace when peace can seem impossible. He is sufficient in our sufferings. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4; John 14:16; Isaiah 66:13a; Lamentations 3:22-23; Psalm 3:3; Isaiah 41:10-13; Psalm 55:22; Isaiah 46:4; Philippians 4:6-7; 2 Corinthians 12:9; 2 Corinthians 3:5; Ephesians 3:20-21)

I Can Count on God, Even When I Cannot Count on Myself

Even when no one understands. Even when no one “gets it.” Even when everyone backs away from you. Even when people don’t think your problem warrants how much it hurts you. Even if others judge you. Even if you get criticized for being “too sensitive.” Even if everyone deserts you.

Even if the suffering remains.

Even if.

He remains. He is faithful. He is enough. He IS your strength. He gives peace. He loves you. He REMAINS.

Shine HOPE by demonstrating the type of REMAINING faithfulness God demonstrates toward us—even when we don’t think they deserve it… because I sure didn’t—but He still remained. We don’t have to understand someone’s pain to be compassionate toward them.

(***Read past posts about God in our suffering: “Where Is God When I’m Suffering?” “Pain & Suffering… & God’s Answers through Them” “Countering Specific Doubts with Truth (Part 3)-Pain & Suffering” “A Quick Encouragement on Finding Hope When Suffering Doesn’t Seem to Stop” “Rare, Beautiful Opportunities… in the Midst of Our Deepest Hurts & Struggles” ***)

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 6.5 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!!

Starlit Joy Ornament Set (INDIA)

This ornament set is created by women working to fight child marriage by creating safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty where vulnerable women are often exploited. Each set includes two gold and white beaded ornaments – a “joy” and a star-shaped ornament. Adorn your tree with this classic look that has a big impact!

***Purchase this beautiful & cheery handmade set, using the “Shop Here” link below, & empower women in India out of poverty!***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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 living for His glory in all that you do!