How We Handle Hurt

Whether we recognize it or not, there are a lot of beliefs about how we should handle our anger & pain.

Some of these beliefs were brought on by trauma & feeling a need to protect ourselves. Some were modeled to us through our childhood & even into adulthood.

Some just became unconscious habits in how we manage pain in our lives.

It’s true that some people “handle” their anger & pain by hurting others, while others may pick up addictions as a way to avoid the pain that plagues them.

Burying It or Faking It

But among many other possible ways of reacting to our anger & pain in life, there are two very common ways of handling hurts that I have noticed in my own life.

I have often found myself either burying my feelings & pretending the hurt isn’t hurting me… or faking it by accepting its pain but not letting anyone else see it.

False Security That’s Hurting Us

Both of these reactions have the allure of seeming safe. We can trick ourselves into thinking we’re just fine & that we’re “handling” it.

We often use these as defense mechanisms when facing anger &/or pain because these two reactions don’t seem to be overtly hurting anyone else & because since we’re hiding our pain from others, no one can use it against us in our vulnerability.

But the illusion of false security leaves us in a prison of hurt that only damages us more over time, while also arguably hurting our relationships.

It’s Still There

Burying our pain from ourselves & from the world does not eradicate it, which leaves us even more vulnerable to pain when it is struck on us again.

The same goes for faking it. When we plaster a smile, hiding it from the world, we are not removing the hurt.

Being “Strong for God”

Christians seem to veer toward either or both of these reactions because we sometimes feel like we must “uphold God’s honor” by pretending we’re stronger than we are.

But listen, God knows we are just human!

We are not any stronger than any other person just because we have accepted God’s grace for salvation.

Not Super Human… Super GOD

Salvation does not make us super human.

If you are carrying a world of hurt behind that smile, please hear me on this… God sees you as you are, you don’t have to try to be strong for Him.

Not Our Own Strength, But His, in Times of Hurt

Here is where SURRENDER comes in to the picture.

Trust. Trust God to be enough when you are not.

Trust that He sees your hurt, your loss, your anger, your pain… & He loves you exactly where you are.

Be Real with God… He Can Handle It

Have you ever read any of the Psalms in the Bible?

The authors of some of the Psalms don’t hold back on expressing their anger, hurt, & frustration to God. Sometimes they even express a wish for someone to die for it! They get real with God in the midst of their pain because they know they can be honest with God.

God Can Take Care of You When All Feels Hopeless

But the authors of the Psalms don’t leave it at there misery & anger… In the midst of their terrible situation, they express their trust in God to handle both the hurtful situation as well as their heart & healing.

You see, we don’t have to carry our every burden, trying to prove that because we’re “a strong woman” or because we’re “Christian” that we can handle everything just fine.

We don’t have to fake it or lash out or bury it or turn to addiction… We can run into God’s open arms, share our hurts with Him & trust Him.

Crying Out to God & Trusting Him Versus Self

Here is an example of how I pray when I feel angry or hurt:

“God, I am so angry/hurt right now that I want to throw this vase into the wall! I feel so [betrayed, blindsided, invalidated, misunderstood, frustrated, livid, etc.] & I cannot control my emotions! They burn inside me & I feel lost & drowning in the hurt that I feel. Help me!

Be my strength because I don’t have it in me to [forgive, apologize, have peace, be calm, be loving, make peace, etc.]. I just want them to hurt for hurting me!

But I know that wishing for revenge doesn’t honor You, so please intercept these thoughts & change them to reflect Your love & grace. Change my perspective & renew my heart. Give me Your strength to react the right way. Give me Your wisdom to do what is best. Give me Your power to follow through in the way that You know is best.

Help me to trust You above the storm of my emotions that rage around me because of this situation.

You are All-Powerful God. You are the All-Creative Creator. You are the Unconditionally-Loving Savior. You know all & have a perfect plan that spans far beyond what I can see. Help me to trust in You above my limited view of the moment. I love You, Amen.”

It’s All About What He Can Do

It’s not about what we can “handle”. It’s not about how “strong” we are. It’s not about “proving” our faith.

It’s all about Him.

His love. His ability. His strength. His power. His wisdom.

Don’t Run Away… Run to Him

So, stop stuffing it. Stop hiding it away from the light of day. Stop aching your strained heart with that smile that doesn’t quite reach your eyes.

Stop fooling yourself that you have to be enough.

Drop to your knees. Bow your head. (Or, just ask Him while sitting in the car or wherever you are in the moment.) And lay the pain at His feet.

Ask Him to take it. Ask Him to handle it. Ask Him for freedom from your secret prison of pain.

It’s All About Him

He doesn’t need you to be perfect for the world. He needs you to show the world that He is perfect although we are not.

Shine a light by pointing to Him. Shine HOPE by pointing back to Him.

He is THE way… THE truth… THE life.

So, let Him bring life back into your heart by turning to Him in your anger & hurt & by letting Him be what lifts you.

He’s got you, Lovely. He will always be enough & more so. He’s got you.

Coming Next Week

Check back next Monday morning EST for more encouragement!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Petal Necklace

This cubic zirconia floral pendant hangs from an antique golden chain & pairs perfectly with the Petal Stud Earrings.

Artisan Information:

The women we partner with in India do so much more than just create beautiful products. With every purchase, another woman is empowered out of poverty to be self-reliant! Women have the opportunity to earn an income, attend financial management classes, & receive education & healthcare. These women are now able to give their family a promising future because of your purchase!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

Shop Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Grace Is Free

This is a topic that I have found cannot be discussed enough—“Obedience through faith, not self-efforts.”

It seems that we have universally grown accustomed to feeling some control over our position before God. As if we must prove ourselves worthy in order to be given His free gift to cover our wrongs.

Sometimes we live in a state of self-condemnation, beating ourselves into submission in order to honor God with our lives. We think we have to pay Him back.

But God’s free gift of grace is just that… free.

Our Best Isn’t Enough-And That’s Grace

God even says that our righteousness (the best we have to offer), is like dirty rags.

God doesn’t say this to condemn us & mock our efforts, but rather to say that His gift cannot be earned, but is just GIVEN, free of charge, if only we believe on Him for that gift.

Our best still isn’t enough & yet God covers the gaps for us.

And yet we still strive to earn or to deserve His grace.

Doing Nothing Is Not the Cure

This isn’t to say that the opposite of the pendulum swing is true either, that because we cannot earn it, we shouldn’t strive to honor God with our lives.

BUT, it is not because we put pressure on ourselves to deserve His free gift & it is not through our own self-efforts, either.

Knowing We Weren’t Enough-God Makes a Way

In discussing this topic with a friend, this comparison came to mind:

God gave us the law (the 10 Commandments), knowing that we could never fulfill the law on our own & knowing that we would have to come to Jesus to be the propitiation for our wrongs to right our relationship with Himself.

In the same way, God gives us commands on how we ought to live this life, knowing that we do not have the capacity to live that way from our own efforts, knowing that He sent the Holy Spirit to guide us & empower us to live the way He has called us to live.

The Balance

Also, just because we could never perfectly fulfill the law or God’s commandments on how to live, doesn’t mean we should avoid living God’s way & instead do whatever we want.

But we should also not tire ourselves trying to be perfect when we are not.

So, it sounds like I have told you to both NOT avoid doing what is right while also NOT tiring yourself to do what is right.

I know this might sound like a contradiction, but it is actually the perfect formula for faith & for a life lived through a relationship with God through a life of faith AKA abiding in Christ (versus just following His example).

Lean Into Him to Do All He Asks of Us

You see, although we are incapable of living the way God has asked us to, & although this does not excuse our wrongdoings, we should instead lean into God for what we are called to do in our incapacity to do it.

Here is an example of something I say to God in my prayers:

“God, I feel so [distracted, lazy, busy, rebellious, tired, stubborn, worn out, incapable, discouraged, impatient, proud/arrogant, etc.], but I know this honors You, so please give me the [strength, wisdom, clarity, available time, power, ability, encouragement, inspiration, discipline, humility, patience, etc.] that I don’t feel I can muster on my own to accomplish this that honors You. You are all that I need in my limitations. I am not enough, but You are GOD. Thank You that I can be still & know that through my limitations, You ARE GOD.”

Because really, that’s what it all comes down to.

We Are So Limited, But He Isn’t!

I am limited. There is so much that God asks of me that I just don’t have the capacity to do on my own…

Like:

• Loving my enemies
• Knowing what to say to someone whose world is crashing around them
• Taking time for a quiet time with God when my world is chaos
• Accomplishing a big task that seems out of my abilities
• Knowing how to respect someone who is rude or mean
• Responding rightly in a high stress situation
• ETC.! (The list of my shortcomings & weaknesses, if I put a decent amount of time & effort into writing it, would be quite long, if I am honest!)

SO MANY things are beyond my human limitations & I can exhaust myself REALLY QUICKLY in trying to live up to all of it all the time, in my own strength or wisdom or power to make it all happen. And then , I will STILL fall short of it 100% of the time!

God Fills in the Gaps

But yet, God still asks them of me, knowing my limitations better than I know them myself.

And so, the beautiful solution to this gap is HIM. Letting God lead us across those gaps, between His commands on how to live & our human limitations, through/by/with HIS power, love, patience, hope, strength, joy, wisdom, etc.

HIS. Not ours.

Don’t Just Follow Christ-Abide in Him

So, if you feel like you’re barely holding your Christian life together, you’re doing it wrong.

Sorry, not sorry.

Stop trying to be Super Christian & instead, lean into our AWESOME, UNLIMITED, SUPREME, LOVING GOD.

Just stop.

And pray.

And let God move you where you can’t move yourself.

Take some pressure off yourself, because you were never meant to do it in your own strength anyways.

Shine hope, Lovely—Through FAITH, Not Self-Efforts.

Coming Next Week

Make sure to tune in every Monday morning EST for some more encouragement!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Eternity Necklace

Multiple mixed metal chains are hugged by a metal curved tube to create this simple yet elegant piece with a lobster clasp closure.

Artisan Information:

The poverty cycle in India continues primarily because of the lack of education. Most schools are not free or affordable. Therefore, many children never learn to read or write & grow up with limited opportunities. However, every purchase of this product empowers women to provide for their children & send them to school! You have the opportunity to end poverty & create an impact for generations to come!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

(*Also shown: Western Stud Trio (silver pair), also empowering women out of poverty, in India!)

Shop Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

The Struggle Is Real

One thing that is a constant struggle for me is being still.

Ever since a Smart Phone entered my life, I have had games, communication, & internet all at my fingertips… at all times.

I definitely love the convenience, but I must confess that my Smart Phone has sort of taken over my life.

Even having turned off push notifications for everything other than regular texts, I still find myself grabbing for it in the quiet moments.

How do I get my life back?

Every Morning, Every Night, & Everywhere in Between

First thing in the morning & last thing before bed consists of an hour or so of catching up on replies on Facebook & emails, as well as playing through my “lives” for my current game obsession.

In those still moments, I used to just rest, reflect on my day, & pray. But now, I am consumed with filling every moment with activity.

In those quiet moments, I now get restless, too used to having memes, posts, comments, & games at my fingertips.

I Need Rest

I find myself thirsty for rest. Quiet, peaceful, rejuvenating rest.

Maybe I will learn to not allow phones or other devices to enter my bedroom, so I am forced to just relax, reflect, & pray.

Maybe I will keep my phone in the other room during the day, so I can maybe get out of the habit of grabbing for it in every quiet moment.

Maybe I will start praying & asking God to pry that obsession out of my tight grasp.

Maybe I will take more hot baths, where my tension can melt away, or take more walks/runs, while I am left with my thoughts, having a conversation with God about every stressor that nags in the back of my mind.

Nagging Restlessness

Do you have those thoughts? Maybe, like me, you have a project (or ten) that you keep meaning to finish. Maybe there’s a call you keep putting off. Maybe a chore you find disgusting or a bad habit that keeps coming back to bite you? Nagging thoughts that keep you restless.

I can’t imagine I am the only one with these background noise naggings that play on in my head.

I guess that’s why my phone is so tempting. I can easily tune out the nagging if I keep busy.

But the nagging continues, the thoughts still hover over each day, & the restlessness builds.

Being Still in Quiet Moments

I need more quiet in my life. I need to learn how to be still. I need to learn how to quiet my mind & heart & to take those nagging problems to God in prayer so He can begin working an answer out in my heart.

I can run from my nagging thoughts, but they will keep coming until they are solved.

I want to learn to stop running & to take those nagging problems to God.
I want to learn how to be still & trust God.

Asking God for Solutions, Strength, & REST

I want to start asking God for the diligence, creativity, & wisdom to finish those unfinished projects. I want to ask God for the courage to make the call. I want to ask God to help me be an overcomer—even if it’s just cleaning the grimy grossness of a toilet bowl. I want to ask God to help me change my habits & to shape me into the woman He designed me to be.

No more running. I want rest for my soul. I want quiet moments with my Lord.

Setting Healthy Boundaries

It’s time to set limits on my phone use & when I am tempted to grab my phone, to instead stop & say, “God, help me overcome this temptation to run away from the restless naggings of my heart. Help me to learn what it means to be still in quiet rest with You. Renew me. Strengthen me. Help me to know & love You more each day. Amen!”

May this be the prayer of our hearts as we seek to live a life that honors & glorifies our loving Father in Heaven. Because He first loved us, let us strive to love Him all the more each day.

Shine Hope, Lovely!

Coming Next Week

Make sure to check back here every Monday morning EST for more weekly encouragement!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Western Stud Trio

These simple yet modern studs come in a set of three pairs: a gold, a silver, & a rose gold pair.

Artisan Information:

The women we partner with in India do so much more than just create beautiful products. With every purchase, another woman is empowered out of poverty to be self-reliant! Women have the opportunity to earn an income, attend financial management classes, & receive education & healthcare. These women are now able to give their family a promising future because of your purchase!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

Shop these & more Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

The Basics

A few weeks ago, we talked about prayer & what it actually accomplishes. (Check it out here.) But today, I wanted to take it a step further to talk about one of the greatest prayers you can pray.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with prayer, prayer is simply talking to God.

There is no magic formula to pray. God hears you when you talk with Him, whether out loud or in your heart.

To start praying, simply share your heart with God. As you learn more about His promises in the Bible, you can learn to pray more effectively, because you will learn His heart & what He has promised us.

Sometimes, we just need to be reminded that, “Oh yeah, God’s Word says He will __________________.” And we can pray & ask God to fulfill that promise in that moment, putting our focus more on the power of God & His promises than of the situation we are currently facing.

Digging Deeper

Maybe one week I will go into some of the promises of God that we can claim in prayer, but for today, I wanted to focus on one specific prayer that can change your entire life (without exaggeration!)

That prayer is to ask God to teach you to know & love God more.

You see, everything stems out of our love for God.

God spends many chapters in the Bible telling us that love is the key. Loving Him with all of our heart & mind & soul & strength… And loving others as ourselves… are the two greatest commandments, according to God.

Everything else that He asks of us will flow from obeying those two greatest commands to love Him first & to love others.

Looking Around Versus Bowing Down & Looking Up

Too often, our focus is distracted by the battle we are facing. And while it is a wonderful & worthy habit to pray for victory in those daily battles, we need to learn the even greater habit of resting in the power of God moment by moment.

You see, we can expend much energy fighting our daily battles, whether it be lack of sleep, temptations, grumpy kids, hurting marriage, tough job, etc.

And we need to be giving those trials up to God, trusting in His power, grace, & peace to sustain us in the trenches of life.

But, sometimes, we need to stop, close our eyes, & rest in WHO GOD IS.

Our mind can get so overwhelmed by the pressures of the world that we sometimes forget to look up, so to speak.

Lean Into Who God Is

He is Almighty God. He is Everlasting Father. He is Prince of Peace. He is Lord of lords, King of kings. He is the First & the Last. He is Creator. He is our Savior & Redeemer. He is our Intercessor. He is GOD.

Lean into that. Lean into HIM.

While our battles exist & while praying through them is always necessary for true victory, do not neglect the moments of just kneeling at His feet(figuratively) & just bowing your heart before the Almighty God, letting HIM be GOD in your heart, mind, soul, & strength.

The More You Know…

Learn to love Him with everything you have & are.

Pray over this fervently, passionately, diligently, continually!

As you begin to know Him more, through reading & studying His Word, the Bible… & as you learn to discern His Word through a growing relationship with Him, through prayer, your love for Him will blossom.

It is inevitable.

The Greatest Love Story

The Bible is a Love Story written to us. A story of our failures, weaknesses, insecurities, fears, mistakes… And of His undying, passionate, fierce love for us no matter the circumstances, no matter our supposed worth, no matter our failures. No matter what.

He LOVES you.

Always.

Forever.

No. Matter. What.

And as His Word tells us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Not after we clean up our act. Not after we prove our worthiness. Notafter we pay Him back for every wrong we’ve done.

While we were still sinners….

It Was a Once & For All Kind of Deal

He died FOR us. For OUR payment. For OUR debt. HE died. FOR us.

You see, the more you study God’s Word, the more you begin see His love poured over the pages of history.

And the more you see His love, the more you tend to fall in love with Him right back.

And the more you fall in love with Him & His love for you, the more you want to know Him.

And the more you learn to know & love God, the more His love flows out of your heart & into the lives of others.

You see, I am not perfect & will never ever be (before heaven), but I am redeemed. My debt is paid for IN FULL.

I repented. I admitted God was right & I was wrong. I asked for forgiveness.

And He forgave without a moment’s hesitation.

And if you haven’t had that moment before God, He is waiting with open arms to do the same for you, Darling One.

Not Mine, But His Goodness in Me

Any good you see in me is not me, it’s Him. He trades my inadequacies for His power & love & grace.

As I learn to pour more of myself into Him, resting in His love & power & truth & grace, He takes my pride, insecurities, selfishness, & every other ugly part & He renews me for His glory.

The more I let go of, in the areas of my weaknesses, fears, & pride, the more He strengthens, renews, & redeems those areas of my life for His glory & for the good of myself & others around me.

Pray… And Don’t Stop Praying

So, pray.

Ask God to help you to know & love Him more. And don’t stop praying it. Don’t give up on that prayer & goal, because out of that flows the fountain of LIFE.

Let His love pour over you. Immerse yourself in His Word sent down to us (the Bible). And talk to Him—pray.

Don’t be content trying to serve God simply out of duty. And don’t avoid serving God because it just feels like duty.

Don’t exhaust yourself trying to be perfect for God on your own & in your own strength.

Pray & ask God to show you how to know & love Him more with each passing day.

Let Him In

Because as He shapes your heart, in love & truth, your life will begin to be an overflow from a heart focused on the grace & love & peace & power of God.

Let Him in. Let Him permeate your life in Love. Let your mind be renewed by His Truth.

And let His grace rule in your hearts & minds as you learn to live for His Kingdom & for the redemption of the world.

Live to love Him. Live to know Him.

And Shine HOPE, Lovely.

Coming Next Week

Make sure to check back next Monday morning EST for our next dose of encouragement.

Feel free to send me a message if something has spoken to your heart in a special way! I love hearing from you!!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Sea Glass Necklace

Artisans recreate the look & feel of sea glass by upcycling glass bottles from local hotels & restaurants that would otherwise be discarded, & they then tumble that glass with water & sand from the Red Sea until it is smooth. Sizes & colors may vary.

Artisan Information:

Many Jordanian women have their lives controlled by their closest male relative. They balance many customs at home, creating a lack of independence. Some of these women are divorced, widowed, or married to a man who may already have many wives. But amid struggles, these women we work with arrive to a family-like workplace. They can be heard singing, laughing, & drinking tea while creating our unique jewelry made from upcycled glass bottles. Your purchase empowers them with boldness & financial independence for the first time!

Purchase this piece and empower a woman in Jordan!

(*Also pictured: Truth Earrings from the Philippines!)

Shop Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

What Does it Mean?

The Bible talks a lot about prayer, so what does prayer mean, why does it matter so much to God, & what does it actually accomplish?

I Thessalonians 5:17 is just two simple words, “Pray continually,” or, as other translations put it, “pray without ceasing,” but what does that actually mean? Are we supposed to pray through every waking moment? Pretty much.

Now wait, before you go thinking something along the lines of, “but what about when I am sleeping? Or doing something else? Or concentrating on something important? How am I supposed to be expected to never cease praying?

In All Things

Now here’s one thought—think about this for a moment. Do you usually have inner dialogue with yourself—Thinking, problem solving, creating, visualizing, dreaming, etc.?

Now imagine this, God sees all of what goes through your mind—at all times. He hears your thoughts constantly. He knows everything about you, even to a subconscious level!

So why not include Him in your thoughts, problem solving, creating, visualizing, dreaming, etc.?

Just Add God

AS thoughts role through your mind, talk to God instead of to yourself. He is a faithful friend & a kind Father, waiting to spend quality time with you.

AS you are thinking through a problem, ask Him to give you wisdom & insight, because He is infinitely wise.

AS you are creating, ask for His inspiration, because He is infinitely creative! Think of all the unique qualities in just the human population alone & the intricacies of the human body. Envision God’s masterpieces in nature like clouds, flowers, snow, mountains, animals, etc.! He is creative!

AS you are visualizing & dreaming, ask for God’s input & thank Him for allowing such beauty & vastness to be imagined in just our minds!

God is pretty amazing at being God. He is humble & kind & loving. He is faithful. He is infinitely wise & creative!

We’re just asked to invite Him into the conversation. Let Him lead you with His able hands &His  loving care for you.

Why Does God Care Whether We Pray?

So why does it matter so much to God that we pray? Doesn’t He already know everything we’re thinking without us telling Him?

Well, yes. But….

To help us grasp an aspect of why prayer matters to God, I once heard the illustration of a child & her mother.

Imagine with me that the child’s teacher calls home every day & tells the mother everything that happened to their child that day, in every detail they could recall… When the child returns home, the mother then inquires about her daughter’s day, only to be met with a hurried, short answer, eager to run off & play.

The mother already knew the answer to her own questions, but she longed to connect with her daughter. How do you think it felt to be snubbed by the child you adore so much? (Maybe some moms already know the feeling from experience!)

Because God Cares About You

You see, not only is it POSSIBLE to pray continually, taking all of our concerns & cares to God, & even though God already knows EVERYTHING before we even tell Him… God WANTS to hear from us. He WANTS connection & relationship with us. He LOVES you!

Maybe we are stressed, anxious, afraid, hurting, etc. God already knows.

But our Loving Father–God– gives rest, peace, strength, power, & protection to those who seek Him out.

He will never force unwanted attention on us, but He will willingly pour it out to those who seek Him.

He wants to comfort you. He wants to figuratively hold you safe in His fortress of protection against the pain in this world. He wants to lift us up to soar like an eagle above the fray. He wants to give us rest.

All He asks is for us to come to Him & talk to Him & ask for His help, guidance, direction, wisdom, strength, hope, peace, love, joy, etc.

What’s the Big Deal?

But what does prayer even accomplish?

First of all, one of the biggest things I have noticed is that the more I pray, the more I feel His presence & peace in my life.

When we don’t pray, God is still working, but we are so distracted scrambling through each moment, too absorbed in our day-to-day chaos to even notice His presence sometimes.

Sometimes, we feel so caught up in our world that we feel like He has vanished & left us to our scramble of chaos.

But when we pray over specific things throughout the day that cause us worry or strain or even a cry for comfort, we are allowing God to show off His love for us.

Instead of His actions being vague, unnoticed background noise to our chaos, they become the foreground in a beautiful display of love & affection for us.

He Longs to Pour Love on Us Continually

It’s sort of like someone following you around trying to give you flowers & chocolates & hugs of comfort & kind words of affection… but we are juggling so much that we keep saying, “yeah yeah, not now,” without noticing their kind gestures for even a moment.

Allow God to permeate your day. Allow time to stop & receive His kind gestures of love & affection. Allow His infinite wisdom to guide & direct you through the crazy. Allow His strength to give you peace in the struggle.

He is constantly trying to show you Himself, so take time to pray through it all & allow Him room to show off His love for you. Allow Him to show you all that He is capable of in the midst of your life.

Prayer lets us see Him work. Prayer gives credit where credit is due–to God–& shines a light of “obviousness” to His workings day-to-day.

Let God Lead, Let God Shine

Allow your burdens to fall at His feet, letting Him be shown off to everyone around you, through your life. Let Him do the leading.

Maybe you have been like me & you have prayed constantly about something for which your heart ached & desired (my recent personal examples are asking to be comfortable & less lonely overseas & also for a child these past 5.5 years).

Maybe you have prayed so many times with no answer that you even feel bitter about praying even once more about it. (Definitely been there!)

Maybe you feel forgotten & hurt by God for allowing a painful situation to happen to you. (Definitely been there, too!)

But listen to me, Beautiful. God cares about you still. He CARES about you more than you can even wrap your head around. And He definitely hasn’t forgotten you & He is definitely NOT mocking you.

God hears you.

God Doesn’t Promise Easy

But listen to this as well, God tells us something that is vital to understand while living on this Earth…

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Notice the phrase, “in this world you WILL have trouble.” (Emphasis added.) God never promises this life will be easy. In fact, He tells us just the opposite.

In this world, there is sin. We are born as sinners. Sin exists & sin hurts.

We are not immune from feeling the affects of sin.

But, God

But God also has another important thing to say in that verse—“But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

You see, He will not promise that you will never face pain or struggle, but He does promise countless times, in the Bible, that He will comfort & strengthen us as we trust in Him… as we PRAY & ask Him to guide us & comfort us along the way.

Learn & Grow & Pray with Effectiveness!

We won’t always get our way, & sometimes that is simply because we aren’t asking the right question.

That is why, along with prayer, we should be learning who God is & what He promises us.

Because God KEEPS His promises 100% of the time & we can pray them with full trust that He will answer us as He promises!

In My Unanswered Prayers, God Worked WONDERS!

In my unanswered prayer for comfort overseas, God taught me that although I am weak & prone to bitterness/wandering from Him, His grace sustains me & His grace covers all of my failings!

In my unanswered prayer to have children these past almost 6 years, God has shown me that I can be fruitful for the next generation by pouring hope into other women who will in turn pass that hope onto all of THEIR children! God KNOWS my heart!!

When I thought He was ignoring me or leaving my prayers unanswered, He was still working. He was waiting for me to trust Him, lay my desires at His throne, & request of Him that His opinion & His guidance take authority over my own earthly wisdom.

He Offers Us So Much More Than We Ask!

He offers us joy in suffering, comfort in trials, strength in weakness & so much more.

So, as we learn more about who His is & what He promises us, through reading & studying His Word to us—the Bible, we can reach out & take claim of those!

We will learn how to pray more effectively the more we know Him & His promises.

Not Today, Satan!

Don’t let Satan trick you into believing that prayer is only before meals, quick & distracted by the lure of warm food. Don’t let him trick you into thinking prayer is only this formal ritual that must be performed or spoken a certain way.

God is with us always. He hears our thoughts. He knows you. So just TALK to Him!

Even in your thoughts, learn to have a conversation with Him throughout your day, letting Him in on your activities & ideas, asking for His direction & wisdom.

And if you struggle or feel resistance, don’t you dare let the devil make you think it ends there—prayer honors God, so claim that Truth & ask God to grow you in prayer! And keep asking!

The more you pray & ask God to help you learn to pray, the more God fans that flame & grows that seed of your desire to know Him.

What Can Prayer Do?

Prayer just means talking to God—out loud or in your thoughts.

Prayer matters because it’s how we see God work & it grows our relationship with Him because He cares so much for us.

Prayer accomplishes SO much because it transfers our worries & cares & struggles & insecurities & weakness to His infinite Love, Wisdom, Strength, Power, & ENOUGHness.

He fills us. He fulfills us. He guides & directs us. He comforts us. He protects us. He listens to us. He LOVES us!

So, talk to Him, Beautiful!

Start the conversation & SHINE HOPE!

Coming Next Week

Make sure to check back next Monday morning at 6am EST for more encouragement!

Also, next week will feature this month’s Special Feature post, shared every last Thursday of the month. This is my chance to share with you something a little different than the usual, so you can see a different side of me. Sometimes I share short stories, sometimes poetry, other times I will share about life in Japan, etc., so make sure to check it out!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Sea Glass Necklace

Empowering Women in Jordan & India Out of Poverty!

This necklace features a silver-plated chain with a sea glass charm. *Sizes & colors of glass vary.

Artisan Information:

Many Jordanian women have their lives controlled by their closest male relative. These men balance many customs at home, creating a lack of independence. Some of these women are divorced, widowed, or married to a man who may already have many wives. But amid struggles, these women we work with arrive to a family-like workplace. They can be heard singing, laughing, & drinking tea while creating our unique jewelry made from upcycled glass bottles.

Because of their cleanup efforts of the beaches at the Red Sea, these women now upcycle glass from local restaurants. The glass is then tumbled with water & sand from the Red Sea.

Your purchase empowers them with boldness & financial independence for the first time!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in Jordan!

Shop Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

The Long-Gone Yesterdays

I must confess that this is a recent area of struggle for me.

But it didn’t use to be that way. I used to long to share every thought with God & to receive His peace & wisdom & strength in each given moment.

It was empowering to know that where I was weak, He was infinitely strong, & I could count on Him… Always.

But here I am, thirsting from six years of dryness in my life, having unlearned the precious practice of regular prayer.

What Once Was

I must tell you, after having experienced a life lived with prayer, this new normal seems like a constant battle, a constant striving, & a constant desperation to fill the emptiness that God’s peace once filled thoroughly.

How do you unlearn that wonderful habit of praying regularly & therefore regularly benefiting from God’s many blessings in our lives, you might wonder? Blessings like joy in trials, trust & faith when the world doesn’t make sense, strength when mine lacks, peace when the storms rage, etc. etc. etc.?

How does one experience all of those magnificent things through prayer & then simply walk away from it?

I’ll tell you how it happened for me.

The Root of My Downfall

Disappointment.

That’s right. All of those blessings I once relished & I tossed them all aside because God didn’t answer my prayers the way I thought He would (or rather, should, in my opinion).

After having gone through my wilderness of lacking friendships, lacking spiritual support, lacking comfort… I gave up asking, instead of changing my prayers & trusting anyway.

Be Open, Be Honest–It’s Worth It!

You see, we should definitely feel free & open to share every concern, every need, & every desire with God, because He wants us to have that open relationship with Him… But if we really want to be at peace & realize God’s power in our lives, we also have to be willing to pray for something a little more… for God’s will to be done & for us to trust Him in that will.

Do you remember that little nugget from the “Lord’s Prayer”? “Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven”? (Matthew 6:10)

You see, God wants to interact with us in our lives & He wants to shower good things on us, like I mentioned earlier, but those things do not always come when we get our way, & God knows this.

His Ways Are Higher

Isaiah 55:8-9 says,

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

And it is so, so right!

We may think we know what we’re asking, but we have to keep in mind that God sees the big picture. He knows how all of the pieces fit together.

Connecting That to Prayer

So, when we are communicating with Him & we express our desires or longings, we need to learn to rest in that Truth—that God knows what He’s doing better than we do.

And when disappointments come, we need to come back to that fact all over again & pray that God help us rest in His plan above even our own.

But, I Didn’t

And that’s exactly what I had not been doing.

And now I am scrambling to get through each day & feeling like I am treading water some days, just trying to keep my head above water… because I got out of the habit of resting in Him when all seems lost… & even before it even gets to that point.

The JOYS I Once Experienced

Let me lay out for you a picture of what my relationship with God USED to look like, to contrast it with the scrambling I have been describing as my current prayer life.

Imagine a best friend whom you can tell anything. They always listen, even if it’s rambling. They are always patient & kind & gentle. When you mess up, they are quick to forgive. When they help you through a lesson you’ve been needing to learn, they are always so gentle & patient with you through it, never rushing your progress, but simultaneously never giving up on you (no matter how many times you miss the mark). You always feel safe & loved & wanted. He lifts the burdens of your past guilt or shame from your shoulders & gives you a lasting sense of freedom. When you feel stuck or troubled, He always has the right wisdom for just that moment. He is always there, always loving, & always strong, even when you are not.

That’s a tiny glimpse as to what a life of prayer offers you.

Seems pretty crazy that I gave that up, doesn’t it? Stupid, really.

When We Justify Our Mistakes

I guess I justified each time I refused to pray about something  because I didn’t think God would give me what I wanted, & He didn’t. And He knew better, like always. But I didn’t.

I got bitter that I felt lonely. I got bitter that I still didn’t have a baby. I got bitter that I couldn’t get a job for so long. I got bitter that Jamie worked so much. I got bitter that my efforts to encourage others seemed unwanted. I got bitter that I didn’t have “my way”.

I gave up on SO MUCH just because I was disappointed & selfish in my prayers.

And because I didn’t trust Him enough to just talk to Him about it & let Him work it out.

Lessons Sometimes Take a While to Learn

And you would think that I would have learned my lesson by this point in my life. I have had many times of disappointment that I trusted to God, & I found so much joy & peace & strength as a result!

In the past, when I had something crash & burn or I felt a prayer go unanswered, I would ask Him to guide my heart & thoughts to trust Him through it. I would let my requests be made known to Him, through prayer, but then I would leave the rest up to Him & ask for His peace to fill me as He did the leading.

But I gave that up.

God Keeps Forgiving

Sometimes I ask myself how I could be that dense. How could I KNOW the benefits of trusting it all to God, no matter what, & then just throw it all away because I didn’t get my way?

But then I remember this, I am still so full of pride & selfishness that I too often excuse away. And I am weak. I am human, & I have limitations. And yes, I could have (& should have!) trusted God anyway, but sometimes I am reminded through my failures just how amazing He is.

Have you heard the phrase, “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone”?

It’s a valuable reminder for us when we go through this time of failure.

Getting Too Comfortable

I grew too comfortable in drawing my hope from Him, that I started believing that it was by my merit that He answered the ways He did, versus His simple goodness & grace in my life.

I don’t DESERVE any of His goodness or faithfulness, but He chooses to give it every single day… if only I am willing to accept it instead of throwing it aside because it doesn’t look like what I specifically asked Him for.

But the amazing thing about God is that He IS faithful. And He is forgiving & patient & ENOUGH.

Prodigal Daughter & the Welcoming Father

I am the prodigal daughter in this scenario. I asked for what I didn’t deserve in the first place, squandered my life to try to get my way, & am now dejected, lost, & alone, realizing that my way hasn’t brought me the joy I thought it would.

And as I turn back, broken & scarred… ashamed of my behavior & the mistreatment of God’s faithfulness & mercies… ready to learn all over again what I left behind….

There God is, not a scornful look on His face. Not crossed arms. Not judgment & lectures waiting to be dumped on me upon my return.

NO.

There He is. An understanding, gentle smile on His face. Arms wide open. Ready to love me & forgive me & work toward rebuilding our relationship.

Because that’s who He is.

He is a good, GOOD Father.

Lay It All Before Him… Come Back to Him

I don’t deserve any of it. Sobs rock me even as I write this, just being reminded of what I tossed aside so childishly, only to return to His welcoming grace & love, which He so undeservedly offers me.

Prayer doesn’t have to be formal & unrealistic.

God knows you better than you know yourself.

He can handle your disappointments, your anger & frustrations, your desires & mistakes.

Share those with Him.

Ask For It

Ask for His wisdom. Ask for His strength to cover you. Ask for Him to be your source of peace. Ask Him to cover your insecurities & inadequacies with His power. Ask Him to forgive your worst sins (He WILL forgive them all). Ask Him to guide your each step. Ask Him to renew your heart & mind, & to give you a fresh start. Ask Him to show you who HE created you to be, & to wash away anything about you that is more of a result of your mistakes & the lies of this world & to replace all of that with His wisdom & grace.

He is enough, Lovely. Every single time. He. Is. ENOUGH.

And prayer is a beautiful gift & privilege.

So be willing to come before Him & talk to Him like a best friend, like a loving Father, & as the King above all things in Heaven & on Earth.

He is waiting with open arms. He is waiting for you.

Amen!

Coming Next Week

Make sure to check back next Monday for my newest weekly blog post!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Unity Necklace

Empowering women out of poverty in Haiti & India!

Upcycled beads made from glass and clay from Haiti’s mountains hang on a silver plated chain.

Artisan Information:

Haiti had this century’s worst natural disaster and is home to almost 500,000 orphans. The majority of the orphans have not been orphaned by parental deaths or natural disasters, but by parents who had to give them up simply because they could not feed them. The group we work with is an “un-orphanage” and is helping with the orphan crisis by providing parents with sustainable business through creating beautiful products like this necklace.

Purchase this piece and empower a woman in Haiti!

(*Also pictured: Western Stud Trio (silver pair), empowering women in India!)

Shop Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE, Lovely!

I Understand When… 

Wow, that’s quite a statement, isn’t it? “Obeying God, even when we don’t believe Him?”

Now, I get obeying Him when it comes to serving the poor, being gentle & gracious to others, etc. etc. flowers & rainbows.

I even get obeying Him when it’s hard, but when I can also see it being necessary, like surrendering my stress & trials to Him instead of attempting to do it myself….

It may take me some time, but I can wrap my mind around & accept obeying Him in those situations & on those terms.

But…

As humans, it is our nature to assess the world around us & to consequently establish judgements about what we believe in or what we should do about a certain situation… And act accordingly.

But God asks us to obey Him, even when we DON’T believe Him.

That right there is quite the challenge for me (& that’s putting it lightly).

We (or maybe it’s just me) like to pick out the verses that sound great to us… or those that benefit us… or those that make sense to us… & the rest… well, we sometimes, maybe neglect those completely.

Candy Bowl of Goodness

It’s easy to picture God’s Word as a candy bowl, an analogy I read recently, where we pick out the pieces that look good to us & sort of avoid the rest.

But God’s Word can be trusted through & through. Not because it makes sense to us & not even because we necessarily have to agree with all of it… But because it’s GOD’S WORD.

As the Creator of the Universe (including us, by the way), Lord of lords, King of Kings, Alpha (beginning) & the Omega (end)… He knows what He’s talking about.

And we don’t always have to “get it” for it to still be the Word of God.

Not a Genie… but, GOD

He offers so many promises of blessings, including the free gift of salvation & redemption of our wrongs, but He is still God… not our genie.

I am sure my Mom will be quick to tell you that I am a stubborn person & quite strong-willed, in most cases, (mothering me was quite the task, wasn’t it, Mom? Phew!) & I don’t like supporting or doing anything that goes against what I feel is right or fair… or what I want, to be frank.

But even when we DON’T believe Him & when we can’t seem to agree with Him, God still asks us to obey Him anyway.

That right there is one tough pill to swallow & it has been one of this biggest causes for rifts in my relationship with God.

Quick Detour

Now don’t get me wrong, God doesn’t want us to be blindly following Him as the dictator over our lives, never allowing us to question or doubt. He understands that we are finite in our understanding. He understands questions.

So ask them.

If you don’t understand why God says a certain thing, ask Him for wisdom & insight. Ask Him to teach you how to trust Him.

He can handle it.

But it’s not okay to just do what we want just because we don’t understand, without bothering to bow before Him & ask for wisdom & understanding of His will–because He is still God, & we are not.

There is so much I DO love about what God’s Word teaches us, though, without a doubt….

What I Love

I love that He forgives. I love that He is patient with me & He loves me. I love that He gives us a new beginning & works to see our potential blossom for His glory. I love that He offers us so much help & security & peace when we turn to Him in trials. I love that He offers abundant life & an opportunity to guide us into a life of blessing others each day. I love His never-ending patience with my stubborn heart.

I love all of those things!

But, Again…

But… I don’t really like obeying things on which I cannot put my own personal stamp of approval or understanding.

I like to read His Word, match it against all of my earthly, limited understanding about the world, & then decide for myself which I should obey or ignore.

Because I obviously know way better than God does.

Wait….

Ouch

Yeah, it sounds stupid when I say it like that… but isn’t that what I am essentially saying, when I pick & choose my “Choose My Own Religion” concepts to either obey or discard?

To have this abundant life that He promises… To see the potential that He uniquely created within each of us… To really be a blessing & a light to the world around us, we have to stop picking & choosing what we want to obey in God’s Word.

His Word comes as a package deal. It is not meant for snacking on the sweet sections that we like, but rather, the Bible is written as a well-rounded meal meant to nourish & sustain us.

Applies to Everything

I am not going to get into specific areas that people tend to use this method of picking & choosing what they either obey or toss out of God’s Word, because that will probably cause more dissention than edification…

But I think we can all think of one or MANY areas where we tend to do this… (Let’s just focus on ourselves for this, because we can’t parent everyone else.)

When we are faced with those types of situations, it is important for us to be “slow to speak & quick to listen” (James 1:19).

Slow to Speak, Quick to Listen

Many people take this verse to mean that we should be patient with others & become good listeners… But I heard one leader describe it this way (to paraphrase):

“When God asks us to be slow to speak & quick to listen, He is asking us to be careful about speaking up for God. We tend to get fired up about topics & we want to spew what we know about God back at them as a counter argument. But God is complex. His ways our higher than ours. And while we shouldn’t neglect speaking up for Truth, we should be careful in speaking to a specific situation, in God’s name. Unless you see outright harm being done to another person, we need to take the time to step back & ask God to shine wisdom on the situation & to show you the best course of action for that specific situation & even to give you tact & wisdom to know how to respond in a right & effective way. Because while we may think we know & understand a lot, we don’t know or understand everything… Give God a chance to lead the situation with His higher wisdom, for His higher purposes.”

That right there. I need that advice. A LOT.

God’s Got This

Because I may think I know a lot, but I do not understand everything.

But God does.

So, when we are met with a frustrating situation or an injustice or wanting to stand up for what we passionately believe is right… We need to learn the wisdom of stepping back, kneeling in prayer, & asking God to shine His wisdom & Truth into our hearts so that we can address the situation in a way that honors God & respects the situation from angles you may not understand.

God is enough, Lovely. We may not understand everything, but that’s okay because God does & He is fully worthy of our trust & obedience.

In Everything, for Our Good

I read a verse yesterday that really spoke to this Truth:

“Now if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort & salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort and salvation.” (2 Corinthians 1:6)

You see, whether we are facing something difficult or whether we are comforted, God intends it all for our good.

He can be trusted whether we agree with or understand Him… or not, because He is a Good God. And even if we struggle believing that, He is still God & He knows how He designed this world to work best.

So entrust your worries & frustrations & injustices to Him & ask for His wisdom & grace to be poured into the situation, instead of agonizing over how you believe it should work.

Ask Him

And when you come across something in the Bible that you don’t understand or agree with, ask Him to help you understand it. Ask Him to give you wisdom. Ask Him to give you faith, even when yours might feel miniscule.

Because God is enough to fill in the gaps of misunderstandings & shortcomings. And He is enough to know what is the right way, even when we don’t always understand or think we agree.

Just Trust… & Obey.

Shine Hope, Lovely… Wherever God has you in life right now… Shine HOPE.

Coming Next Week

Check back here this Thursday for our Monthly Special Feature post (every last Thursday of the month), where I share something a little different than usual.

I like to share helpful tips & tricks, share about my life in Japan, & write short stories & poems… & this is a fun way that I can share them with you & allow you to see a different part of me. I hope you enjoy!

ALSO, join me Next Monday morning for my next encouraging blog post & make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss it!!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Jeweled Necklace

Empowering women out of poverty, in India!

Wear this necklace long or doubled. Made out of iron wire, glass beads, and nickel-free plating.

Artisan Information:

The poverty cycle in India continues primarily because of the lack of education. Most schools are not free or affordable. Therefore, many children never learn to read or write and grow up with limited opportunities. However, every purchase of this product empowers women to provide for their children and send them to school! You have the opportunity to end poverty and create an impact for generations to come!

Purchase this piece and empower a woman in India!

Shop Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE, Lovely!

Just Start

Have you ever felt like you just HAD to start something, but you felt completely inadequate for it?

Or maybe you literally had to start something (ie. Parenting), but you felt completely inadequate & unprepared for it?

Well, that’s me with this blog.

Stepping Out of Comfort Zones

I had this spark inside of me that said I NEEDED to do this blog.

I saw the darkness of this world & I understood that the world needs significantly more hope & light in it, & then I realized that I had to do whatever it took to make that happen, even if in some small way.

Not because I am a good person. Not because I am so wise & capable, but rather because I am not–& because I realize that I am not.

I need encouragement just like the next person. I fail. I fall short. I feel weak & insignificant. I am not enough.

But the world needs hope.

They NEED it.

Hope is Like Oxygen-It Gives Life

And to keep its source quiet & to cover up the light that shines in my own heart felt impossible. People need hope like air to breathe. They may not realize it, but everyone needs it.

Because we have limitations & weaknesses, we all come to the end of ourselves at times. But we try to pick ourselves back up. We try to be stronger. And sometimes, we give up.

We need HOPE.

Like oxygen.

You can “hold your breath” for a little while, but it will catch up to you… that need for hope.

Realizing My Need for God

God has shown me the end of myself, frequently, in these last many months.

He has shown me how self-concerned I am & how determined I am to rely on myself versus turning to Him as my wisdom, strength, & direction (*& HOPE).

When I have crashed & burned, I have wanted to quit, throw in the towel, & just never try again. I have felt battered & bruised & flat out DONE. I have been selfish.

Have you ever felt this way?

God Knows I Need It

But here’s the kicker….

God knew I needed to get knocked down these seemingly infinite times.

Because you know what is happening?

I am realizing the hidden sin I harbor in my heart. I have noticed my blatant disregard for listening to or obeying God when I am not comfortable & happy.

I have noticed how selfish & proud I am with my life & my happiness.

I have noticed how HUMAN I really am, just like everyone else, & it is so, so humbling.

“Neither”

Another thing that struck me out of nowhere was a little verse that I was reminded of at church, in Joshua 5…. Let me tell you the story.

Picture this… There is a man afraid of an oncoming enemy, set on destroying them all. The angel “commander of the Lord’s army” comes to him & this man’s question to the angel is this, “Are you on our side or theirs?” The angel’s response? “Neither.”

Wow. Ouch.

What a slap in the face.

That reality hit me hard.

All for God’s Glory? Or Ours?

How often do we sincerely, honestly, without ulterior motives, request for us to honor GOD’s will & to glorify GOD in every situation?

How often do we pray, not for our own comfort & happiness, but for the freedom & redemption of others & for God to receive the glory in every situation, even if it means a lack of comfort for ourselves?

How often do we lay our desires & dreams & aspirations & desperation at God’s feet, lay all of it out as a request to God, & finish with, “but let Thy will be done”?

For me, lately? Not often, I admit.

It’s Hard to See Past What We Want

With my years of living in mostly solitude, with loneliness an ever-nagging cut in my heart, I prayed for friends & comfort & happiness.

With the hardships of living in a foreign atmosphere, I prayed for comfort & escape from the stressors.

With wanting to be a size two, so that I don’t receive constant perceived & actual criticisms & judgments from others, I have prayed that God make me skinny & pretty (Versus healthy & a good steward of the body God has given me).

With ever-unanswered prayers for children, I got hurt by God’s apparent “no” & prayed for it to happen anyway, through tears of frustration.

With the struggles of insecurity & inadequacy & fears, I have prayed that God would give me peace to just quit reaching out–so I could just be comfortable.

I am the poster child for praying my will above anything else & getting hurt when the answer is “no.”

Changing Perspective

And then that verse….

How often have I cried basically the same cry of frustration & desperation? “Whose side are You on!?!”

But. God.

I should, instead, be praying to learn how to live for GOD’S SIDE.

I Am the Clay

You see, we often overlook one very important thing when we pray…. God is SOVEREIGN.

He is GOD. He is the King of kings, Lord of lords, Creator of the universe, Redeemer of sin debts, Father, Lover of our souls, GOD OF ALL.

He doesn’t answer to us.

He chooses to bless us & help us & love us with blessings. He promises to be our strength & to give us peace & to renew our hearts & minds with a clean slate. He gives us SO MUCH.

But HE. IS. STILL. GOD.

Letting Him Rule Our Hearts

It’s hard to live in disappointment when you measure all prayers against that very important fact.

God is GOD & we are not.

How silly it is for me to tell God “how it should be” when He sees all & knows all & sees how it all fits together from the beginning of time to the end.

He knows much better than we do of what we need & what we think we need, but which will actually harm us in the end.

He is Worth It All

He is worth trusting.

He is worth laying all of our cries of desperation & longing at His capable & loving & all-knowing “feet”.

He is so so so so so so so worth it.

To Sum It All Up

So, here’s my encouragement for you today….

Do you have hidden (or obvious) sins in your life that you excuse away? Do you have dreams that are more important to you than anything? Do you have hurts that ache you to the core & make you want to stay in bed forever? Do you feel weak & incapable? Do you have longings that cut you deeply, even understandable ones?

Then lay them at HIS feet.

Do you trust Him enough to be Lord of your life? Do you trust Him enough to follow Him, hand in hand, through the storms of life? Do you trust Him when the answer is “no”?

Talk to God About It

Say, “God, I want this [or, I want this to end], but I know You are God & I am not. Help me to trust Your will & plan, & help me to trust Your goodness. You know my longing & hurt, but you are Sovereign. Teach me to trust You through this. Keep my eyes on You through the storm. Help me to trust Your way above my own. You have a plan. Reveal to me Your love & goodness despite Your response. To YOU be the glory, forever & ever. Amen.”

That is my prayer lately. As God has been revealing my depravity & the weaknesses that I too often ignore or excuse away, I have been learning to realize that this life isn’t about me… It’s about God. Loving & serving Him with my life to bless the lives around me & shine hope into their lives, is what it’s all about.

To God be the Glory

He is Sovereign. He knows best. May I learn to trust that to the very core of everything I ever believe or desire or hurt over. May I trust my Loving Father, the God of the universe. May He receive all the glory from my efforts.

Amen.

Shine hope, lovelies… But you don’t have to do it alone. God can fill in the gaps. Just trust Him with those gaps & do that thing.

Coming Next Week

Check back next Monday morning for my next post! I am praying for you. I may not know who you are, but I know God has a plan for your life & it is my goal to encourage you, so I am praying for you.

See you next week, Lovely!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

The Unity Necklace

Empowering Women Artisans in Haiti!

Upcycled beads made from glass and clay from Haiti’s mountains hang on a silver plated chain.

Artisan Information:

Haiti had this century’s worst natural disaster and is home to almost 500,000 orphans. The majority of the orphans have not been orphaned by parental deaths or natural disasters, but by parents who gave them up simply because they could not feed them. The group we work with is an “un-orphanage” and is helping with the orphan crisis by providing parents with sustainable business through creating products.

Purchase this piece and empower a woman in Haiti!

Shop Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com, & I will message you personally with more information!!

Thank you for inspiring HOPE, Lovely!

What I Have to Offer

I am nothing.

As I sat down to write this week’s encouragement post, I was left blank.

Not that I haven’t been thinking over this topic & mentally preparing to write it–I have–but as I sit to write, the words escaped me & I was left with a glaringly blank screen in front of me. All day.

I am reminded again & again that when I try to do things on my own, or simply to keep a schedule, words & actions come out flat & meaningless–like my prior edits to this post.

God Works Despite Our Failings

You see, God tells us some amazing things in the Bible. He is faithful. He is Good. He loves us all EQUALLY–even when we spit in His face, whether in ignorance or indignation.

But God is faithful. He showers blessings of hope & joy & love, whether we deserve it or not (Hint: We never really deserve it.)

And so here I am, once again being reminded of this astounding Truth–we need Him.

A Journey of Bitterness

Let me take you on a journey over my last year or so….

Rewind back to my arrival on Guam, six years ago. High hopes. Tropical island dreams floating in heart-shaped bubbles above my head. All full of confidence & a readiness to take on this new adventure on an island paradise. I was ready to jump in and be a light of hope & encouragement to everyone around me.

But then it happened… Discouragement hit me like a slap in the face.

I didn’t see it coming. But reality was cruel. Jamie, my husband, worked almost constantly & was away from home. I had little means of communicating with family or friends back home–plus an opposite time zone to work around. And most hopeful friends were so bogged down by work & other responsibilities, they hardly had time to breathe, let alone have the endless time to hang out like I did. That’s when I realized I was mostly alone.

Now, let’s stop here to consider a fact that I failed to capture in those moments–God can redeem alone time & spring wonderful things out of it. He can inspire growth & a chance to see Him work in our weaknesses, making His works stand out gloriously bright in our lives, in contrast… when we submit those hard moments to Him.

But for the most part, I didn’t.

I mostly only prayed for the loneliness to end. For comfort. For friends. I wanted my rosy view to return.

He didn’t answer the way I wanted Him to, so I took it as silence–when I should have stopped to ask Him how He would like that time to be used.

Bitterness took root.

And On Goes the Journey

Fast-forward to Chitose, Japan–three years ago. A hopeful beginning. A second chance to start anew. A chance to escape the loneliness. A chance for adventure in a foreign land.

I had dreams of clustering together with many other Americans to support each other in a foreign land. I had hopes of having English-speaking friends with whom we could learn the lay of the land together, ready to make new friends & form tight bonds.

Reality hit when I realized English was actually rarely spoken & other foreigners were few & far between. Add to that the fact that unless someone has lived far from other English speakers for several years, they simply don’t know the inevitable stress that you might manage every day, as your mind constantly tries to make sense of the foreignness around you everywhere you go–so even talking with friends can seem strained. I was alone again.

Again, I could have asked God to teach me how to handle it & still have had grand adventures, albeit alone, during those three years… But I wanted comfort. I wanted friends. I wanted my rosy view to return.

I mainly just wanted to feel some comfort & a sense of HOME somewhere.

Bitterness dug her claws deeper.

But Wait…

Fast-forward to close to a year ago. I was hit by the reality that bitterness & loneliness & stress from foreign living seemed to completely rule my life. I had become jaded & cynical in many ways--much darker than I was in the past.

I had pushed God out of that area of my life & as a result, that area was left cold & dark & empty.

I was growing numb to the concerns of others, too bogged down by my own pain & misery festering underneath the surface–even if I didn’t always consciously acknowledge that being the cause.

The waters were rising up, threatening to drown me out. I was losing hope that things could ever improve.

My stark callousness woke me up to my condition & I started praying a little differently. I started asking God to WAKE ME UP. I wanted Him to show me again His grace & love & to show me how much I really needed Him.

He Is LIFE

I knew from my past that where I was following Him, there was LIFE. I wanted that again.

But I had grown so cold that my heart had built a sort of stone wall to protect itself. I wanted it to come down. I wanted to let Jesus’ love & hope & peace & strength to come pouring over my cold heart so I could LIVE again. Really live.

I felt a small whisper on my heart when I started asking God to change me & wake me up… “I will. But it will take time.”

I knew it was the only way. He had to show me that it wasn’t magic that snapped me out, but rather a loving Father willing to take the time to teach me & guide me to Truth in a way that will stick in my mind & transform my heart.

A lasting change.

In the Now

Fast-forward to now, & there really isn’t ANY guarantee that things WILL ever improve.

That’s just life.

We live in a broken world, you & I. There WILL be pain & discomfort at times.

But that doesn’t mean God cannot work through it, Lovely.

The Secret to Life

And there you have it… That’s the secret to life–We can’t do it on our own–we were never meant to.

God offers Himself to us. Completely. With all His resources.

He offers grace & redemption & a CLEAN SLATE to anyone who asks Him whole-heartedly, too!! (*Read how on my Hope is Found page, here).

Why should we ever WANT to do it on our own?

Created FOR HIM

We are nothing. We are flesh & bones–tempted & weak & insufficient.

But He is everything. He is ALMIGHTY–All-Wise, All-Powerful, & All-Sufficient.

And He is faithful. He tells us that He rains on the just AND the unjust. That means, even when we KNOW with all certainty that we don’t deserve it, He still blesses us with GOOD things.

So the secret is out. We were created BY Him & we were created FOR Him. We are the created. He is the Creator. We are the clay. He is the Potter.

We were created to praise & honor & glorify our Creator., by loving Him & loving others. We were created to love & serve Him & others. We are offered all of His wisdom & strength & resources to accomplish what He sets before us.

We are nothing, but He is everything.

Not Easy, But Worth It

God didn’t give me an easy outflow for this post, by the way. I finished it merely an hour before it was to go live.

He allowed me to feel the discomfort of my insufficiency, but He did answer & He did provide. He is Good. And even if He hadn’t? He would have a reason for it & He would work through it for the best. It’s funny how amazing He is at that.

Shine HOPE, Lovely. HIS hope. Let everything flow out of this Truth. That we are His… Created by Him… Created for HIS glory & honor & praise.

Coming Up Next!

Make sure to check back in this coming Thursday to see this month’s special feature post (every last Thursday of the month), PART 2/2 of my short story, “Falling”! I can’t wait to share it with you!

A Note from Michelle:

If you want to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” & “Hope is Found” pages, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Sea Glass Necklace

Representing Women Artisans in the Jordan & Cambodia!

The sea glass used by the artisans to create this piece was once collected from the shores of the Red Sea, but because of their recycling efforts, the beaches have become so clean that they now gather & upcycle bottles from locals hotels & restaurants before they are discarded. How beautiful! The glass is then tumbled in water from the Red Sea to create a similar look.

Artisan Information:

Many Jordanian women have their lives controlled by their closest male relative. They balance many customs at home, creating a lack of independence. Some of these women are divorced, widowed, or married to a man who may already have many wives. But amid struggles, these women we work with arrive to a family-like workplace. They can be heard singing, laughing, and drinking tea while creating our unique jewelry made from upcycled glass bottles. Your purchase empowers them with boldness and financial independence for the first time!

Purchase this piece and empower a woman in Jordan!

Shop Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE, Lovely!

A Quick Reflection

It has been so neat seeing God grow even me as I begin this blogging journey.

I began this journey expecting to inspire & encourage others, but as is true in most cases, the more I apply myself to pray over & encourage others in these areas, the more I inevitably grow & learn along the way.