Day Fifty-Seven

WHEN YOU HOLD ON

These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

—2 CORINTHIANS 4:17–18 MSG

Amy Stroup sings a song called “Hold Onto Hope Love.” It’s been my companion more nights than I can count as I’ve cried to God about the rough patches on my hands from holding tightly to the cliff of hope when it would be easier to just let go and fall into hopelessness.

And the truth? It would be easier to let go. But it wouldn’t be brave. It’s just not the story God is writing with my life. It’s not the story God is writing with yours either. So please, hold on.

Don’t let go because it hurts or because it is hard. Don’t let go because you feel like it is ridiculous to hold on. It’s not. Hold on.

My friend dreams of adopting, and yet multiple babies come into her family’s life only to go home with the birth mom. But my friend holds on. Christy is tired of running miles and miles every day, but she wants to run a marathon, so she doesn’t quit. She holds on. Mike and his wife run a camp for students where the buildings get run-down, the staff turns over, and the pool always smells a little off (just a little). It gets hard to have their jobs. But they see Jesus show up for students every week during the summer, so they hold on.

Don’t give up on life. Don’t give up on God. Don’t give up on yourself.

I hate it when people say, “God will never give us more than we can handle,” mainly because I don’t think it’s true and it isn’t in the Bible. The Bible does say no temptation will come to us that we cannot endure (1 Corinthians 10:13). You and I just have to be brave enough to hold on, even when our struggles feel like more than our hands can handle.

How long? I think the answer is to hold on until the Lord makes it really clear that you’re supposed to let go. Ask God. Ask people you trust. Ask your own heart. But while you are listening, persevere, and lean toward holding on until God and other people make it really clear that you’re supposed to let go.

Don’t give up on life. Don’t give up on God. Don’t give up on yourself.

Hold on to hope, love.

BE BRAVE: Tell someone you trust how you are trying to hold on. Let someone encourage you. (And maybe listen to Amy Stroup’s song. I think you’ll love it.)