It’s not uncommon to experience what I like to refer to as a spiritual funk. We might feel distant from God, we might be tired of wrestling with a certain struggle, or we might even feel frustrated with the Lord’s timing. There are hundreds of different reasons why we might be battling a case of the spiritual “blahs,” so to speak, and sometimes trying to work your way out of that place feels like you’re walking through quicksand.
One night about three years ago, when I was feeling almost numb about (and stuck in) a situation that was just wearing me ALL THE WAY OUT, I went to my principal’s house for a faculty dinner. I would love to tell you that I was super excited about an evening with my friends and coworkers, but honestly, I wasn’t. I wanted to stay home and keep to myself and continue to feel numb and maybe even just a little bit bitter. Because you know that old saying that misery loves company? Well, as it turns out, misery also loves pajamas and Netflix and alone time.
When I was in a similar quicksand-y season about eight years ago, my friend Angela spoke some serious wisdom into my life. She told me that when we feel like we can’t move forward, we’ll do well to remember. The Bible consistently tells us to remember what the Lord has done in our lives. “Thank Him for what He has done,” she said. “Speak it out loud. Remember.”
I wasn’t thinking about Angela’s words before I went to my principal’s house for dinner, but after we finished our meal, the Lord provided the most unexpected reminder about the necessity and the importance of remembering.
My coworkers and I were sitting in a circle that meandered around our principal’s living room area, and after he encouraged us with a few words, he asked each of us to share something special about the school where we work. I smiled when he made his request, but to be super candid, my heart WAS NOT HAVING IT. I was content to keep sitting in my numb little bubble where feelings were not welcome. Apathy was working fine for me, thank you very much.
But oh, y’all. As people around that circle started speaking, my heart found it increasingly difficult to resist the praise and thanksgiving. Memories ran the gamut from the personal to the professional to the miraculous, and the more I listened, the more awed I was by our loving, faithful God. And when it was finally my turn to share, there was so much emotion churning inside me that I halfway doubted I’d be able to get the words out.
“We don’t have any relatives in Birmingham,” I said. “So for me, our school has always been family.”
That memory was just the spark my heart needed. And as I drove home that night, I made a point to remember. I thought about the joy of serving the kids at our school. I thought about specific relationships that have been so dear and life-giving. I thought about the ways I’d witnessed the Lord at work. And let me tell you: the Lord used those memories to encourage me like crazy. By the time I pulled into my driveway, the quicksand didn’t seem quite so deep. The numbness had started to wear off. And before I walked in the house, I found myself praying Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (esv).
So today, whether you’re working your way through a spiritual funk or not, remember. Think about the Lord’s provision in your past. Be assured of His goodness in your present. And anticipate His plans for your future.
He loves you so much. You can trust Him. He is your all in all.
1. What are some of your earliest memories of Jesus?
2. Who are some people from your younger years who modeled the love of Jesus and taught you more about Him?
3. When was a time when you were in dire need of the Lord’s grace and His comfort? How did He meet that need?
4. You know the old hymn “Amazing Grace”? Write out the stanza that starts with “The Lord has promised . . .” Googling is totally allowed.
Today’s Prayer