Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. 1 Kings 19.4-9
In 1979 after my first husband announced his involvement with another woman I became immobile. In all honesty, I was what you would call one big hot mess. My world had caved around me and I didn’t know how to put one foot in front of the other. It was pathetic. There was a psychologist at our church who specialized in “home and heart repair.” I needed both. David came to my rescue.
Here was my predicament: My husband was gone from the house. I had three children: 9 yrs, 7 yrs, and almost-1 year. We lived out in the country with zero neighbors. My sis and her family lived one-half mile away. I did not work, nor had I ever worked outside the home. I had not graduated from high-school. I was a wreck!
When you have three needy kids, immobility doesn’t work too well. Dr. David would call me every single morning. He would ask me questions like:
- Did the kids get on the school bus?
- Have you diapered and fed the baby?
- Is there laundry to do?
- Do you have a plan for supper?
- Are the beds made?
Like I said, one big hot mess. Dr. David’s phone calls were my lifeline – those questions guided my daily activity and eventually the kids and I got through the hard places. We began to heal and move forward. Today, we would call that “doing the next thing.”
Elijah had a Dr. David too – except it was an angel of the Lord! Who came to him and told him what to do next.
I am writing this because this morning a funk came over me – not sure if it’s the winter blues or a pitiful pity party – the one thing I am sure of? It comes from the pit of hell and smells like smoke! I have learned how to properly diagnose this syndrome and I rarely cut myself any slack – I do give myself grace though! And, I preach to the choir.
When I feel this way? I do not want to do one constructive thing. Not one. I want to lay on the couch and eat bon-bon’s and watch mindless television movies. I don’t want to get dressed (different from a jammie day). I don’t want to comb my hair or make the bed. I don’t want to pray, read, or move (as in exercise). I do not like myself and I surely don’t like anyone else in my immediate area. Not pretty, right?
Today was one of those days. But, here’s what I did.
- I spoke nicely to hubs instead of the snippet way I wanted to.
- I combed my hair and put a little makeup on.
- I got dressed.
- I made the bed.
- I ate a good breakfast.
- I prayed on my knees, read my Lenten book selections, and I did my 20-minute workout.
- I prayed with my co-worker and straightened up my desk.
- I got a good cuppa and worked on this blog post and ate 3 bite-sized Snickers (ugh, they made me feel yuk).
- I did the next thing.
I didn’t need Dr. David and I didn’t call on an angel. By His sufficient grace and His sufficient strength I pulled up my britches and preached to the choir of one.
And, as it usually does, it worked and I’m feeling better.
You see, a Hope person sometimes has to do some self-encouraging, some self-edification, some self hope-giving. Because Hope Changes Everything and we don’t always have a Dr. David at the ready…but we can count on Dr. Jesus to come to our rescue!
Do you ever practice self-encouragement? What does that look like in your world?
xo
I love this. As you are aware I was there yesterday too. Not the weather or the winter blues could be my excuse but I had to do the next thing yesterday. Today? Probably the same but that’s what we do, the next thing and then the next and next and so on…
HOPE CHANGES EVERYTHING.
It really does. And, the longer my feet trod this earth? It becomes more apparent!!!
This was a good reminder. When my first husband and I split up I felt similarly. I actually have PTSD from some of the things hat happened during that time. It’s so horrible to be that immobile, I really try to talk myself out of going anywhere near that place now.
IT IS AWFUL, Melissa. Paralyzed by fear, anxiety, rejection, sadness. AWFUL.
Who doesn’t have those days?! What a great post, authentic and honest! My heart hurts for those who do not have the Hope of Jesus!
{{HUGS}}
XO
Tammy
Been there, done that Tammy – without Him. Never again. xo
Susan, I am so sorry you had one of these sort of days, although I know we all do from time to time. On those days, I try to open to the Psalms as there I can find “Dr. David” 🙂 encouraging me to do a little soul talk. I am so grateful we can encourage ourselves in the Lord and His Word. And on especially hard days, I am grateful the Lord will send a friend alongside of us to give us the extra needed push. xo
Dr. David in the Psalms! YES, Lord.
This, of course, speaks to me very strongly…………I appreciate your words so very much.
This morning I am having “the opposite” of what I all too often suffer with (and “suffer” is not too strong a word) and I’m mainly just sitting here being GRATEFUL……………and “trusting” HIM for many great days to come.
Stay there. 😉
I just love this post, because I have to practice Operation Bootstrap sometimes too, and I find that when I put forth my tiny effort, God meets me there. I might not feel better right away, and I might still be muttering things in my head about being overweight and middle aged and blah blah blah, but I truly believe that if I waited until I felt like writing to write, or if I waited until I felt “spiritual” to read my Bible and pray, I would never get off the launch pad.
Thanks for your good example and honest sharing, Susan.
Michele, I like “Operation Bootstrap” – perfect.
Thanks for sharing so honestly. I have those days too and definitely need to practice self-encouragement. I remind myself that I know the feelings won’t last forever and try to take small positive steps even if I can’t accomplish all I had hoped to.
Lesley, we all do, don’t we? Now, if we could all just muster up and confess it to one another so we can pray about it at the moment it’s happening.
The phrase “do the next thing” has been a kind of battle cry for me over the years in those down times. Your Dr. David sounds like “Jesus with skin on,” as they say. You have, I am sure, been that voice for others and isn’t that what we need to be for each other –
“messengers of HOPE”.
Absolutely – YOU intro’d me to “do the next thing” and it has saved my life on many a down day!!! xo
Yes, we all need a little self-encouragement on ‘those’ days and learning from His Word and His helpers on earth like Dr. David can help us move toward God’s plan for us. Glad you learned well and can self-motivate now! Thanks for the encouragement Susan!
Thanks for coming by, Jill.
“Hope changes everything” with “Dr. Jesus” in our hearts! I love it when HE comes in and gives me a little shake, and calls me into His day for me. Thank you for these words, and thank you for the questions in your Lenten book. They are some of those “little shakes” for me!
BettieG, thank you. Your comment encourages me.
“Do the next thing” has most definitely gotten me through many many mornings, afternoons and days. Thank you for this.
🙂
Hate when that feeling sneaks up on us and tries to steal, kill and destroy our energy, productivity, confidence. Thank you for sharing about Dr. David’s help during that time of devastation. How important it is to have someone help you get to the next step, and how we have to learn to do it on our own, even though we are never really alone. Love the choir pic with your head. That gave me the giggles!
Thanks Christina!
I Love this, it seems like we all go thru something like this sometimes. I’m so grateful and Blessed that we have Our Lord to carry us thru, In the midst of our Darkness, there is always Hope!
Always.
Thanks for this post Sue. I can relate to the “numbness” one feels of sadness, guilt, worry, etc. that can come over at any given time in life. The whole body goes into a “funk.” I also find Psalms very comforting and calming. I know that God has all the answers but I guess we woman are stubborn at times and think “we can fix this” attitude and all we really need is a “push” from Heaven above.
A little holy ghost push!!!
I’m so glad you moved on. Some days it can be so easy to get caught up in the funk. The best thing we can do is “the next best thing.” Love you friend! Blessed to be your neighbor at Testimony Tuesday this week.
We make great neighbors!!!
Sometimes the next thing is all we can do, and it is enough. Thank you for sharing!
In all reality, life is all about doing the next thing!!!
First of all, when you share the details of when your husband left, I realized your kids were just about the same ages as my kids’ current ages. I’d be a hot mess if that happened to me right now (um, or any time!) too. I’m grateful God gave you a life line – both in his own son and Dr. David – because hope does change everything. They way you persevere is an encouragement to me, Susan. Thanks for linking up at the all new #PorchStories. 🙂 love you.
Kristin, I have realized the age thing – and it may be why your family is so endearing to me – when we see ourselves in others it is like a magnet. I notice it more and more the ‘wiser’ I get!!! xoxo
l can say I’ve been one big hot mess, off and on, for too long. Encouraging myself does not come easy so I need to put this into practice. Speaking life to myself is so needed to allow myself to climb this mountain. So thankful you shared this over at the #glimpses link up.
Barbie, I know and I pray you can encourage yourself in The Word and sincerely put “do the next thing” into practice. Love you.
And sometimes, you reach out to others who can just pray and then you know you are not alone and that gives you HOPE too. I had to do that this week as well. I am so glad you decided to preach to the choir this week… Although, I could have used it last week, and the week before too . LOL but seriously, thank you. and thank you Jesus for Dr David. for a man who went above and beyond and truly cared for you and getting you whole and moving forward – one step at a time.
I am so grateful to have you linking up with me at #TuneInThursday
Dr. David was Jesus with a phone, for me for weeks! He and Dr. Jesus saved my life!