I’m not a huge fan of roller coasters but I like certain ones. I don’t like the steep vertical drops. The tick tick tick tick sound as it slowly creeps up into the sky looking like I’m being jettisoned into space unnerves me. My heart pounds anticipating the drop to come.
The fear locks my hands to the safety bar like superglue.
Life feels like that sometimes.
Times of unnerving anticipation followed by steep drops, ups and downs and round and rounds. In those roller coaster times, we need something to hold on to and it needs to be enough.
Life doesn’t have safety bars.
Life doesn’t have safety bars. Click To Tweet
Have something to hold on to
When I was a young mom, terrified of being a bad one, the tick tick tick tick of inadequacy unnerved me and the fear of failing my children roared inside me—but I had something to hold on to.
I didn’t know if it was secure but I clung like superglue hoping it was enough.
When my husband and I moved to Arizona where we’d never been, didn’t know a soul and my family was multiple time zones away it was like a roller coaster ride.
It was exhilarating and terrifying. As I heard the tick tick tick tick of our lives creeping into the unknown and my heart pounding with anxiety—I had something to hold on to.
It didn’t look like much but it was enough.
When I went through a traumatic time a few years ago and the tick tick tick tick of the unknown future was thunderous and my heart could not bear the weight of the negative possibilities—I had something to hold on to.
It didn’t feel like much but it was enough.
Those are only three of my roller coaster rides. I’m sure you have many yourself.
We get taken for a ride often and we need to hold on to something that is enough.
We get taken for a ride often and we need to hold on to something that is enough. Click To Tweet
Is it enough?
As a young mom, I held onto many promises in the Bible about raising children.
One, in particular, comforted me when I discovered it on a children’s recording.
Yet it wasn’t the words flat on paper.
Bible verses alone are not enough.
There was a spirit behind the words that brought the strength and comfort I needed.
I clung to those spirit infused words and it was enough.
Bible verses alone are not enough. Click To Tweet
As an empty nester moving across the country I held onto a small rock.
But the rock had no power.
It’s just a rock.
It was how I got it, and the spirit infused words it carried into my heart every time I held it.
Briefly* I got the rock at a gathering of Christian ladies before our move. The message of the evening was about God being our rock.
We were instructed to choose a rock out of the bag as a reminder.
Those words were right. I carried that little rock everywhere.
Its spirit infused words reminding me I wasn’t alone and everything would be ok, proved to be enough.
The year following our return to Michigan consecutive trauma’s ensued.
I held on to the Spirit behind the Bible verses and the rock. I held tightly to a new perception of grace that Spirit began teaching me while in Arizona.
I read a prophecy* that had been spoken over that particular year and I laughed in utter disbelief because my life was nothing like that.
That Spirit gently brought it back to me, nudging me to speak it out loud every day.
I chose to trust Him and did what He asked.
That Spirit (aka The Pursuer*) gave me words of life over and over as the year went by and it was enough.
What is enough?
Enough means sufficient.
That Spirit is the Spirit of Grace and He promised to provide Enough.
It wasn’t the Bible verses that were enough.
It wasn’t the rock that was enough.
It wasn’t the prophecy that was enough.
They are not enough without the infusion of life from the Spirit of Grace.
Words from the Spirit of Grace are the most powerful thing we can hold on to.
The safety bar is the physical thing we see (ie. the Bible verse, the rock, the prophecy etc.).
But it’s not securely locked in place without the infusion of life from the Spirit of Grace.
Grace provides a safety bar and locks it, making it enough.
Grace provides a safety bar and locks it, making it enough. Click To Tweet
What do you hold onto when life takes you for a ride?
The specifics of what you and I need will be different.
You are a unique individual deeply loved and known by the Spirit of Grace.
When life takes you for a ride a safety bar is available.
Please share in the comments:
- When was the last time life took you for a ride?
- Are you on a roller coaster now?
- Do you have a safety bar locked in place?
- Can I pray for you about anything?
- *Details are written in my book Emerging With Wings
- If you feel like you are not enough go here
- Help someone else feel safe and share this.
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This reminds me of something I write into a graphic years ago. “Life is bumpy. Grace is an awesome shock absorber.”
You’re right. Verses aren’t enough. It helps to know the Author.
Thanks for this, Danielle!
Shock absorber I like that. Thanks for sharing Frank!
I almost started with “this reminds me….” but Frank said that already! So, let me put it this way…yours is a great lesson in the difference between what we need and what we want. Sometimes we don’t know the difference, sometimes we don’t even know what we need or perhaps what we want. God provides… and knowing that is grace enough!
True story. Thank you for sharing, Larry!
Are there people not worthy to be loved ?
No. All people have God given inherent value and are loved in spite of our imperfections. All are worthy of love.