Less Than

You put yourself out there; you laid it all down

But your heart, defenseless, was left on the ground.

Now you’ve resigned to believe what’s untrue –

That you aren’t enough to have someone love you.

 

You’ve attempted and failed – the times you can’t count.

You’ve heard “no”, been rejected. Now you have doubts

That it’s even worth all the heartache and pain

To reach for a dream you will never attain.

 

You’ve accepted your fate; you’ve given up hope

But before you reach the end of your rope,   

Let me offer this truth you must understand:

Never let anyone make you feel less than -

 

Less than enough to walk by their side,

Less than enough to bring joy to this life,

Less than enough to be loved and accepted,

Less than enough to feel warm and protected.

 

You are a force with which no one can reckon!

Your presence is purposed; so forget imperfections.

Don’t listen to insults and shade cast your way.

Haters speak loudest when they are afraid -

 

Afraid of what might shine a light on their flaws

And expose their dark secrets in closets of halls

That display their accolades, trophies and bling -

Meaningless trinkets, all temporary things.

 

Look. Life will make you feel lost and alone.

Betrayal and heartache will call your soul home

And those you hold dearest may all disappear

But you’ll be okay and this is why, my dear:

 

You are not less than; you are more than enough

To rebound, to stand, to fight back, to be tough,

To shake dust from your shoes and shine like a star -

You’re enough!

You are more than!

Yes, that’s what you are!

Advertisement

Reason to SMILE #238

When waves are crashing all around,

When winds are whipping bold,

Lift up your eyes and you will see

A hand for you to hold.

 

When fear is knocking at your door,

When doubts have left you cold,

Take heart for there will always be

A hand for you to hold.

 

He’s always there to rescue you.

He’ll give you strength untold.

Just speak His name and you will find

A hand for you to hold.

 

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14:29b-31‬a

Reason to SMILE #46: Getting Back Up

I fell.

I knew it would happen as soon as I allowed the kids at church to break one of our rules –

Keep your shoes on your feet!

But it was Glow Night and I discovered that my white socks with tiny orange and green dots glowed under the black lights. How could I not take off my shoes?!? And if I had my shoes off, how could I make the kids keep on theirs? So, we all took off our shoes and marveled at our glowing feet!

Of course, as I was later navigating the room lit only by black lights and the glow from the TV screen, I tripped over a pair of shoes hidden by the darkness. (And that, folks, is why we don’t break the rules!)

Smack. I fell flat on my knees. I was fine – well, except for my pride. I ended up having to ask for help in getting back up, though. It was not a great moment for me but after being picked up and put back on my feet, I returned, with extreme caution, to the fun of Glow Night.

In my life, falling is inevitable no matter if the lights are on or off. Because of my muscle disorder, my balance isn’t the greatest. The slightest bump could make me fall and once I’m headed down, there’s really no stopping the descent. I’ve grown accustomed to banged up knees and a bruised hind end. What I can’t seem to get used to is my wounded pride. Knees heal fairly quickly. Pride takes a little longer. But I’ve learned to get back up and just move on. I fell. It’s happened before and it will surely happen again.

The reality is we all fall. The fall may not be physical but we all get pushed down by life at one time or another. Work, family, health, relationships can all push us to our tipping point and send us crashing down to the floor of life. It is inevitable. What really matters is what we do after the fall. Do we wallow in self-pity wondering why we are the ones who got knocked down? Or do we get back up, brush off our pride, learn from our situation and move on?

Yes, sometimes the fall can cause great damage. Sometimes we feel stuck at the bottom, alone and without hope of ever rising. But I’m here to tell you there’s always hope. It’s our wounded pride that keeps us from seeing that hope AND keeps us from asking for help. Getting back up can be difficult and may require assistance from others. That’s ok. Ask for help. Receive that help graciously. Then when you’re back on your feet, offer that same help to someone else who has fallen – they are all around us.

Falling is inevitable. But we weren’t meant to stay down. Get back up. Find your SMILE again. Then share that smile with others!

“We lose our way,
We get back up again
It’s never too late to get back up again,
One day you’re gonna shine again,
You may be knocked down,
But not out forever.”

Get Back Up, TobyMac

Be Brave!

The battle is always waging.

You may not be in the throes of the fight today. But there is always a battle to fight.

Your friend may be fighting cancer. Your neighbor may be struggling to keep her marriage together. Your loved one may be battling addiction. You may be doing all you can to maintain emotional and mental stability.

There is always a battle.

In the midst of our battles, the temptation may be to retreat, to run as far as we can from our problems or to ignore the struggles altogether. The thing about battles is you can’t outrun them. They will find you and eventually, the fight must be fought.

But here’s what you need to know:

The battle is not yours to fight!

You have an ally, no –

a WARRIOR

who will fight for you.

Check this out. In God’s Word, we read of an impending battle in 2 Chronicles 20. God’s people were terrified because of the size of the army headed their way. Wise King Jehoshaphat turned to the Lord for help. Listen to what God said to His people:

Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them… Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.

(2 Chronicles 20:15-17 NIV)

No matter the battle you are facing today, God can handle it. So quit wasting your time and energy with the same old strategies that only leave you worn out and defeated. Your job is to trust the Lord and stand firm in the battle.

Yep. You do have to show up for the fight.  Showing up may mean many different things – saying “no” to bad habits, enduring difficult people and uncomfortable situations, facing truths about yourself you’d rather not know or making impossible decisions. But rest assured. When you show up, you never have to be afraid. God’s got this!

I don’t know what battles you are facing today but God knows.  He’s ready to fight for you.  All you need to do is

SHOW UP

and

BE BRAVE!

A Year of Smiles – Day 238

Reason to SMILE #238: A HAND TO HOLD

When waves are crashing all around,

When winds are whipping bold,

Lift up your eyes and you will see

A hand for you to hold.

 
When fear is knocking at your door,

When doubts have left you cold,

Take heart for there will always be

A hand for you to hold.

 
He’s always there to rescue you.

He’ll give you strength untold.

Just speak His name and you will find

A hand for you to hold.

“Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14:29b-31‬a NIV‬‬