Is it just me or can a n y o n e else out there go from top of the world to bottom of the barrel in a heart beat and for no apparent reason?
Is it simply the tortured artist(wannabe)/creative that lives within?
Can we chalk it up to hormones for the pre-menopausal woman?
Could it be Satan (which suddenly reminds me of the Church Lady…don't judge me)?
Please tell me I'm not the only one who has so much to be grateful for, but can suddenly be gripped in the stronghold of defeat, almost paralyzed with feelings of insecurity and unworthiness.
I do believe this is a battle begun and fought in the spritual realm, but I–we–have to live it in real time, don't we?
Might I offer a few things to encourage you?
[1] My friend Dawn is in the middle of a month-long series, 31 Days of Encouragement. Today she is asking readers for two things:
- If they're bloggers, to share a post of encouragement through a linky on her site.
- To send cards to fill encouragement baskets for Edie (who lost her home and EVERYTHING in it) just prior to Christmas (Edie's perspective is nothing short of inspiring); and to Dana, whose heartbreaking story of the tragic death of her son following an accident at home will compel you to send a card. PLEASE don't walk away from this beautiful chance to encourage two women whose circumstances are unimaginable.
[2] If you're one of the 500 amazing women (ok, there will be a few guys 🙂 ) attending Blissdom, please make plans to attend our Unofficial, Unsponsored Prayer Coffee on Friday morning.
Blog conferences can be very discouraging–it's easy to fall into the wicked game of comparisons where "everyone" seems to be more accomplished than you, or that "everyone" is in a closed clique, or you're all alone in a crowd. Certainly there are people who are insulated from these insecurities, but setting our mine collectively on Christ, recalibrating our focus, sitting at the feet of the One who knows us best and loves us the most and uniting with sisters in prayer, that will set the stage for keeping our blogs in perspective and realigning our minds on Him. Please add your name to our growing link of attendees so we can plan adequate food.
(THANKS to the (in)courage ladies for allowing us to use their Beach Party space and to Lindsey Nobles and Thomas Nelson for providing us coffee and bagels!)
[3] Immerse yourself in life-words that remind you…
- you are loved in spite of yourself
- you are known
- you have hope
- you are blessed, chosen, redeemed and forgiven
* * * * * * *
These are just a start; there are countless other ways to be encouraged–why not share your thoughts in comments? Your words might be exactly what someone needs to hear!
Robin, I am so there… for weeks now. Can’t get out of the rut and seems like things keep happening to hinder my climb out of that barrel! Speaking of church ladies… I think I need to go read that post… cause that has been my main problem. Don’t judge me! Amen! Oh I could so use a talk with someone who understands…. and will not judge me. Maybe we will have a few minutes at Blissdom! I have a feeling you know exactly how I’m feeling. Can’t wait to see you my friend! 🙂
haha… just saw where the church lady linked too! LOL
Oh yes. I am in that place quite often. I believe it is Satan trying to get us down. For me the battle field is in my mind. I have to learn not to compare myself to others.
For me what brings me out of my own discouragement is encouraging others. A friend that needs a kind word or a prayer.
I don’t think you could have eplained any better how I have felt so many times if you had been inside my head. I have SOOOOOO much to be thankful for yet those feelings hit me like a freight train. Thank you Robin, I really need to read this today.
Oh honey, I wrote about just this the other day on my blog. You are very not alone! http://www.shawnanigans.net/?p=2148
oh my word….your timing…well HIS timing is perfect.
yesterday? total bottom of the barrel 🙁 thank you for this sweet friend.
i cannot cannot wait to squeeze you!
xo
I think we do ourselves a disservice by constantly ranking our own accomplishments against those of others. I know I do it all the time, and I know how quickly that can take me from a euphoric high to a crashing bout of darkness.
Being aware of it is the first step, of course, and I want to thank you for shedding light on it. We all need a little reality check every once in a while, and we all need to know that we’re tremendously accomplished, each in our own unique way.
Oh, it’s so easy to fall into sadness or discouragement. I can be full of hope and energy one day, and completely in the dumps the next. Full of self-doubt, anxiety and negativity. Thank you for reminding me to realign myself – it’s just what I needed today.
It really is all a matter of how we see ourselves and the things around us. We are who we think we are. And I know that, for me, focusing on what’s most important always recenters me.
I was preparing a message for this Sunday and the topic is “Discouragement” so I happen to click on to your link and I’m glad I did. I find that every time I get ready to share a message I either go through what I am sharing before or after the message and this time I found myself feeling so discourage this week and I did not know what was going on and then it done on me…I’m teaching a message on discouragement. I felt fear, loneliness, forsaken, rejected, fatigue and discouragement all at the same time, but I kept confessing the word of God and finally my eyes were open to what was really going on,the trying of my faith was being tested whether I would accept the discouragement or fight against it and I choose to fight against it and won the victory. Be encourage my sisters The Lord is on our side and when we face adversities we are becoming stronger and stronger to be able to weather the storms of life. The Lord was with me the whole time even though I did not feel Him He was still there He will never leave us or forsake us He will be with us even until the end of time. Thank you for your post on discouragement I really enjoyed it.