The feeling of giving up has a wide array of accompanying emotions.
Depression, anger, confusion, frustration, sadness, bitterness, exhaustion…
Have you been there? Are you in that place of giving up right now?
We all face different types of circumstances that test us and challenge us. Being confronted with the thought of giving up as emotions swirl around your heart is never an easy thing to experience or navigate. Personally, I remember feeling like I didn’t know what else to do or where to go. I felt like giving up was the only option. Until a friend one day encouraged me to hang on. I didn’t know what that looked like or if I had the strength to, but just hearing someone else cheer me on was enough to inspire my heart to hold on one more day.
If we can hold on one more day, then we may see another option, we may find the strength to persevere, our circumstances may change or we may change our minds about giving up. I always advocate for one more day. And then when that day comes, hold on for one more.
A friend of mine was confronted with the thought of giving up. Her story is one of pain, the kind of pain that remains indescribable, as one event after another rattled her world and her faith. Yet, she has found solace in a place she never expected to find it, a place that gives her permission to feel pain and sadness and sorrow, permission to ache freely. And what I love so much about my friend is that she didn’t keep this place, she didn’t keep her journey of finding strength when she felt like giving up a secret. My friend is Rachel Wojo and she describes in detail what she faced and how she overcame by God’s grace in her book One More Step.
This is how Rachel opens Chapter 1:
Tension forced an ache into my entire body as I curled into a tight ball on the bed. Mounting circumstances seemed too much for my mind to continue functioning, and unfathomable stress choked every inch of my being. Every cell throbbed, pressing in my eyelids and numbing my lips.” (Page 1)
As I read this my heart said, This is what it feels like! What Rachel has put into words many hearts know, although for different reasons or circumstances. We know. It is difficult to articulate the burden and experience of such deep stress and pain, it feels so relieving to read these words. Rachel has experienced pain, but she doesn’t stop the story there. Over the next 16 Chapters in her book, Rachel continues to unfold a beautiful map of how to navigate such pain and how to find strength amidst the desire to give up.
I appreciate her willingness to start this journey with the permission to ache freely. I think so often people get caught up in having to seem perfect all the time, put together, or capable of doing it all, no matter how difficult “it” is. God has given us the ability to feel so many different emotions and Rachel points out that its okay to feel the variety of emotions we have and that it is okay to be honest when things are seemingly imperfect.
I also loved reading the agreement in her message of being unveiled!
Finding strength begins with honesty with God.” – Rachel Wojo (Page 10, One More Step)
I completely agree. And being honest with God is exactly what being unveiled is all about!
One More Step is a must-have for anyone feeling like they are at the end of their rope, ready to give up. It is a brilliant resource that will walk you through your pain and stress as if a friend is holding your hand encouraging you to hang on, one more day, one more step.
If you are in the midst of deep pain right now, if you feeling like you have lost all hope and don’t know what else to do, please consider getting this book. Whether your circumstances is from a separation, divorce, failing marriage, loss of a loved one, having a special needs family member, stress of a transition like moving, financial stress, or any other circumstance that is testing you and challenging your faith, get this book.
A prayer for you….
Dear Lord,
I pray for the person who is reading this right now. I pray for their heart as they wrestle with being confronted to give up and all the other emotions associated. I pray they find strength in You. I pray they receive hope and an increase of faith. Lord, only You know the very detail of their circumstances. Only You know what they need. I pray You would fulfill them. I pray they are comforted. I pray for them to receive encouragement to hold on and the courage to take one more step in Jesus’ name AMEN!
To Rachel: Thank you for sharing your story and your words with us. Thank you for encouraging us to have the courage to take one more step.
