Don’t Give Up
Do you ever just want to throw in the towel?
Verse of the Day
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
Today’s Devotional
Sometimes we all get tired of doing whatever God has placed in front of us to do. Dealing with other humans is exhausting. Add stress, uncertainty and a crazy world to the mix, and it’s enough to make anyone lose their cool.
This verse was my go-to verse during the really rough days of our foster/adoption journey. Let me assure you that I wanted to give up. Nothing I did was right or had “fruit”. Everyday it felt like I was beating my head against a wall. I had zero hope of a good relationship with this child. I was just biding my time until she went to college and moved out of my house. I WAS DONE. Not just one time, many times. I wanted out. But when you are trying to convince a broken teenage girl what love and family looks like, giving up is not an option. And I knew that at the time, which created guilt that I felt the way I did. Let me also mention that this was an unhealthy time in my life. I was not spiritually grounded. Actually, I was mad at God for specifically calling us to do something that was so miserable. Not a good combination. But even in the mess, I still clung to this verse.
Here’s what I wish someone would have said to me during this frustrating and exhausting phase of my life:
-You can only do so much for someone. You can show love and kindness, with healthy boundaries, but the reception of those things is someone else’s choice.
-You need to recognize and acknowledge how hard this is. You need to take that burden to God every single time you feel spent, and like you cannot go on.
-You need to have people to talk with openly and honestly about your struggles. This is the perfect time to be vulnerable.
-You need to give yourself grace.
-You need to be intentional about doing things that you enjoy and that are refreshing to you. It’s ok to take care of yourself.
-Your relationship with God is your number one priority. If you are leaning into Him, the rest will work out the way it is supposed to.
-It’s ok to need to be alone sometimes.
-YOU ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OUTCOME. If you are doing your best and honoring God with your words and actions, nothing more is required of you, especially someone else’s words and actions.
-This season will end. The end may not look the way you would choose, but it will end.
-God loves you, precious one. He sees how hard this is for you. He knows and he understands.
My journey with this child is not over. I thought it was over when she decided to walk away from our family, which felt like a sucker punch in the stomach – but there was some relief there too. Today, she calls or texts me several times a week. When something happens in her life, I am one of the first people she calls. I have no idea what our relationship will look like in the future, but I don’t need to know. Today, what we have is enough. The big struggle is over. There is peace in our relationship. She still doesn’t know Jesus, so my job is not complete. But today, I have no desire to give up. Because God is so, so good.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
In what areas of your life do you struggle with wanting to give up?
In what ways have you reaped a harvest from past struggles?
How has God shown his goodness to you in those areas?
How can you lean in and persevere – just for today?