It's Okay to Not Be Okay

I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~ Romans 8:38-39

My grandmother has a cartoon on her refrigerator. It shows a cow on its back with all four legs in the air. The caption reads, "I'm fine, really, I'm fine." A lot of us handle the storms in our lives like that cow. We stand in the rain, soaking wet, with a smile on our faces, and say, "I'm dry, really, I'm dry."

I know what that's like because I did it for years. Somewhere along the way I was told, "Christians need to be happy all the time. If you're not happy, what will people think about Jesus?" If you want to breed a herd of perfectionists, just say that a few times from the pulpit.

For many years my life was mostly sunny. I could grin and bear it through the few showers that came along the way. But then came The Storm - the kind of storm that makes the weather channel flash maps covered with red and send warnings about taking shelter immediately.

It's one thing to stand outside in a nice little shower. It's another thing altogether to be that crazy news anchor hanging onto a light pole in the middle of a hurricane. I couldn't do it anymore. Like the rain that streamed down in my world, something opened in my heart, and hurt poured out from a place I had kept locked for years.

Then I waited. I listened for the rebukes. I watched for the disapproving stares. I stiffened my soul for the hard hand of God. But instead of those things, I encountered the last thing I ever expected to find.

LOVE.

I felt it in the kindness of friends and family. I heard it in comforting words. I discovered it deep within my heart as God whispered, I'm here with you.

I also realized I wasn't the only one who was wet. People began to open up to me. Everyone I know had some type of rain in their lives. We were one great, big, beautiful, soggy mess - and God loved us all.

So if you're still muttering under your breath, "I'm dry, really, I'm dry," then I invite you to admit there's a storm in your life.

It's okay not to be okay.

When we embrace that GRACE, we're finally free to discover that LOVE is waiting for us in the center of the storm.

~Author: Holly Gerth

My prayer for you is that you find God's love and grace in your storm. May you and your family have a prosperous and blessed New Year.

Blessings in Him,