For The Woman Who Feels Overwhelmed

Guest Blog by Marisa Donnelly.

To find out more about this Brave Strong Girl Mentor, simply visit her mentor profile right here!

This is for the woman who is tired and overworked, for the woman who can barely lift her head. This is for the woman who may need a few cups of coffee to get through the day, or has simply been exhausted this season and unable to find her footing again. 

I want you to know that I see you, I hear you—you are not alone.

I wish I could tell you that things will get easier, but the truth about life is that there are always ups and downs. Yes, the short answer is that things will get easier. But they will also get harder from time to time. They will also be frustrating. And you will undoubtedly question your purpose, the lesson, and whether God is even listening at all. (He is.)

It’s been a hard season, a hard year. There have been unexpected turns and curveballs, opportunities that have been missed and chances you thought you would take but couldn’t. Maybe you lost a loved one. Maybe loved walked out on you. Maybe you believed in something better, only to be disappointed by the outcome. I know how that feels.

I wish I had the right words, the proverbial magic wand, or the prayer that would take it all away. But life doesn’t work like that. Life is dead ends and turn-arounds, broken stoplights, open highways, and stop signs when you least expect them. 

Life is learning how to navigate all of the roadblocks only to realize God’s been in the driver’s seat all along. 

I know you feel overwhelmed right now, maybe even a little out of control. I know you’re just trying to keep afloat, plastering a smile on your face because you think you should. It’s hard, trying to keep appearances when you just want to curl up under a blanket. I see you, I know. 

But the truth is—even amidst all of this pain—there is hope. And not the kind of hope that slips through your fingers like sand, but the hope that stays. The hope that sticks. 

There won’t be a perfectly-paved road or an interstate without traffic. There won’t be green lights all along the path. But there will be moments of joy that you can cling to, laughter that sits in your belly, smiles that unconsciously lift the corners of your mouth, good books you will read, grass between your toes, and loved ones whose touches on your skin make you feel alive. 

There will be infinite little moments that remind you of the beauty of God’s creation—this life and you. 

So please, hold on just a little longer. Take a deep breath, then another, then another. Call up a loved one. Cry in your pillow. Read the Bible. Take a long walk. Try to reset yourself and when you can’t, pray until the pain subsides.

Because even though you’re overwhelmed, you won’t feel this way forever.

You may feel tired and weak right now, but our God carries us through the darkest storms. And He is with you right now. (I promise.)

Are You Resilient?

I wrote the post below before I heard my amazing friend

Christine Caine

preach last night at the First Conference at

Gateway Church

.  She's been speaking into my life for so many years. Her message about how my miracle needs a miracle broke my hard heart.  Surely my flour and oil will not run out and my miracle will be restored.

Thanks to Christine for helping me grasp hold of my promises! She put a bounce back in my step today.

You can watch last night's message by clicking here.

Now onto my post!

resilient: able to recoil or spring back into shape after bending, stretching or being compressed; able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions;flexible, supple, strong or tough

Adversity can and does come just like a hot, loud and fiery dragon.  It threatens to conquer. But just like this little soldier, you have I have all we need to overcome.  You and I possess the shield, sword and helmet that ensure our ability to bounce back.

A couple of years ago I heard my friend Christine Caine, share a message on remaining youthful in our spirits.  She compared the signs of aging in our human body to the loss of zeal in our spirit.  She had a long list of "symptoms" including loss of resiliency.

Over the last few months of my cancer treatments, I've grieved a bit over my lack of resilience.  It's frustrating to find that you can't force your body to recover as fast as you would like.  I am very aware of my physical weakness and that I am not moving as freely, as fast, or as confidently as I desire.

The physical impact is hard but I am more concerned about my spiritual resiliency.

As I've been walking through this season I notice that my heart is a sad and disappointed.  I can't believe I am here again.  I don't like the fact that my body (my brain) is taking it's own sweet time to heal.  I want a recovery that is quick and easy, permanent and inexpensive.  I want to get up and go rather than lay down (or is it lie down?) and rest.

So I've been asking God about my heart.  How do I become more resilient?

God just keeps taking me back to the same answer - patient rest.

When your body does not recover quickly you must give it more time, healthy nutrition, the proper exercise.  So it is for the soul as well.  I need more patience with God's work in my life, greater consumption of the Word of God and the simple daily pattern of choosing to exercise my faith.  This is how I "square up" while I wait on my  healing.

There is a promise in the Word of God that says if I wait on God, He will renew my strength.  Here is Isaiah 40:30-31 from The Message.

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, (Jan)or, whine, Israel, saying,“God has lost track of me.He doesn’t care what happens to me”?Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening? God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. (He's resolute.)He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. (He's resilient.)And he knows everything, inside and out. (He's aware)He energizes those who get tired, (He's powerful.)gives fresh strength to dropouts. (He generous.)For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles,They run and don’t get tired,they walk and don’t lag behind.

So I'm learning how to be both brave and strong in the face of adversity.  I'm leaning into the strength that comes from trusting God alone and pulling on the eternal nature of my heart - which does not have to age or grow brittle.  I'm pressing my natural body to keep standing, keep walking, keep rising.  I am determined to bounce back and be renewed.

Do you bounce back from adversity? You will if you rest in God alone and wait patiently upon His strength.

Let's  square up both in body and soul.  He will make us strong.

5 Tips to Help You Hear God's Voice

Hearing God's voice and sharing what you hear for the purpose of encouraging another is the gift of prophecy in operation.  According to I Corinthians 14:3, this gift edifies, exhorts, and comforts; helps us build up or strengthen; and points us to the Word of God

Receiving a prophetic word is life changing.  Mark and I have received prophetic words that have shaped our faith and our fight.  We've received words that have given us healing, comfort and direction for the future and we've had our gifts and callings confirmed.  Some words have been public.  Many words have been private.  And some of the most pivotal words have been the ones God spoke directly to our own hearts in the midst of our private worship.

If you've never received a prophetic word, I have good news for you.  You can pursue God for a word for yourself.  He loves to speak to His children and He always has something to share with you.

So don't wait for a public ministry moment or for someone else to see and hear on your behalf.  All believers can boldly pursue a conversation with God.

Here are my 5 favorite tips to help you hear God's voice. 

1 - Be still

Settle down.  Get yourself in a position to hear God.  Gather everything you might want or need.  For me it's a very practical list:  blanket, Bible, glasses, pen, journal and my cup of coffee.

2 - Worship

Use the first few moments to just turn your attention to the presence of God.  He is always with us, but I don't always acknowledge Him.  I try to clear my mind a bit by thanking Him for loving me.  You can use worship songs, prayer, or writing in a journal - whatever helps you tune into the presence of God.

3 - Ask a good question 

Find a good question to ask God, and then wait just a moment.  Sometimes I ask a question and hear nothing.  Try again.  Ask a different question.  Still don't hear?  Get more specific.  It's like finding the exact radio frequency that God wants to use to speak directly to you. Sometimes there is a lot of static at first, then bits and pieces begin to break through and then suddenly you slip into the stream of His voice and you can hear.

4 - Write it down

If at all possible, just start writing.  As you write, set your heart to believe.  Sometimes the word is so dramatic and accompanied by such specific imagery that I can hold onto it without recording it.  Other times God is so subtle, specific and tender that if I don't grasp it so quickly and I lose it.  It still brings life to me, but I lose the ability to steward it for my blessing over and over.

5 - Obey

Now we can become like Timothy and learn to use the prophetic word spoken to wage war in the spirit.  The more you thank God for it, believe God and battle with it, the greater will be the blessing and the manifestation of His word in your life.

What's your favorite tip for hearing God?