Broken by a Text: How Little Things Make Life Heavy
Little things can make life heavy. Things that seem normal or insignificant to others can crush the spirit of one. A life can be broken by a text.
It is the condition of the heart in the moment that makes the “little thing” big.
The text message broke me.
“Someone broke into the house.”
It shouldn’t have bothered me. Most of our remaining possessions had been stored safely. But there were a few items that didn’t need to be packed into a POD. Those items still held value to my heart.
Besides, it was still our home.
The last year has been trying in so many ways – from what the whole world faced to what changed our whole world. Through it all, I have tried to always turn my heart to the Maker.
Nothing can stop an unstoppable God became my rallying cry.
But when I read that text message, I broke, and I broke hard.
Fortunately, I was home alone. I say fortunately, because I know that no matter how bad it gets, God has a way of getting me through it. When I’m at my worst, I don’t want to drag others down with me.
I need to share. I wanted to share. But I knew what I wanted to share wouldn’t be a positive for anyone.
I finally did reach out to my friend Gene. Two words: People Suck.
My wonderful, heart for Jesus, ALL IN FAITH friend simply replied with: YES.
And I laughed. I needed that laugh.
He then shared a word of inspiration and hope – actually, he shared a whole boat load of words and a few laughs that helped me get through the moment.
But the words didn’t last. They melted away from the heat of anger and frustration. “If Only” haunted my thoughts. I struggled to focus, to want to focus.
Yes. It was stuff. I know it was stuff. But it was this stuff on top of other stuff on top of other stuff. The heavier the weight of the stuff became, the more the weight would squeeze out the tears.
I don’t like to cry. I’m not a pretty cryer.
I held on to something I shared back to Gene: May God heal the hurt of those who did this.
I believed they had to be hurting to break into our broken home. They had to be hurt to steal the few items remaining in our broken house. They had to be hurt to crawl through the storm damage to do even more damage.
And we all know that hurt people hurt.
I prayed the prayer a lot over the next several days. Today, I went to see the damage myself, and I reverted back to the original two words I shared with Gene after I received the news.
It’s hard living in a broken world and embracing a loving heart. It’s hard when we try to do it on our own. The more we turn to God and the more we rely on Jesus, the easier it becomes.
“My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
It doesn’t have to be a big deal for it to be a heavy deal. Sometimes the smallest thing can be the last straw. Sometimes we do cry over spilled milk because it was one more thing on top of so many others.
The world isn’t about to change. People will break in and take things that matter. People will invade your private sanctuary and break things just to break them. Storms will crush the home you spent a quarter of a century building. Unexpected circumstances will leave you in a ditch.
It’s okay to mourn. It’s okay to scream at God (you won’t be the first). It’s okay to get tired.
Just don’t linger there. It’s in the lingering that we lose site of the truth.
The truth is God’s got this. I don’t understand it all and I may never understand it all. I don’t have to understand it to believe. I know that He’s going to take care of it all and on the other side is more blessings than I can shake a stick at.
The truth is that God’s already won this victory. It feels like we are still fighting and struggling, but the victory is secured. We just have to get through. He has already overcome the world.
The truth is that no matter how alone I feel at times, I’m never alone. He is always with me and if I listen close, I’ll hear Him reminding me not only that He is with me but that He loves me personally. He will show me in a way that I know it’s for me. I just have to choose to listen. He will never leave me nor forsake me.
The truth is that life in my own strength is impossible, but life in God is unexplainable.
