When your feet are dragging…
Cainspirations by Kristi Cain, originally published April 15, 2021
DISCOVERING DESTINY.
Overcoming Darkness.
How are you overcoming the darkness of disrupted rhythms? Let’s journey together!
| We’ve been out of step for a while now. Over a year in fact. A year without gatherings and festivities. A year without opportunities to comfort and celebrate. A year without each other. And as true re-opening buds with the spring, it’s not easy to imagine what the next steps should be. Proms and graduations are just around the corner. Church doors are opening again. Summer vacations are being planned. But it still doesn’t feel the same. So how do we gear up for a normal that isn’t here yet when our gears are all still sputtering in survival mode? Now, I’m not saying to take any health risks or go against government guidelines, but once the red lights start changing to green, how do we make the shift? Re-entering a world that’s been shut down for so long is hard to wrap our minds around, let alone muster the energy to attempt when the supply we’re running on has dwindled beyond recognition. What’s more, we know that even when we work our way back in, it won’t be the same as it used to be. The same stale mantra of more work, less reward whose tyranny we’re still chafing under can sour any hopeful anticipation pretty quickly. Even worse, there’s something about isolation that keeps those not-so-fresh scars of the past rubbed raw. Old hurts and betrayals have a way of replaying themselves when there aren’t any shiny new distractions in view. At a certain point, it’s tempting to ask ourselves why bother? Easy to let the inertia of an unpleasant known outweigh a shaky leap into the unknown. But I’m here to tell you today that no matter how much we fumble to find our way forward, forward is the only possible direction to go from here. In the Book of Genesis, the first problem God set out to fix with the creation of humanity — long before the fall and the curse of sin and death — was the problem of loneliness. Immediately, God created companionship and love for the man whom he did not wish to see alone. In prison, the strictest and cruelest of all punishments is solitary confinement, which is only mitigated by the fact that it is temporary. So as hard as it might be for us to get ready for another change of pace when the changes of the last 13 months have been anything but pleasant, reconnecting is exactly the kind of change we need, the very kind of change our souls were designed for. And sometimes all it takes is one brave move to set the pace for those around us. So, as we look to a slowly changing and more populated landscape ahead, I’d like to challenge you to not be afraid to make the first move. It may take longer than we’d like and the journey may be a little harder than before, but as Paul writes, we shall reap a proper harvest in due time if we do not give up. So, go ahead and make that phone call, plan that get together, show up for that service. All it takes is that first simple step and before you know it, all of mankind will be leaping forward with the kind of vigor that can only come from a long overdue revival. |
YOUR TURN!
Don’t make me do all the talking – I’d love to hear from you!
- What places has God been nudging you forward into in your life?
- Do you want to hear about anything else? Any prayer requests?
Just shoot me an email – don’t be shy! And I promise to reply!
Thanks for visiting with us today! I hope I’ve helped you feel encouraged! – Kristi
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Work looks a lot like play for Kristi Cain and includes freelance writing for Crosswalk, inspirational blogging, writing fantastical stories of Christian fiction, teaching English to teens, and being able to say, “I’m a former journalist.” Home is nestled in the Smoky Mountain foothills with her husband and teenage children. If you ever want a little encouragement in your day, check out her newsletter. Hop over to her website for her latest happenings and join her Facebook group, a fun, faith-based community.
Cain’s life experiences and faith journey have lent her the lens through which she shapes stories of unlocking the light of destiny out of darkness. These experiences include the difficult journey through her daughter’s medical crisis, which is one of the featured threads in her debut novel, The Key of Shadows.
Cainspirations by author Kristi Cain 