How do we navigate building trust when it's been broken? 

We want to be authentic, we might feel pressure or rushed to re-build trust...but we also know that people are not worthy of our ultimate trust.

Where do we go from here?

When I hear accusations about myself swirling in my head, their source can be from many places. Sometimes it’s my insecurities. Or sin. Sometimes its accusations from another. Sometimes it’s the enemy of my soul himself. Sometimes, its combinations, and other times, it’s all of the above.

When I’ve heard and felt these attacks the last few days, I’ve started repeating the following things to myself:

I’m not on trial.

What do we do when we feel like our trials are going around and around in circles?! 

Where is God?

How do we disentangle ourselves from the negative experiences we have relationally, while engaging with God and His love?

Let's explore a bit in Psalm 27. There are nuggets of gold here.

Dear Christian, 

Don’t forget to grieve.

While truths about God’s goodness and character and the hope we have are certainly anchors in times of heartache…

if we neglect to name loss, grief, betrayal, difficulty and turmoil…

We’re all waiting. We live much of life “in the middle.”

Waiting for the bigger pieces of what affects our everyday life to find resolution.

Psalm 62 tells me that I have a choice of where I direct my waiting. 

When our limited humanity is exposed, do we respond by offering weak attempts to encourage? Do we "allow" the boundaries of humanity begrudgingly? Offering cheap grace by saying, "It's ok to be [insert human limitation here.]"

There is so much more encouragement available, friends. God remembers that we are dust. It is healthy, wise, loving, appropriate and right to operate within the boundaries He gave us. It glorifies Him.

Do you peek over into other's lives and wonder, "How do they do ALL of THAT?" Do you battle feeling inferior (or superior) to others? Take a listen and see if this stirs up and food for thought that might help equalize your perspective. 

Where did DROWNING IN SHALLOW and ENCOURAGED with Janelle come from? Learn a bit about your host and writer, Janelle, and the place her own encouragement stems from. Shallow platitudes can cause us to feel like we're drowning in difficulty all alone. But knowing we don't have to minimize the storm to find true hope, grants relief to be honest, and truly need Emmanuel.