I'm Pushing Through Despite It All....

Transcript

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Good morning and welcome to Gentle Hours. Come on in and settle yourself. Let the room meet you exactly as you are this morning, and there's no need for perfection, no need to show up already strong, no need to pretend you woke up with everything figured out. You made it here, and that is enough to begin with. Now take one deep breath in and let it go slowly. Take another one deeper this time and release it without rushing the exhale. One more. This week, our phrase is I'm pushing through it despite it all. And I'm here to tell you that this process won't be easy. You are going to need to clear the path. Everyone will not understand, but the weight of it will slowly disappear. There are seasons in life where pushing through won't feel like it's helping. Sometimes pushing through will feel like getting up when your mind wanted to stay down. It also looks like brushing your teeth while feeling the heartbreak. It looks like answering texts with tears in your eyes, feeding your family while trying to feed your own tired spirit. It feels like keeping your word to yourself in a season where everything around you feels so uncertain. Sometimes pushing through can be silent and confusing. It is unseen. And many times nobody knows the strength it took for you to do what looked normal to everyone else. But your spirit knows. And sometimes deep inside, you also know as well. There are people who only recognize strength when it's highlighted. But you know that your strength often happens when it's private. Your courage, you know it happens in cars, in your bathroom, with locked doors, in early mornings when nobody is there to affirm you, and long nights when nobody is checking in, and moments where you have to gather yourself with your own two hands. So this morning I want to speak to the version of you that has been caring more than what you actually say. The version of you that still showed up, the version of you that kept trying. The version of you that has been healing while still functioning. The version of you that has been disappointed but not destroyed. The version of you that wanted to quit some days, but instead you just paused, you you cried, you prayed, you regrouped, but you kept going. And baby, I see that version of you this morning, and most importantly, I need you to sit with that version of yourself that you see as well. Because sometimes when we are in survival mode, we overlook our own bravery, we become so confused on what is left to do that we ignore what we have already overcome. Look at you. You are still here, you are still thinking, you're still hoping, still trying to love right, you're still learning, you're still stretching, still becoming. This is not a small thing. Now, I want you to say this gently. Pushing through does not mean abusing yourself. Let's say that again. Pushing through does not mean abandoning your needs, it does not mean never resting. It does not mean swallowing every emotion. It does not mean accepting mistreatment. It does not mean pretending pain is not pain. Sometimes the strongest push is setting something down. Sometimes the strongest push-through is saying no. Sometimes the strongest push-through is rescheduling. Sometimes the strongest push-through is asking for help. Sometimes the strongest push-through is admitting, today, I just need to be more gentle. Because baby wisdom knows the difference between perseverance and then you punishing yourself. And I want that for you this week. I want wisdom for you. I want discernment for you. I want grace. I pray you know when to move and when to pause, when to speak, and when to be still, when to continue and when to redirect, when to pour out and when to refill, because despite it all does not mean despite yourself. Maybe you are not meant to conquer the world while neglecting your own soul. And this week, when life tries to crowd over your mind, I want you to come back to this race. I'm pushing through it despite it all. Despite the unanswered questions, despite the delay, despite the disappointment, despite the misunderstanding, despite the loneliness that visits sometimes, despite the pressure, despite the memories, despite the fear, despite the mistakes you wish you could redo. Despite the fact that some people do not show up how you hope they would, despite the heaviness of carrying responsibilities, despite not knowing, every next step you are still moving. Even if that movement is small, especially if the movement is small, because we have been taught to somehow worship the dramatic process while overlooking our faithful progress. But baby, faithful progress is so powerful. It's drinking the water, it's making that appointment, it's sending that application, it's going for a walk, it's reading that chapter, it's starting over, it's praying again. Baby, it's trying again, it's trusting again, it is smiling again, opening your heart again. These things may look so ordinary, but they are sacred forms of movement, and movement shifts things. Water that moves stays fresher than water that sits still. Air that moves clears rooms, seasons move, time moves, healing moves too. So if all you can do this week is take one honest step, then take it proudly. If all you can do is make one healthy decision, make it fully. If all you can do is hold yourself together with prayer and patience, let that be strong. And let that be enough for you today. Maybe sometimes the mountain moves. Some mornings you move. Either way, something is happening. And I think many of us need permission to stop measuring ourselves by so many impossible standards. You do not have to be extraordinary every day. You do not have to be productive every single hour. You do not have to feel inspired every morning. You do not have to be unaffected by pain to be progressing. You do not have to have a perfect attitude to still be growing. Sometimes, sometimes growth looks like wobbling forward. Sometimes that healing limps, sometimes faith whispers, sometimes progress will come tired, but it still arrives. So today, if your energy is low, I need you to be gentle. If your heart is heavy, be honest. If your mind is noisy, baby, slow down. If your spirit feels stretched, I need you to breathe deeper. If you feel behind, remember timing is not punishment. If you feel unseen, remember roots grow in hidden places first. If you feel weary, remember even the sunrise takes its time. Nothing worthy rushes itself into becoming anything. Neither should you. Now, place one hand over your heart if you can and repeat after me slowly. I'm pushing through it despite it all. I honor the strength that it took to get here. I release the need to look strong every moment. I choose steady over trying to be dramatic. I choose grace over shame. I choose movement over stagnation. I choose faith over fear. I trust that small steps still count. I trust that what is for me can meet me in motion. And lastly, I am pushing through despite it all. And I'm proud of myself. Now, take a deep breath in. Hold it gently. Now let it go. Before we close, I need you to hear this. Maybe there is still good ahead of you. There's still peace that can find you. There are still doors that can open. There are still people who love you well. There are still ideas waiting on your courage. There are still versions of you that have not been met yet. So do not let this current moment convince you that the story is over. Baby, it is morning. And mourning as a way of proving darkness was never ever permanent. Thank you for joining me for gentle hours. I want you to allow this phrase to carry you throughout the week. I'm pushing through it despite it all. Now, go gently, my baby. Go steadily, go honestly, and most of all, keep going. I'll see you next week.