Some of my favorite memories from when I was a little girl were the times my Dad came home from work and I ran up to him and hugged his legs, and then we would have an impromptu dance session right there in the kitchen. He grabbed my hands tight as I stood on top of his shiny black dress shoes, and we danced around the linoleum floor as Dad sang or hummed a little song that he made up on the spot. I smiled and laughed and leaned back to look up at my Daddy’s face as we stepped and swayed this way and that together. He led, I followed. I wasn’t straining my neck to see where we were going and I wasn’t worried about which direction the next step would take us. I was having fun and was full of joy as we danced together.

When I think about trusting God, this is the picture that comes to my mind. He has a safe grip on my hands and with each step taken, He is leading me somewhere beautiful. He is my Daddy, smiling down at me as I gaze into His face. I don’t need to turn my head to see where we are going, or try and guess what step He will take me next, all I need to do is hold on tight, keep my eyes focused on Him, relax, trust, and enjoy the dance He’s leading me in.

Trusting isn’t always easy. It doesn’t always feel like God is with us or that we are doing a beautiful dance together. Often it feels like I am going to fall and I get scared or worried by the circumstances that surround me. But I’ve learned that I cannot rely on my feelings. My feelings do not equal truth.

The truth is, God is a rock. He is constant and never changing. Even when our surroundings are uncertain, God is not. He is firm and always present.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6

“Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.” – Isaiah 26:4

When we trust God, life is actually easier. In our minds it often seems like trusting makes things more difficult, because we have a desire to understand and to be in control. But when we surrender our lives to Him completely, He lifts the burden of having to figure everything out. We can relax and find rest while He does the heavy lifting.

The key is to keep our eyes set on God, and only glance at our problems–even when our tendency is to do the opposite.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 NKJV

“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5 AMP

It’s easy to trust God when things in our life are going well. But what about those other times? My desire is to be consistent in my trust…to trust Him at all times, not only when it’s easy. God has never let me down, He has always taken care of me and my family, so I have no reason not to trust that He will continue to do the same.

Even when life’s circumstances get tough and undesirable, I choose to hold onto God’s hands, step up onto His feet, look at His face, and let Him lead me in this dance called life.

I Will Trust You by Bryan & Katie Torwalt

Though I walk through the valley
Of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil things
In this life I have seen your faithfulness
In this life I have found your grace, God

I will trust You
All my hope is found in Your love
I will trust You
My whole life is found in Your love

Though my eyes cannot see every single step
And my heart feels unsure again
I’ll remember the strength of your love, oh God
I’ll hold onto the peace you bring, yeah

Your goodness, kindness, faithfulness
Persist through the night

Last week I was reminded of a dream I had a couple of years ago, and I want to share it with you in hopes that it will encourage you.

I was trying to cross a river by jumping from one rock to another. The water was high, and the current was very strong. I kept slipping and cutting my hands and knees, and I was crying because I felt like I was never going to get to the other side safely. Then, my perspective in the dream changed and I was looking at the scene as if from the view of a third person. I saw myself there, looking down at the rocks and the river and struggling to keep moving, but I also saw another figure–Jesus. He was directly in front of me, holding out his hand to help me. But I was too busy looking down at myself and my circumstances to even notice he was there.

How often in life are we too focused on ourselves and the situations we are going through to even recognize the One who can give us strength and help us through it? I know I have been guilty of this on multiple occasions! It’s an easy thing to do, especially when life gets HARD.

I am thankful that I have the memory of this dream as a reminder for myself to always look up and keep my focus on Jesus. When I do that, I am filled with the hope, joy, and peace that only he can bring…and suddenly my circumstances don’t seem as bad.

“I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” 
- Isaiah 41:9-10

I Can Feel You by Bethel Music

The wind and waves surround me
And I’m tossed, feel like I’m drowning
I am tired, I am weak
I need You here with me

‘Cause I can feel the rising tide
But I don’t have the strength to fight
I feel clouded and confused
I need You here with me

In the chaos of the storm
I have drifted far, far away
But I call out Your name
Cause You are just a breath
A breath away

Then through the shadows
Your light appears
I’ve known You’re with me
But now it is clear
I can feel You, Jesus all around

Like sun on my skin
Warm to the touch
Here You surround me
I am held by love
I can feel You, Jesus all around

Now hope is rushing through my veins
With everything You’ve rearranged
I am peaceful, I am brave
When You’re here with me

All my questions find their answers here
When You come You change the atmosphere
I am focused, I am clear
When You’re here with me

There is nothing in this world
That will satisfy my soul like You do

Though the storm it rages
I won’t be moved, I won’t be shaken
I am anchored in You
I can feel You, Jesus all around

Some days are hard. There are many times when you may feel like giving up. Honestly, I’ve had numerous times like this myself. Probably too many to count. Moments when I just feel weak, tired, alone, and like I don’t have the strength to continue.

[Photo from Pinterest]

It is in those moments that I am reminded…I can’t do this. Not on my own. It is in those moments that I am reminded of my great need for God. And then I am thankful. Not thankful for the hard times, necessarily, but thankful that because of them, I am drawn closer to God. And that is right where I want to be. The cry of my heart is that I become so consistent that I remain completely dependent on Him, whether in the lowest valley or on the highest mountaintop. I never want to come to a place where I feel like I can do it on my own. That is a dangerous place to be. I always want to be 100% reliant on God.

This morning I woke up feeling defeated. Have you ever had one of those mornings? The day hasn’t even started yet, and you feel like you’ve already lost. That was me this morning. As soon as I opened my eyes, my mind was flooded with things I had to do, things I wasn’t doing well enough, negative comments that others had said about me, and negative thoughts I had about myself. Even the dreams I had in the night, as silly as they were, were of me failing. I realize this was an attack, it was spiritual. But boy, it is hard to press forward when your morning starts like that.

And then I spent some time with God, and everything I read and heard was a reminder that He is with me and here to help…

“Thank Me for this time of neediness, when you must depend on Me more than usual. Do not waste this opportunity by wishing it away. Trust that I know what I’m doing–that I can bring good out of everything you encounter, everything you endure.” Jesus Today by Sarah Young

“Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:31 NLT

“We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” – Romans 8:28 NLT

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” - Hebrews 10:35-36 NLT

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” – Galatians 6:9 NLT

I am so thankful that God encourages us, right when we need it most. I share all of this with you today with hope that it encourages you too. I know that I’m not the only one who deals with discouragement and struggles with wanting to give up at times. We all have moments like those! And I’m sure today won’t be the last time I deal with this. The key is not to avoid these moments (because I don’t think that’s possible), but when they do come, to set our eyes on the One who gives us strength and to continue and persevere knowing He is by our side!

“Never give up! Never surrender!” – Galaxy Quest