Ups and downs...

Have you ever had one of those days (or weeks, or months, or years...) where you just felt like crying?  Hopefully you have, otherwise I'm feeling pretty foolish!  It's amazing to me at how the roller coaster of life works... climbing to the top seems to take an eternity, but then plummeting down happens in the blink of an eye! 

Last week was the top of one hill for me... I had an amazing week.  Nothing particularly spectacular happened, but I just found such contentment and joy in the simple things in life... quality family time, spending time in God's word, relaxing and playing with my girls, enjoying the sunshine at the beach... It was pretty close to my idea of perfection.  (I know, I know... kind of dull, but to each his own!)  Then, without any warning, BAM!  This week hit with full force, and it has been a rapid descent to the bottom (or so it seems). 

What's interesting about finding myself down in this slump is that there hasn't been some catastrophic event to make me want to curl up in a ball and hide my head.  Instead, it's just that feeling of being overwhelmed... ever been there?  The family calendar is jammed packed, the to-do list at work consists of multiple pages, friends need advice, family members need help, the church needs workers, bad news barges in with every other phone call or email, the kids are emotional and demanding, financial needs become greater while funds become more sparse, and health issues begin to surface... sound familiar?

There's no doubt that life is overwhelming.  No one person can handle all of the demands of life on their own, and thankfully, no one is expected to.  God is our source of strength.  When we're spiraling downward, He's holding us in His hand, ready to life us back up.  My girls have a game they love... they stand on a ledge and grab a hold of their daddy's hands.  They jump down, but their daddy holds on tight to those little hands, never letting them fall to the ground.  They feel as if they're falling, but he keeps them from hitting the bottom. 

I like to picture our heavenly Father playing the same game with us... as we feel like we're crashing down, He holds on tightly to our hands, rescuing us from the pit and bringing us back up again.  Just as my girls know their daddy isn't going to let them fall, we can rest in knowing our Father won't let us fall, either.

    Hear my cry, O God;
   listen to my prayer.

      From the ends of the earth I call to you,
   I call as my heart grows faint;
     lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
 For you have been my refuge,
   a strong tower against the foe.

                                                   I long to dwell in your tent forever
                                              and take refuge in the shelter of your wings
                                                                                   -Psalm 61:1-4