“Are you doing ok?”
My friend looked at me with a question in her eyes. Genuine concern. The kind you don’t find everywhere.
And you know what?
Sometimes instead of “I’m fine” or “I’m ok” the answer is simply, “No, I’m not ok.”
Some days I’m not ok.
I’m discouraged.
Some days I’m not ok.
I’m tired.
Some days I’m not ok.
I’m flattened.
Some days I’m not ok.
I’m ready to throw in the towel.
Some days I’m not ok.
I am weary.
Some days I’m not ok.
I’m attacked by the fiery darts of the devil.
Some days I’m not ok.
I’m scared.
Some days I’m not ok.
I’m in pain.
Some days I’m not ok.
I will be fine, but I’m not ok in the moment.
Some days I’m not ok.
I’m frustrated.
Some days I’m not ok.
I’m angry.
Some days I’m not ok.
I feel powerless.
Some days I am just not ok.
And it’s an ok thing to not be ok.
When that dear, trusted friend looks in your eyes and says, “Are you ok?” sometimes you just say, “No. I’m not.”
But I know the One who knows the plans He has for me and guess what? He is ALWAYS more than ok.
He is in control. He has power. He heals.
He makes masterpieces from mudholes. And here is what He has said in His word.
But He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest in me. That is why for Christ’s sake I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9,10
I don’t know about you, but me? I’m not really all that good about boasting in my weaknesses. I don’t really like to feel weak. I like strength better. Oh, not that I don’t want to rely on the strength of my Jesus. I do. Very much. I just want to have strength as I’m relying on His strength. Make sense? Yeah, not really.
I prefer the “ok” days and the better-than-ok days and I love the Every-Good-Day!!
But I find, even on the not-so-ok days, there is good. Always good. Always something to be thankful for.
Even if it is only in knowing that THIS-TOO-WILL-PASS.
Maybe the thing to be thankful for sometimes, is that friend who recognizes that you aren’t quite ok and offers encouragement, genuine appreciation, no condemnation and simply covers you in prayer.
Perhaps it is the rejoicing in the blessings that you do have.
Stopping to count the many days when I have been ok and the days when I have rejoiced and celebrated!
Pausing to glorify God in every circumstance.
Defeating Satan by refusing to wallow in self-pity. That’s the power of Christ in me.
Choosing gratitude, grace and giving.
Rejoicing for others and for the good things in their lives.
This is the strength of Christ flowing through.
Hardships happen. Insults insult. Persecutions pierce. Difficulties threaten defeat. Weaknesses wilt me.
Therein is the power of Christ made perfect.
Grace glimmers all around me, removing the grime of not-ok and replacing it with a glorious gown of salvation.
I fall more in love every day with the Christ who saved me.
The not-ok days will come. They will hit me. The more I cling to Christ, the more the devil wants to see me defeated.
BUT, God is my refuge and strength. My ever-present help in trouble.
I’m going to keep diligently seeking Him.
Because, I KNOW He can handle every single not-ok moment.
I will hope in Him.
Psalm 31:24
Be strong and take heart! All you who hope in the Lord.
Amen for being so honest with the emotions we all struggle with. And thank God that we have Him to see us through all of our trials. God bless you for saying what we all need to be reminded of.
Yes ~ So very thankful that God does see us through every hard day and every difficult time!!
I like to pray in my car.
He makes the I’m not ok days beautiful.
Hallelujah! He does!
It’s far easier to just say you are doing fine and OK rather than going over what is wrong with you. I struggle with answering this question because one, I don’t like talking about my issues and appearing weak (major sign of that wretched pride there) and two, because I have so many up and down moments in a period of time, feeling down, then taking that to Jesus and letting Him deal with it and then I’m great because I’m choosing joy. So it’s sometimes a very complicated question for me to answer. Haha!
But it is always a blessing when a true friend sincerely wants to know.
Thank you for being honest!
~Haley
It definitely isn’t always simple. 🙂 I think we all relate in some way to these struggles.
Jesus provides in so many ways and sometimes it is in the caring question from a real friend!
Blessings!