Quit? No!

 Q is for Quit? No! It's Don't Quit!

There have been many times in my life when I've wanted to quit. Life's been hard. In fact, too hard. Times when I've been in the deepest darkest black hole of depression. Where no glimpse of light radiated from the future. Times when my body and mind were controlled by excruciating anxiety. Times when I felt so alone, that if I disappeared off the earth then I was sure that no one would notice or care. 

Have you ever felt this way?

There was a time when suicidal thoughts tormented me. At one point, in the midst of my domestic violence marriage, I felt the only way out was through death. My death.

Have you ever felt this way?

But I am still here. Why? Because inside I am a fighter. I also know that I have the highest power in the universe looking out for me. He doesn't want me to be destroyed. He has plans for my life. He has special work for me to do. In the midst of my depression and anxiety I felt God whisper in my ear that He was in control of the situation. 

Have you ever felt this way?

I gave a talk to a ladies dinner last Saturday night. We talked about the labels and names that society gives us growing up. For example, fat, ugly, nice, stupid etc. Some are positive. Many are negative. I disclosed some of my own that I was given growing up - freak, weird, deformed, happy, Frankenstein and many others. Some positive, many more negative. We then talked about God's labels for us - which are all positive. The first label I talked about was 'we are chosen'.

I love the following verses from the Psalms in the bible. Please read them below. These verses tell me that God knew me before the world began. I wasn't a freak of nature as the world says. I was born to be different and I was born to do special work. So therefore, no matter what happens to me, all is well with my soul, even if it's not in my head. The God who made the greatest blue whales and the smallest cells, made and keeps the planets circling the sun, created the beautiful colours of the rainbow - loves me and He loves you too! We were God's children before the world began and we will be after the world ends. That gives me hope for the future, and great comfort and strength, to keep on going through the struggles and trials that life brings. I pray it gives you hope, comfort and strength too.

Psalm 139:13-16

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

So let me encourage you to not give up on life. Don't quit. Keep on going. Let me also spur you on with this poem:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
- Author unknown –

 

Tomorrow the sun will rise again. :)