Persevere Through the Pressure
To persevere, according to Webster's Dictionary, is: “to persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking despite counter influences, opposition, or discouragement.” That says a lot.
What do we do when life comes at us hard? Do we get weary and quit, or do we persevere? Sometimes, we are just going through life when everything is well, and boom, it seems to be goi a life happening occurs. In my case, these “life happenings” would come one after another, as I am sure many can attest to. As a survivor of human trafficking and domestic abuse, there were always things coming at me. I started to move forward in life, and it seemed like when I stepped forward, there would always be something that would make me have to take a step back. Whether it be health issues, loss of job because of health issues, or mistreatment from others, it seemed like there was nothing left to look forward to or hope for. I was in such a dark place I wouldn’t even pray anymore because my faith had been shattered. Was I persistent amid pressure in this season of my life? Not; it led to a lack of trust, hopelessness, and much more. I was so weary I just wanted to give up.
There are moments and times in our walk of life when the pressure becomes so much that we have a choice to give up and quit or fight whatever we have left in us to persevere through the pressing. I heard a quote, not sure by who, but it states, “When you press through, there is a breakthrough on the other side.” That stuck with me and stirred something inside of me. This last pressing incident became very personal. I can’t share much in protection of my son and his reputation, but the call no mother wants to hear, it shatters every part of you. But to support him and stay strong myself, I had to press through and persevere through this big storm life had just thrown at us. As a praying mother, I pressed through with prayer out of my weariness.
When I couldn’t pray because of being so weary, I would reach out to others to help. This last pressing has made me realize we cannot do this alone. We need a solid community of people who will press through and pray for you. The value of a word of encouragement and prayer goes a long way. In this pressing situation, as a single mother, I had to take time off work so I could be fully supporting my son; we had a way to go. I have a loving community of people praying to me and lending a hand when needed. It is humbling to be reliant on others when we can’t be reliant on ourselves. I am a believer, and many times in my life, I have had to be on the receiving end as a person with a giving heart. It is tough, and I try not to ask or question God, why won’t you change the circumstances? There is something to learn from every pressing season of our lives. What does persevering through pressure look like? To everyone, it looks different; for me, it is putting worship on when my faith is running on empty, when tears become prayers, and crying out God, I trust you amid all of this.
When HIS literal joy must be my strength amid turmoil and tears. To be still enough to trust him amid it ALL. My prayer every day for my son is Lord, he is yours before he is mine and I surrender him on a daily basis. Daily surrender is one of the many keys that help us persevere through the pressing. When our hearts aren’t postured in surrender, we can be weary, worn out, and hopeless. To persevere through the pressure, I must pray my way through it, push through the uncertainty, pray with tears in my eyes, trust that God is on the move even in times I cannot feel or see anything happening, and most importantly, keep living life with a good attitude and gratitude in the heart, which often can be challenging in these circumstances. But truly, when we look at the blessings and the things we are grateful for, our focus isn’t so much on the circumstances themselves, and that can bring peace to a chaotic life. He is truly the calm in the storm and the one that calms the storms in our hearts and minds. To go through the pressing with peace in your heart and mind is persevering and trusting God to help and guide you. Yes, there will be ugly cries, prayers that ask why, and so on, but amid it, if we keep trusting, praying, pressing through with Lord, I trust you, we too can persevere through the pressing. It's not going to happen overnight, but the more we practice this in our daily lives, the more we gain, and he gives us the strength to persevere and endure through it all. Like the quote states, “Breakthrough is on the other side of the press through”.
We must keep pressing through the pain, the doubts, the tears; there is a fight in us that won’t falter because we know that breakthrough is on the other side. As a parent, I want to be able to represent what truly persevering through life’s pressing can do. It is possible, is it easy, definitely not, will it be worth it, ABSOLUTELY! So, I pray whoever is reading this encourages your heart to surrender and trust in HIM while you persevere through the pressing. I am walking proof that by surrendering it all to Him, I have peace, comfort, and joy amid it all. There are still things I need to worry about absolutely, but I pray, and I trust, I cry if I must, but that won’t change the fact that my mind is set on persevering through the pressing. When the pressing awakens a fight to keep going, I believe that when we start persevering. We just can’t quit!
