The heat wave that has smotherd California for more than a week is less intense today. As I write this, I am sitting outside, the air cool in the morning shade. An Anna’s Hummingbird is singing in the olive tree behind me—and then zooms up from a fuchsia bush to the highest point of the magnolia tree. Huge black bees the size of a jack ball fly heavily, slowly from the tips of lavender blooms to the garnet gladiolas, heavy and swaying in the breeze.

This stillness is good for my heart. And then the upstairs window opens, and a paper airline tumbles out of it to the ground near my feet. I look up and hear Justin’s laugh, then see His smile as he leans out the window, cracking up. He intended the plane to sail gracefully to my lap, not tumble awkwardly like a drunken acrobat committing suicide. We are catching our breath, about fully moved into our home. It feels good to be here. I am less overwhelmed than I’ve been in a while. Less rushing around, things feel closer to peace.

It also has been helping me to dream.

In the chaos of the last 10 months—full of physical and emotional transitions—the rhythms of relaxing in the arms of my Father, seeking His strength, voice, and wisdom wanned significantly. I tried to squeeze in time with Him around all the other things I had going on—layering prayer and worship while doing something else simultaneously. Seldom did He have my full attention. Seldom did my heart receive His peace.

And then, in the throes of moving in, exhausted from carrying furniture and unpacking boxes, I felt desperate for Him. I missed Him terribly. His presence, His whispers to my heart. I was eager to be with Him, to pursue Him earnestly…(Click the link in the title to read more.)

You aren’t weak.

You aren’t incapable.

You aren’t unable to do hard things.

Come now. Listen for His voice with me. The one who calls you His treasure. The one who made you for amazing, beautiful-beyond-your-dreams things.

You can, you know.

But not alone. We can’t do these amazing things alone—all these acts of love. The thing He has in front of you to do? Yes, do that. But also let Him show you that other thing—the thing He’s dreamed up just for you but you haven’t realized fully yet. Know that you can do that thing too.

You see, God delights in equipping you to do hard things. He delights in the two of you doing all things (maybe especially the hard ones) together.

And when the doubt comes—because it comes like a charging bull, doesn’t it, intimating and thundering and fierce, crushing our confidence, making us convinced that we can’t do much more than simply get through a day—we have a few choices. We can buckle under. Or we can stay overwhelmed. Or, we can fight.