Slimy Pit – #77

I don’t know about you, but for me, summer came in like a rushing flood. In a good way – the change of pace is water for my soul. And in a bad way – I felt like the flood was going to sweep me away. 

For me, the school year is so busy, but it is predictable. There is routine with it. There is consistency with it and so much of life is based on the day of the week.

Monday and Tuesday – Bible Study Fellowship days

Wednesday – Grocery, appointments, chore day

Thursday – Writing and meeting day

Friday – meeting and social day

Of course there is some variability with that schedule, but for the most part, it stays the same. 

But summer.

Summer is full of loose routines, flexibility, lingering conversations with neighbors, late nights catching fireflies, vacations, pool days, mowing the lawn and the kids with me all.the.time. Goodness, I love being home with my kids so much, but it can be utterly exhausting! 

So as summer came into full view, as much as I felt myself excited, I also felt myself dreading it. 

Put an “Amen!” in the comments if you relate?! 

Being transparent, I was a little…actually a lot… grumpy and on edge. I was frustrated with myself that excitement wasn’t the only emotion I was having, but that there was some angst mixed in. I was irritable and snapped at the kids and Phillip more times than I like.

So I went to the Lord, shared my heart with Him and as always, He was faithful to help. I “just happened” to be reading Psalm 40 that day, and of course, like only God can do, the words on the page were directly for me at that moment.

Maybe these words will be for you in this moment as well…

“I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” Psalm 40:1-3. 

One translation says, “I relied completely on the Lord, and…he heard my cry for help.”

I love that. 

I have often thought of the “slimy pit” as a deep hole of depression, anxiety, sickness, addiction, destruction, failure, shame. A place where sin and darkness loomed. A place before Jesus. 

But that morning, as I was pouring my heart out to Jesus, He showed me that the slimy pit isn’t just the heavy stuff. It certainly can be that stuff, but it also can be something as simple as my attitude for the day. 

And the slimy pit can be where you were before you met Jesus, but it can also be where you are even as a follower of Jesus. 

The slimy pit is whatever is keeping you from being the person God created you to be. 

For me, those few days, the slimy pit was a negative attitude. It was keeping me from loving my children and Phillip well. It was keeping me from reaching out to a friend to tell her how I was feeling. It was keeping me from enjoying the present and it was keeping me from delighting in the presence of God himself. 

The slimy pit was keeping me from living out being the fully known, forgiven and loved daughter of the King that I am. 

God heard my cry for help. And he will hear your cry for help. 

What slimy pit are you in today, friend? Maybe you are walking through the depths of depression, or maybe you are just feeling down and off kilter, like something is amiss within your soul. 

What is keeping you from being who God created you to be? Maybe it’s the shame of your past, or maybe it’s your jam packed schedule. 

I encourage you to go to the Lord, rely completely on Him and He will hear your cry for help. 

God doesn’t want us to stay in the pit. He doesn’t want us to continue to sink in the mud. God wants to lift you out of the pit and mud. He wants to set your feet on a firm place to stand. 

And He delights in putting a new song in your mouth. 

A song of praise to our God. 

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.” Psalms 30:11-12

Lord, thank you for hearing our cry for help and turning our sorrow into joy through praising you.