The Ebb and Flow

Blog One: Mental Health

Opening Question: What part of your life are you reluctant to just let be? How can you surrender that and embrace the ebb and flow of life today?

Bible Verse: Hebrews 13:8

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Now on to the blog!

Being a teenager is a rollercoaster. Every day feels different, every hour feels different, and sometimes every minute feels different. It can feel like your brain is a medley of sadness, happiness, anger, anxiety, excitement, exhaustion, and energy. It feels like life, relationships, and our identity is changing constantly. The only thing that feels absent is peace. We live in a constant state of ebb and flow, and it can be very hard to manage.

The hard truth is, that rollercoaster is not really able to be fixed. Of course, if you are struggling with overwhelming or excessive mood swings, you should seek help. But sadly, a lot of the ebb and flow of emotions and life changes we experience are a result of hormones, being a teenager, and finding ourselves.

Knowing that, instead of trying to “fix” the mess of all the life we experience, what if we learn to embrace it?

What if we learn to lean into chaos and messiness, seeing it not as a burden, but as a beautiful part of life? What if we learn to cling to God, who is constant, instead of focusing on all the ways our life is changing? That is when we find true peace. In learning how to accept the ebb and flow, instead of tying everything in our power to reject it.

We find true peace in surrendering the mess that our life feels like, unashamed, knowing that everything will turn out just as it is meant to.

Knowing that God is in control and that we are not. Knowing that we have a purpose, and God is working for our good. Knowing that our lives were never meant to be perfect and that we were never meant to be perfect. Knowing that life is a cacophony of necessary, inevitable, beautiful- change.

So sister, fully embrace that ebb and flow today. Embrace each emotion that you feel with gentleness and acceptance. Lean into every change you face, knowing God has a plan that is greater. Accept each thing that comes your way, finding true peace in letting go and surrender.

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

It's no secret that our lives, emotions, and identity are messy.

We spend a lot of time trying to clean up that mess, yet it can feel like the more we try to clean up, the messier it gets.

Please help us lean into that ebb and flow and messiness instead.

God, you are in control and you have a plan beyond that constant ebb and flow.

Please help us surrender and see that today.

Amen.