relentless

Relentless.

Life can be relentless, can’t it? It just keeps on going. And going. And going. Like housework. And sleepless nights. Storms. Traffic. And sometimes even silence. There’s the list of odd jobs that you never quite manage to get done. The errands that always need doing. The demands at work, or at home. Relentless. We all feel it. The relentlessness of things beyond our control.

And there are so many.

So many.

Even getting this particular blogpost penned has felt like a relentless process this time. Oh, the irony!

Are you feeling it? Are your shoulders drooping under the weight of all the to-do’s? Or the if onlys and regrets? The pressure that just won’t ease? The pain that just won’t leave? I know I have. It’s relentless.

But you know what else I’ve noticed? When life feels relentless, it’s relentlessness that I’m drawn to. Let me explain.

There are other things that are relentless. Things that seep life, and hope, and grace, into my soul. There are two sides to this coin!

Waves pounding on the shore.

Clouds marching across the sky.

The midday sun beating down on the pavement.

Days rolling into nights.

Sunsets and sunrises.

Landscapes stretching, twisting, farther than the eye can see.

Birdsong. Stars twinkling.

Love.

I’m sure you can think of more.

The thing is, when you’re feeling at your most overwhelmed, that’s when you need a reminder that some things don’t change. That some things simply ARE relentless. Like a rainbow after – or even in the middle of – a storm. A relentless reminder of your Creator.

As you tune yourself into those things, and ground yourself in them, you will find hope again. You will realise that you can trust that there will always be a new tomorrow. The tears may soak your pillow tonight, but with the morning will dawn a new day.

Because the truth is, no matter what comes, we can hope, relentlessly.

We can love, relentlessly.

We can hold onto joy, relentlessly.

We can choose thankfulness, relentlessly.

It may be easier some days than others, but we can. We, too, can be relentless.

We all get it. There are some seasons, some years, and some things we face in life that simply ARE relentless. There are times when “thinking positive” and “counting our blessings” can be so, so, SO hard – and even that is an understatement. Those feelings need a voice, too. So be real about it. Acknowledge the hard. And in the midst of the tough stuff, I’m praying that you’ll encounter another type of relentlessness: the kind that will infuse you with hope.

When I look at the waves crashing on the beach, swirling in their rhythmic dance toward the shore and back again, I realise that the relentlessness of the ocean calls to me. It frees me. Because all of a sudden, in spite of how relentless my life might seem in that moment – for whatever reason – I realise that I’m not in this on my own.

I’m part of a bigger picture,
a bigger plan,
a bigger story.

And it’s not all up to me!
So I can relax my shoulders and breathe that little bit easier.

How about you?
What kind of relentlessness are you focusing on in your life right now?
The kind that makes you drag your feet, or the kind that is the seed of hope?
The kind that makes you loathe small steps, or the kind that is infused with promise?

I’m praying that, no matter what you’re in the middle of, you’ll find the hope-filled kind.
As you press on, one small step at a time.

Kristy x