Remember when you were a kid and you’d go to the playground and couldn’t wait to go on the seesaw? Oh my gosh, I used to love to get on and see how long I could continue to push up and down. I’d go till I was too tired to continue. It was always more fun to be the one up in the air and I remember the energy needed to push off the ground when I was the “heavier one.” One year when I was in my teens, my brother and I found a seesaw at a playground and decided to have some fun. I struggled to even get off the ground as he was heavier than I and “Oh” so good at moving the seesaw just enough so I was stuck in the middle. I was stuck!  I couldn’t go up or down, and of course as siblings are, he thought is was hilarious. I found it frustrating to the point of wanting to give him a good slug, if only I could get my feet back on the ground….

I saw this piece of art work when we were in Texas and it brought back fun memories of play and the struggles of either being too small or not strong enough to get that seesaw moving. It reminded me of every day normal life. Some days I’m strong and resilient, other days I feel stuck on the at the bottom and for whatever reason just can’t get the momentum to get the day going.

I don’t know about you, but there are seasons of my life where everything seems easier, less complicated and like I am coasting. And then there are seasons where life takes a turn and things are difficult and I feel like I’m trying to get my feet back on solid ground, trying to push a big rock up a hill and I am getting no where. Can you relate?

When I was new Christian and life was going well, I often found myself taking God for granted. Life was good, easy and simple. During that time, I found I didn’t “need” to turn to God with much consistency, I was oblivious to what walking with Christ really meant. When life would hit rock bottom, I’d cling to God, digging in deeply to His word for strength and comfort and then life would get easier and my connection with the Lord would return to a more inconsistent state. Less connected and less fruitful.

As I’ve matured, I’ve come to realize that it’s the connections with the Lord in the good times, that sustains me when life turns messy, difficult, and crazy. We all have those seasons where life zigs and zags and we end up not quite where we’d thought we’d be.

Are you in a season that is smooth and not requiring much effort, or are you experiencing life’s messiness? It’s in the messiness that we grow and learn who we really are meant to be.

This is why the seesaw grabbed my attention. Life is messy. We are not perfect and the world around us is not perfect. But we need, I need a balance point. I’ve come to realize I need not simple words to comfort, or worldly solutions, but I need a rock upon which I can trust. I need a balance to life that is real, personal, and has my best at heart. That balance is God.

Seesaws have their balance point, the fulcrum, which helps keep the plank moving by being its point of leverage to move the weight up and down, a source of energy when physically we can’t do it on our own. It’s also a perfect triangle to help equalize the weight on the plank and provide balance by moving the weight distribution in or out.

This reminds me of God and His constant presence in my life. He’s there with me in the good times, delighting in my joy as life rolls along without much resistance. He helps me to maintain balance by keeping Him front and center in life and giving me beautiful reminders of Himself. But, He is also there in the messy times. He provides me with the strength and wisdom to dig deep into His presence, providing me a place to cling as He helps me by providing the leverage necessary to move forward and find joy in every day. Scripture says it best:

You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. (Psalm 18:28-33)

Is God your strength in good times as well as when life is messy? Learn to lean into Him in both seasons and watch as your strength increases, your joy soars and your faith grows to new heights that will simply amaze you.

Humbly, your Sister in  Christ,