"Keep Your Head Up My Love"

Have you ever been down on your luck?  It’s usually a period of time when everything seems to go wrong.  It’s the day that turns into the week that turns into the month when it’s hard to find good things to focus on.  Like waking up with a stiff back, realizing it’s Monday, your alarm didn’t go off, and you're late for work.  Then you spill your coffee on your lap and have walk around all day looking like a slob.  If that’s not enough, your child’s school calls, and your son has flu-like symptoms.  Unfortunately, as the week progresses, you and your whole family end up with the flu.  Sounds about right, huh?  The fact of the matter is, we have all been there in one way or another.  Some of us have even worse situations like death of a loved one, chronic illness, divorce, debt, addictions, disabled children, troubled marriages, etc.  And these people would give anything if coffee on their pants and the flu were their only problems.
 
One day, feeling like so many things were going wrong in my life, I prayed about it as I always do.  God is my first “go to” for strength.  I decided to start looking for all the blessings and the things that were going right that day.  The first thing that I noticed were the lyrics of a song which said, “Keep your head up, my love.”  To be truthful, I teared up.  I felt like God arranged that song to be the first thing I heard when I finished my prayer.  That will remain a mystery, but I choose to believe He blessed me with that.  Sometimes we just need the reminder to keep our head up, to keep moving forward, to dig deep, and find strength in the Spirit that God has equipped us with.  Everyone has bad days.  It’s the way we deal with them that determines if we press on or give up.  I am as human as the next person, so I need support from my friends and family.  God blesses again and again through friendly listening ears.  Cheerleaders in the form of my brother, sister, parents, and best friends. Hugs - lots and lots of hugs.  And people who remind me that they are lifting me up to the Great I Am. God sends His servants to comfort one another, all you have to do is open your eyes and look. It is through God’s beautiful mercy that I can focus on the good things even during bad times.  My vision, hearing, all my fingers and toes, a good meal, clean water, and the peace of a moment when drama had subsided.
 
If you are in a turbulent season of life now, my heart goes out to you.  Remember that you are loved by the King and He can turn the most awful times into something beautiful.  You were born for a purpose.  You were born for His glory. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.  And when you are strong enough again, use your experiences to bless others.  He needs you to help His struggling children just like you needed help and encouragement at one time. 
 
If you’re looking for the positive things to lift you up today, imagine one of them being His sweet words, “Keep your head up, my love.”
 
Sister-in-Christ,
Celeste

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3,4