I wrote this letter for Mike Estwick who’s fought hard for his family and pleases God.
Life is difficult, and your life has been more difficult than most. But you’re strong. You’re not a quitter. You’re not a victim. I’ve seen you fight to survive, fight to improve, fight to take care of your family, and fight to keep fighting. You’re a person of conviction. You’re rightly dependent on God.
But something happens to us when we have to keep fighting all the time. We grow tired. We become restless and dis-eased. By “dis-eased” I mean the things that ought to be easy are difficult and unenjoyable.
Life feels more complicated, frustrating, and tiresome than it should.
I think you’ve experienced dis-ease, and you might be afraid you’ll never get back to a spot where things can be good again. It’s not only that things are tough, but the fear that things will always be this tough. Or worse.
But there’s good news for you. Regardless of how difficult our circumstances are, God promises to elevate us and sustain us.[1] He promises new life, strength, and hope for all who seek him.[2] “Salvation comes from the Lord,”[3] for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[4]
Once, when I was at my lowest, and I wasn’t sure God was listening—when I felt hopeless and afraid, thinking my life was over and I had nowhere to go—I prayed. Don’t get me wrong, I pray often, but that’s my point. There was nothing special about this prayer. I just prayed. I wasn’t articulate. I wasn’t fancy. I’m not sure what I said. But as I was praying, someone came to me and placed a hand upon my shoulder. That person prayed with me, which allowed me to stop praying and just rest. I was afraid I would fall asleep during the prayer, but I wept instead. And the Lord gave me something I hadn’t realized I’d lost: he gave me the confidence that he saw me, that he knew how difficult things were, and that I was not alone.
You are not alone.
Our world works contrary to God’s design, and much of your struggle results from this conflict. You were made for God’s world, but you’re stuck in this one. The scripture says you’re part of the City of God amidst the cities of men, and that bi-locational dissonance makes every good thing more elusive than it ought to be.
But I have prayed for you and with you. I am praying for you now. And the strength you need to rise above your circumstances is strength you must always borrow from God.
Good news—God has lots of strength to loan, and he doesn’t charge interest. He is simply interested in you knowing he’s there.
[1] Isaiah 40.29-31.
[2] John 10.10.
[3] Revelation 7.10.
[4] Acts 2.21.