'I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ' Colossians 2:2-3

It was a dark time, one of the darkest times I have ever lived through. A loved one was struggling through the shadows of depression and every day was a battle. Just getting out of bed and facing the mundane tasks of daily life took every ounce of my strength. The future was a wall of fog. The present was a slog through mud with a backpack full of rocks. It was all I could do to just get through today.

Maybe that is where you are right now, Dear Friend. I am so sorry that you find yourself in such a difficult time. One thing I heard from a conference speaker that helped me through my darkness and gave me perspective was this: Every trial will come to an end. As those words rang in the arena and resounded in my ears my heart knew that they were true. In the course of a time that seemed to last forever, I eventually experienced that truth in my circumstance. You will experience it in yours. You will.

But while you are in it, can I offer you some perspective? Something I learned from walking through my own fog? Jesus really is enough. He is!

Christ Himself is God’s plan and gift. That is the long and short of it. If you are a follower of Christ, then you are looking for God’s plan amid the mud and muck of now. What does God really want from me while I am slogging through this?

What does God want? If I want to know what God wants from people and what God wants from me, I need to start with Christ Himself. God wants you and me to receive the gift of Jesus Christ. Not just once, but every single day in every single circumstance.

In my murky mess, I found Jesus to be present almost tangibly. I began to learn to talk to Him when I couldn’t really share with anyone else. I began to look to Him in those moments when I felt alone and overwhelmed.

I was driving home alone on a normal day in the middle of that completely abnormal, seemingly endless time. Sadness and hopelessness seemed to grab onto my shoulders, dragging me under attempting to drown me. I had a choice. Give in or go on. I opened my mouth and began to sing the old hymn, It is Well With My Soul.

“When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll.
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well. It is well with my soul….”

As I chose to sing, I experienced the presence of Jesus lifting me above the waves of my storm. The words of that hymn became a weapon against the darkness. It wasn’t easy. The situation didn’t change. But I found Jesus to be enough.

All the wisdom you need is found in Him. Dark days like the ones you and I walk through are filled with choices. There really aren’t any more choices than in a “normal” time, but because of the cloud that seems to surround us in survival mode, everyday choices can seem overwhelming. Even a trip to the grocery store can feel like an uphill climb dragging a ball and chain. Our brains and emotions are so fully occupied with our circumstances that which box of cereal to put in the shopping cart can stop us in our tracks. You find yourself asking, “How do I just get through today?”

In my days of living in survival mode, I found Jesus to be enough. I can’t tell you exactly how I made it through, but He helped me moment by moment, small decision by small decision, step by step. He guided me through paying bills, getting my kids to school, holidays, birthday parties for my kids — a five-year-old still needs to celebrate and be celebrated, even when the adults in their life may be struggling, right? All the things that needed to be done, somehow got done. Jesus gave me the wisdom I needed in the moment I needed it. He will do the same for you. He really will.

When you don’t know what to do, trust that He will guide you. Let’s face it, you and I go through one trying time after another, don’t we? Looking back at some of the times when I felt like I was going to drown in the storm, I see Jesus. He was there when I could not see the future. He was there shielding me as the waves crashed over the side of the boat. He was there, holding on to me when I felt like the rocking vessel was trying to toss me overboard. He was my safety rope. He was my anchor. I didn’t realize it at the time. I was just trying to survive.

Maybe you are there right now. Your circumstances have knocked the wind out of you. You feel breathless and disoriented. What will the future hold and how will you ever get there? Is life as it is now, the way it will always be? Most likely not, but what if it is?

I came to a decision while the wind blew, and the waves crashed over me. “Jesus, if this is the way my life is going to be from here on out, then You are enough. You have what I need. You will help me. I will find my satisfaction in You.”

Dear Friend, I know that it can be hard to imagine a future right now. It is hard to imagine that things really will turn out for good. Right now, all you can do is get up every morning and trust God for today. You are doing that. It’s hard to see, but you are. God is giving you His treasures in your darkness. He is giving you wisdom and knowledge. He has given you Jesus. Jesus is the calm in the storm, ready to give you all that you need to navigate the waves.

And He, Dear Friend, really is enough.

Key thought: All that I need is found in Christ.

A Scripture to Consider: 'I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ' Colossians 2:2-3

A YES Challenge: As you consider your current challenge, how might Jesus be present in ways that you don’t yet recognize?

Prayer: Jesus, You know the situation I am currently facing. You know how overwhelmed I feel, the pain, the discouragement. It can be easy to slide into hopelessness, but that is not what I want to do. I choose now to look to You. I trust You to give me the wisdom I need for today and the strength I need to keep going. I choose to believe that You really are enough. Amen.