Raw.
Open.
Plain and simply Hannah.
Sometimes (most of the time) my life doesn't look worthy of Instagram. I mean, I struggled for wayyy too long to even structure my own Instagram (follow Grace in Everything here), let alone make every part of my life look like that!
Sometimes (most of the time) my prayers are scattered and whispered heartbeats because I've lost the ability to make words.
Sometimes (most of the time) I feel too busy to slow down and take life in.
Sometimes (most of the time) I let this busy-ness steal my joy. I let it steal my ability to form useful blog posts. I let it steal my thoughts, breathing, and withness.
Sometimes (most of the time) I compare myself to others. Is she skinnier? Is he smarter? Is she a better blogger?
Sometimes (most of the time) I feel a conflict of what I say and what I do.
Sometimes (most of the time) I feel inadequate.
But guess what? There is hope in these sometimes (most of the time) moments. There is a hope that is stronger than death, larger than life, greater than the forces of this world, and gentle with the strings of my heart. There is a hope that asks to be seen in the sometimes (most of the time) places, in the honest, plain, and simple. In the homework and frustrated drives. In the tears streaming forth because I don't want to grow up. In the tired eyes because I can't quite wake up.
There is hope.
Not a sometimes hope.
Not a most of the time hope.
An all of the time, until the end of time hope.
And beyond.
And this hope is not that I can do it or that it will all work out. This hope has actually nothing to do with me and everything to do with the glory of God, the sure and beautiful glory of God.
So when the sometimes (most of the time) moments drag you down, look up and take hope in the glory of God.
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into the grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know what suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit."
Romans 5:1-5
What are some of your sometimes (most of the time) moments? And how has God revealed His hope to you this beginning of the school year?
Princess Hannah
♥♥♥ Wow, Hannah! Your writing is amazing!
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you Emily!
DeleteI really love this. My most most of the time moments include a lot of feeling like a very small fish in a much bigger pond, being too tired, and being incredibly shy and not confident in my actions. I've seen small glimmers of hope in the writing and music opportunities coming up at school, and being able to lose myself in whatever art I'm immersed in. Beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your sometimes (most of the time) moments!!!! Yes, it is hard when you feel small and un-confident. But the fact that you are choosing hope is soooooo encouraging! Art is so beautiful!
DeleteI feel like I'm always dwelling on the most of the time moments. Feeling inadequate, stressing out over stupid things, feeling as though my writing or things that I do aren't good enough. But I'm realizing that a lot of these "most of the time" moments are just feelings, and feelings lie to us. They aren't fun, but they also aren't true. Definitely working on keeping up that hope. :)
ReplyDeleteLovely post, Hannah <3
GRACE, YOU ARE PREACHING TO MY SOUL RIGHT NOW OKAY??????
DeleteBecause I do the same things. The exact same things. And you really spoke something new to me. It is a feeling, insensible and passing away. WOW. I have a new approach for these inadequate feelings now.
I feel this too. You probably don't know this, but some of the bloggers on the group chat would-- there's a piece I've written called "Acceptance" which was somewhat of a closure statement to just stop comparing myself to four people who were in my life, and it's fine. But it's been constantly stressing me out to have these four people in my classes once again-- I just want to stop comparing and not be stressed and just relax.
ReplyDeleteGod's probably trying to tell me something because our first paper was on the deadly sins, and envy relates a lot to the situation...
I'm so glad you're being raw and honest here, Hannah. <3 That's something really difficult to do, leaving a strand of vulnerability, but the moment you just let everything out, the feeling is liberating.
xoxo Morning
Morning, thank YOU for being so honest! I will be praying for you!
DeleteWow, it never fails to amaze me how in sync our thoughts are. Like, honestly...hope has been something I've been striving towards lately. These lines really got me:
ReplyDelete"Sometimes (most of the time) my prayers are scattered and whispered heartbeats because I've lost the ability to make words.
Sometimes (most of the time) I feel too busy to slow down and take life in."
I literally sometimes just pray colors, images, sounds. I don't know if that makes sense, but more often than not, I just don't have beautiful sentences to pray to the Lord. It helps to pray Scripture at those times, and to remember the powerful truth of Romans 8:26. I've also been so busy lately that it's been hard to really soak up the peace of the Spirit. But, it's been getting better. I highly recommend taking quiet walks and reading a Psalm to end the day!
Thank you for being honest and pointing us towards hope. It's not easy, but it's worth holding onto. But let's be real, He's holding onto us. I am a mess!
yes. yes. yes.
DeleteYou actually inspired me to start memorizing scripture in my car. Thank you so much for that!!!!! And the walks/Psalm is great (although it's kinda warm down here, so many just a psalm...)
It's so cool how God is teaching us similar things! I need to go and check out your blog, for I will sure be inspired! (I haven't had much time to read blogs lately.)
Oh, and I was talking to someone this week who said, "God take our messes and turns them into messages to encourage others." (paraphrased) I thought that was SUCH A COOL WAY OF LOOKING AT IT!!!!
Anyways, let's keep holding onto Jesus!
Wow this was beautiful :)))
ReplyDeletethank you.
DeleteYou are beautiful!
let's never forget this hope.
Hey Hannah! I nominated you for the Ultimate Writer Tag on my blog, Spreading My Joy here: https://spreadingmyjoy.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-ultimate-writer-tag.html
ReplyDeleteWith love and all joy,
Allie D.
www.alliesblogdesigns.blogspot.com
www.friendlovesatalltimes.blogspot.com
www.sincerelyallied.blogspot.com
www.spreadingmyjoy.blogspot.com
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!! I probably won't do another tag for a while, but I am checking it out right now!
DeleteThis was so gorgeous!! You're so right! Thank you for this awesome post!:)
ReplyDelete-Emma-
Thank YOU for reading it and leaving me this SWEET message!
Deletedude. I just want to hug this post and carry this everywhere because THIS IS ME. Seriously. Ugh. We could be brain sisters, because you put my mind into words, and it's so nice to know that I'm not the only one struggling with all these things.
ReplyDeletethis is so lovely, hannah. thank you for being raw and open with us. <3
// katie grace
a writer's faith
"brain sisters."
DeleteWhy have I yet to use this term? It is now in my brain and I will think of you every time I use it. (Cause that's not creepy at all.) Yes, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!! Oh how often we struggle with the same things but never know it because we assume no one else is a mess trying to be beautiful. Guess what, we are all messes and God is making us beautiful!
Thank bunches for the comment!
Sometimes (most of the time) I feel EXACTLY LIKE THIS BLOG POST, W O R D F O R W O R D. *hugs this post and swallows it basically* like....bro. I know we've talked about this before but I literally think that we are like the same person. *nods* I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW HOW HARD I FEEL THIS POST. SOOOOOOOO HARD. WOW.
ReplyDeleteMan. I want to write this on the insides of my eyelids. <3 keep being real and raw and open forever, Hannah girl. That is the bestest version of you there could ever be.
lotsalove,
abbiee
I am SUPER DUPER glad that you love it! I've missed your sweet comments, too. (Even as I've failed to read your blog/any blog for the past month.)
DeleteAbbie, you really inspire me to be honest and raw and beautiful. I can't thank you enough for that.
THIS IS GREAT!!!! thank you for the sweet comment on my blog btw!
ReplyDeleteVanessa, THANK YOU!!! And I loved reading your post! SO many good feels!
DeleteThis post is incredible, Hannah. I have such a hard time with hope sometimes. A lot of times it feels like everything is falling apart but then you remember that the hand of God is working in your life x)
ReplyDeleteSo much love for your blog!!
//Abby
http://quillsandcurtsies.blogspot.com/