Some of you have heard me talk endlessly about one of my favorite lift-me-up books called You’re Already Amazing by Holley Gerth. And I confess that a few of you might have even been tired of hearing me go on and on about it after awhile. 😉
It’s true. Holley’s words were a gift to me during a time when I felt less than amazing, so you can imagine my persistence toward the female population within my general vicinity who needed to buy. this. book. Now!
Her ability to weave God’s Word in with her most sincere expressions of encouragement were a breath of fresh air to me. Sometimes that kind of encouragement is hard to come by, but Holley never fails to deliver.
So I’m excited to say that I’ve been given a great privilege to introduce to you an amazing new devotional by Holley entitled What Your Heart Needs for the Hard Days.
This book is a clear affirmation to the insecurities, disappointments, whispered ramblings of the enemy’s lies as well as the never ending stream of busyness we find ourselves in daily. Holley addresses each of these and introduces us to the grace and truth we need to sustain us through those times.
I don’t know Holley on a personal level but sometimes when I read her words I wonder if she knows me. I’m sure I’m not the only one. She’s a woman that bares every beautiful part of her soul as she sends the message: I struggle just like you, but let’s talk truth.
For me, truth is a word that’s often underestimated in my vocabulary. Our culture has diminished it to be as unimportant as the next thing, yet truth is the very essence of what speaks life into who we are…and Whose we are.
It’s no accident that the subtitle is called “52 Encouraging Truths to Hold On To…”
Here are a few sneak peeks at some of the truths that spoke to my heart the most:
“Withdrawing from those around us is one of the surest signs we’re hurting. I’m especially drawn to this tactic. Even though I love being with people, it takes a lot of energy for me. And when I’m feeling down, it sometimes seems like that energy is just not there. I hesitate to start a conversation, show up, or connect because I feel like I won’t have anything to offer. I tell myself that I’ll get it together and then I’ll let people back into my life.
But that’s not the way God created us to live. Listen, my friend: we don’t heal alone. It’s just not the way God has made the world to work. We need each other for encouragement, strength, and support. So if you feel like hiding today, can I gently whisper that it might be a sign that what you really need most is to show your hurt to another human being?” (page 49)
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“While I told myself, ‘Get over it,” he had been whispering, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). “While I asked myself, ‘What’s the matter with you?’ he continued to remind me that whatever was troubling me mattered to him. While I challenged myself to simply try harder, he invited me to try grace instead.”
“We are far less compassionate to ourselves than God is to us.” (page 138)
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After each devotion, there is a space for the reader to take note of what her heart is speaking to God as well as another section for what her heart is hearing from Him. I don’t know about you, but there are times when God seems silent. These devotions prompt me to listen more closely…to quiet the noise around me so that I can take care to be as attentive as I should.
I encourage you ladies to unwrap the pages of What Your Heart Needs and let yourselves absorb every word. All of us have the hard days. I’m just glad that we don’t have to do them alone…
