I'll See You Tomorrow: Building Relational Resilience When You Want to Quitনমুনা

Look Past the Poo

My friend and TikTok sensation Kevin Spencer Wilson said to me when we were talking about trolling, “When I am on a run, and I see dog poop on the street, am I going to stop and stare at it? Am I going to analyze it and wonder why it is there and who left it? Am I going to let it stop my run?”

So many of us are staring at the dog poop, and it’s wearing us out. I’m talking about hurt feelings. How hard do you think Satan has to look to find someone willing to hurt your feelings? For most of us, it doesn’t take a Google search. He can probably find someone in our own family, workplace, or church. He doesn’t even have to scroll through our social media. Feelings are important and often crucial indicators of something internal, but they can’t be the lord over our lives.

So many of my decisions for years were based on my feelings. One time, I was upset about how my work was treating me, so I quit. I made a rash decision and spent the next year scraping by to make ends meet. They scrambled for about seven days to replace me, but the income I lost bled my bank account for months. Our feelings cannot determine all of our choices.

Do you think Martin Luther King Jr. faced dogs and firehoses because he felt like it? No. He did it because leaders lead. Did Mother Teresa always feel like surrounding herself with excruciating poverty and starvation? Did Michael Jordan put in all those early gym mornings because it felt good? Some of our greatest inspirations, athletes, and thought leaders did what they had to, even when they didn’t want to. Because often, the path to greatness is on the other side of some uncomfortable hurdle you thought you’d never overcome.

My friend Annie F. Downs said to me, “Heather, it’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to be discouraged. Feelings aren’t bad. You can tell them to get in the car. They can even pick the music. But faith drives.”

That’s what I want for you. Tell your feelings they aren’t bad. Tell them they can get in the car, ride a shotgun, and even pick the music. But faith drives.

Pray

Father God, please give me endurance so I can get past the small stuff and move toward the goal of community in my life. Give me wisdom with my feelings and perseverance toward the greater good.