Prior to what I am about to share with you, I think the last time I was truly held in someone else's arms was 8 years ago. I'm not talking about a 10-second hug and an "I'm sorry and I'm here for you" type of being held. I'm talking about the "I see your tears, your brokenness, your pain, and your heartache and I am not leaving the room" type of being held.
There is power in with-ness. There is power in togetherness. There is power in presence.
Jesus is with us.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are with us.
His presence is powerful in our lives.
"You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?" (Psalm 56:8)
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
(Matthew 11:28-30)
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."
(John 14:15-17)
"Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come."
(Psalm 71:3)
"In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears." (Psalm 18:6)
Sometimes we get to experience a glimpse of what it means to be held by the Father, through His people in our lives showing us what with-ness, togetherness, and presence means. I got a glimpse of that from a friend whom I only see twice a year. She has left a permanent mark on my heart of what it looks like to show up for others in heartache, to hold, to stay, and to resemble the heart of God our Father.
I had been working through something hard and hadn't mentioned it to more than a few people. I cried (more like wailed...and someone did hear that), had some alone time, took a nap, got up, and kept pressing forward. I was on a mission to do something when she stopped me before I walked out the door.
No words were exchanged.
No explanation was necessary.
She grabbed me and pulled me into her arms. She looked me dead in the eyes and spoke truth over my heart. She embraced me again and said words that I will never forget: "I'm just going to stand here and hug you. I'm not letting go. You can whenever you need to, but I'm not letting go." The tears flowed from my eyes and were also now on her cheeks. Neither of us cared.
I was being held.
I was seen, safe, and secure.
She was a clear picture of Jesus to me at that moment; of the Father-heart of God, and how He responds to me when I come to Him.
If you've never been held or seen like this, take heart; Jesus does see you. He sees the most intimate parts of you that you don't share with others. He sees the things you don't speak out loud. He sees the depths of your heart and gently reminds you to cast your burdens on Him. He hears the tears you cry at night on your pillow, and He sees the red, puffy eyes in the morning. He keeps watch over you. He knows you. Intimately.
Jesus doesn't just know you, like head-knowledge know. He KNOWS you.
"God wants to know you and be known by you. He wants you to experience true
intimacy with Him - not just observe intimacy from others' time in His presence. He
desires you to experience the fullness of relationship - not just secondhand reflection of
relationship through others' lives...we were made to know God and to be fully known by
God" (Fully Known by Mo Aiken 66, 76).
Oh, how I wish I could hold you, whoever you are on the other side of this screen. I wish I could look you in the eyes and speak truth over you as a balm to your weary soul. I wish I could tell you I was going to hug you and not let go.
I don't know what you're walking through right now that simply being held could aid in the hurt, pain, and anxiety. I don't know if you have people in your life who could do this for you. I don't know if you need to enter into someone else's heartache and hold them.
I do know that there is power in with-ness. There is power in togetherness. There is power in presence.
Jesus is with you and wants to KNOW you.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are with you.
His presence in your life is powerful.
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