Are You Living In Chronic Survival Mode?

Tired of survival mode? Find solace in God’s constant presence and seek His help in both the mundane and the monumental moments of life.

“Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.”
Psalm 54:4 ESV

Every morning I start my day, slithering out of bed, slipping not one but two pairs of socks off of my always cold feet, and tip toeing downstairs to “wake up the house.”

While the coffee is dripping, I slide the curtains open, turn on a soft lamp and sink into the same worn spot on our sofa, to meet with Jesus and pray.  

It’s often my most favorite part of my day, because it’s the time of day when I feel most at ease, most cared for and am most gentle with myself.

Some mornings, I am quick to surrender and eager to begin my conversation with God.  Other mornings, I am slower in spirit, sluggish in words and distracted with what to share with the One who knows me best.

But on a recent morning, I found myself deep in praise, overcome with thankfulness for God’s sovereign protection. 

Just 8 hours earlier, after tucking in our youngest daughter goodnight, I had been sitting up in bed.  Waiting for my husband to return home with our two oldest daughters, from a later than usual, evening lacrosse practice.

Expecting the girls to poke their heads in, to say a quick and quiet goodnight, I was instead greeted with a loud, adrenaline pumping announcement. 

“Mom! We almost died!”

My daughters sputtered heart fluttering words out like:

Stop sign. 

Speeding. 

He didn’t stop. 

Almost hit us.

Scared. 

Crazy. 

As our girls continued processing out loud, with fresh realizations scattering, and raw and real emotions barreling out, my husband rounded the bedroom corner…

Silent.

Clearly shaken and still very stunned.

He eventually joined the conversation and met my wide eyed questions, with these five words:

“I can’t even explain it.”

In short, another driver approaching the same four way intersection, blew through the stop sign at a speed of no less than 60 MPH.  It later became evident that the oncoming driver who almost T-boned our family car, did not realize that there was in fact, an intersection or stop sign at all.

As my husband and daughters sat idle in the middle of the dimly lit intersection, paralyzed by a state of shock, another driver across the way, pulled their vehicle next to them, rolled down his window, and asked:

“Are you all O.K.?  I saw the whole thing.”

It was then, they noticed that the speedy, unaware driver, had also pulled over, farther down the road. 

Probably coming to the jarring realization of the almost violent collision, that was somehow…someway…avoided. 

Praise God.

Have you ever had a similar experience?

One minute you are on the road of life, minding your own personal brand of mundane.

And in the next, your literal life flashes before your eyes, or your hopeful future is threatened, by a sharp, brutal interruption, halting the, now desirable, ordinary daily grind of life.

These spiky reminders of life’s fragility have a way of popping up and jarring us into powerlessness, from time to time, don’t they?

Whether it’s a treasured friend’s cancer diagnosis, the death of a close family member, a chronically sick child, or a very real and unexplainable, dramatic close call.

No matter what it is…we take a hit.

Here’s what I know.

Coming face to face with, and admitting our vulnerability in this tumultuous and chaotic world, when a whammy pops out of nowhere and brings us to our knees – 

Well, that kind of collision of the heart, at the tender intersection of humanity and fragility, can feel a lot like defeat. 

But, here’s what I also know. 

We are not alone.

We have a Helper.

God’s Word says that His power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9).

And, it’s actually in our weakness that He is strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Yes friend, He is indeed, our Helper. 

I don’t know about you, but there is not a day in my life when I have not needed God’s help.

And every time I’ve needed help?

God has been faithful to His Word and helped because He is our Helper. 

But there, amid everyday trials, it’s easy to forget, isn’t it?

It’s easy to slip into self-sufficiency mode and forget that we have access to The all-powerful.  

The One who is able and available anytime, anywhere, to help us with both the big and the small.

I know for myself, there was a time, when I trusted God with the salvation of my eternity but not with the details of my day.

I would trust Him with the monumental, but struggle with seeking Him in the minimal and mundane. 

I missed out on taking opportunities to connect and share with Him about all the things on my mind and failed to ask Him for help with all that was piling on my plate. 

But somewhere along the way, I accepted the truth, that my need for help does not make me a failure or inadequate…it makes me human.

But, even still, it’s easy to skim along and skip over seeking God for help, with daily stressors.

Or, perhaps we don’t feel like the small stuff that causes the pileup on the highway of our hearts, is worthy enough, to take to Him.

And so?

We reserve going to God and asking for His help with only the big stuff. 

Sweet friend, may I just encourage you today, that God wants IN on your everyday distresses?

God’s Word tells us to “cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

He invites us to cast every single day-to-day dilemma and to-do list, every messy feeling, and every up-and-down rollercoaster emotion on Him. 

Because His shoulders are strong enough to carry it all.

From top to bottom, every single day, every single detail.

God wants in on the survival mode

Not just the super major and monumental.

But the nagging anxious thoughts.

The small and lonely places of our everyday.

The hideouts of our hearts, where we carry our worries for our reputation, our relationships, our businesses, our homes, our children, other’s perceptions of us, and our fears of failure.

Yes, friend. 

In His lovingkindness God extends again and again His radical love and grace into our everyday dilemmas, dramas, and details, the omnipresent offer to be our center of gravity in the free fall of daily life. 

In the midst of our imperfect, present circumstances, we have access to an able God, and the invitation to share in a heartbeat of harmony with Him, because He is the upholder of our life. 

In other words?

God’s heart seeks to save us from the crisis that is caused by suffering from living life in chronic survival mode.

Praise God friend. 

There is a better way home. 

With God, we don’t have to fight, flee or freeze.

Instead?

We can breathe still.

Yes, breathe.

And be still.

Because the One who holds the world in His hands…is holding you up today and every day.

May you breathe still today, sister.

In Your Life

What about you?

Do you ask God for help with what may seem like simple tasks, daily trials, and smaller situations?

Do you look to God for help in your “everydays” and not just for the promise of your eternal days?

In His Word

“I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 ESV

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Heather is a lifestyle blogger, women’s speaker, and owner of Home with Heather, a home decorating and interior styling business. She writes weekly on her blog, heatherkrout.com. You can also find Heather on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for inspiration to empower you on your walk with God and inspire you with new and fresh ways to love your home.