Truth to Grapple with the disappointments

I would like to think that I can speak for virtually everyone when I say that these past few months (and 2020 as a whole) have been full of "not supposed to's." 
Life was not supposed to come to a screeching halt.
COVID-19 was never supposed to change even the smallest parts of our daily routines or take away loved ones.
The riots and protests across the country were not supposed to result in more perpetuated misunderstandings and anger.
And, most of all, we were never supposed to live in fear.
I read Lysa TerKeurst's book Uninvited a little over a year ago. It spoke directly into an emotional situation I was currently dealing with. And when I happened to hear about this book through social media, I was immediately hooked by the title and believed that it could also speak into my current situation: dealing with this season of uncertainties. And I was right.
But I want to be clear in giving God the credit. I am going to talk about how much I enjoyed this book, but the book was merely the device God used to show me his perspective and truth, just like he does with the Bible and, I believe, every other book I have ever read, religious or nonreligious. 
So, this device of a book is one that I highly recommend to women on all walks of life. Even though it is easy to look at the quarantine situation we are all living and feel like this means that we are all living the exact same season of uncertainty, that is not the case. Behind the closed doors of our homes, we are all dealing with disappointments or misaligned realities that may have been causing us strife before 2020 even began.
This book speaks right into these dark places. It speaks so well because of the dark place its author was inhabiting when she was in the process of writing it, which she elaborates on within each chapter. From her own hurts, she sympathizes with those expectations that have set us up for disappointment. Those lies from the Enemy that are really easy to believe when we get caught up in the parts of life that don't look the way we thought they would or should. Those rather scary questions and doubts we have concerning the nature of God. All of that is addressed and written about so plainly through TerKeurst's writing (she has one of my favorite conversational writing styles among the Christian women authors I have read). 
I was right about this book being able to help me better grapple with the disappointment and frustration that I had been wrestling with concerning finishing my first year of college online in the extra room next to my bedroom. It helped me realize that I had been focusing so hard on being grateful for the good parts of this change of routine that I had not let myself acknowledge that I was really sad in several different ways.
I was sad about leaving my dorm and doing everyday life with my friends, of the meals and weekend outings that we would have shared. I was sad about the sense of independence I had grown used to being temporarily taken from me. And I was more than sad about how my OCD, which flares up during times of change or extreme transition, was really getting the best of me in a number of ways.
But like I said, this book was certainly something that God used to help me recognize the truths I had been reading in his Word in new ways. He made certain verses fresh and new perspectives crystal clear. He also assured me that reading this book wasn't going to solve all of my problems, make my sadness dissolve or completely wrangle my OCD. But the words within its pages rang true in just the right ways. God used it to strengthen me to fight against the Enemy during this time when the chaos that is ensuing is music to his ears.
I hope that if you choose to read this book, you approach it with eyes willing to see beyond the printed letters and a heart that is open and vulnerable to be touched no matter what 2020 and all of its unforeseen circumstances have been like for you



A few of my favorite lines from this book (it is extremely quotable!):

"We praise God when our normal looks like what we thought it would. We question God when it doesn't. And walk away from Him when we have a sinking suspicion that God is the one who set fire to the hope that was holding us together."

"Sometimes to get your life back, you have to face the death of what you thought your life would look like."

"If I want His promises, I have to trust His process."

"God loves me too much to answer my prayers at any other time than the right time and in any other way than the right way."

"We don't have to know the plan to trust there is a plan." (AMEN.)

"When you live slow for a season, the Son has access to the parts of you normally covered up by everyday put-ons." 

"The enemy wants us paralyzed and compromised by the what-ifs, opinions, accusations, and misunderstandings." (This one resonates with me during this season the most)

"We must let God's Word become the words of our story."

"To create meant that I would look a little bit like my Creator."

"How many times have I let imperfections cause me to be too hard on myself and too harsh on others?"

"If we are going to be true to ourselves, we'd better make sure we are being true to our most surrendered, healed, and healthy selves, the ones God made us to be."

"Perfection intimidates. Compassion inspires... when you make one other human simply see they aren't alone, you make the world a better place."

"Upside down are the perfect words for a girl who will eventually land right side up, messy and marvelous and so very alive."

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