Featured Friend: Susie @ Recovering Church Lady
Let The Pressure Press You Nearer His Heart by Susie @ Recovering Church Lady
My family is in the middle of a major move out of state in a few weeks, but I could not turn down an opportunity to Guest Post on this wonderful blog by our friend and inspiration, Barbie! I am thrilled to be included here!
I finally threw away the yellowed, food-spattered quote that used to live on our refrigerator. But the words will stay with me forever.
If you have been a believer for longer than a day, you know that life is still going to have its challenges, large and small. Family struggles, financial worries, illness and death can chip away at our peace and ability to trust God. When disaster strikes, we find ourselves questioning His love for us. Personal crisis can also cause us to wonder if God really is who he says he is.
I am sitting here with tears welling as I glimpse the light at the end of my own dark tunnel. Unexpected job losses, family deaths, a serious motorcycle accident and major financial struggles have marked the last three years. Others are suffering much deeper places than I have, and for longer, but the doubts and questions arrived anyway, because this has been new territory for me.
This writer is no expert on how to handle adversity. I am not proud of the way I responded to the majority of our tough and painful circumstances. But I am thankful that I did remember to turn toward God rather than away from Him. Admittedly, turning toward Him did include some brutally honest discussions, with long silences in between.
When faced with negative circumstances we all have some choices to make.
Do I get mad at God?
Or be angry at the situation along with Him?
Do I shut down my emotions?
Or allow my tears to soak His shoulder?
Do I close my eyes and ears and feel that I am alone in my sorrow?
Or do I lament to The One who is always listening?
Can you see the picture that is portrayed in the Hudson Taylor quote?
The harder the pressure, the tighter our embrace.
I have two very close blog friends who are each facing devastating family situations. They are shining examples of allowing the pressure to press them closer to God rather than letting it come between them and God. My friends inspire me with their tenacity to find God in the middle of the mess. He is comforting them and making them strong when everything around them feels like chaos. Both of my friends are saying, “God I hate this situation and I do not understand it at all, but I am leaning on You right now. Show me where You are in this.”
What does turning toward God in rough times look like?
It can look different for everyone, so we need to be careful not to set up a formula. One person may decide to get up earlier to have quiet time with God. Others may want to begin writing in a journal to ease the questions of the heart. For me, it was learning how to turn my thought life back to Him when the negative circumstances seemed to be pulling me down into a depression spiral.
I know that God is good and that He loves me. So even when every other part of my identity was gone, I clung to that truth. I had big questions about our confusing circumstances, but I still knew this to be true. I find that keeping those two facts front and center keep me from blaming God, which would allow the pressure to come between us.
God is good and He loves me.
God is good and He loves you.
You may be slogging your way through a difficult time. The pressure is heavy and it feels like you can barely lift your head under the weight, let alone be cheerful and thankful. Dear friend, let the pressure press you nearer the heart of God. If the pressure has already succeeded in coming between you and God, it takes very little movement to shift your position. Move yourself closer to Him with a simple, “Help me.”
He is already in position to embrace you.

Susie: Your thoughts are so true. We can allow pressure to bring us closer to God or we can go the other way.
It’s really our choice. I’m glad God permits us to decide to get closter to Him.
Great quote and great post!
Thanks Mindy!
Thank you for saying that your questions and doubts arrived anyway because it is new territory for you. This has been true for us, too. We have been rolling over several years of trying circumstances, new territory for me. It’s nice to hear someone else processing this out loud because most of my in real life friends just look at me since they are not on my rollercoaster and are on one of their own. I love Hudson Taylor’s quote and a book about his devotional life is one of my favorites. It is a good reminder to just keeping pressing into Him. I love your line about soaking His shoulder with tears. Yes, I need to do that more often.
Hi Kathleen, I went to your blog and I am thankful to connect this way. Great blog! It is so tempting to cry alone against God, as in being angry at Him. But I want to remember to cray against Him as in crying into His shoulder and arms. Susie
Very nice to meet you Susie.
Hi Denise, nice to meet you too!
I love this whole message, and I know who/what you are referring to…we each have our own personal sets of pressures in life…and thankfully, our God is able to meet each of us right where we are in the midst of the struggles. Yes, hopefully we are being pressed closer to God…and He is drawing us closer to His heart. Thank you, Susie…for these beautiful insights today. I’ve been blessed.
You are such a blessing to me Pam. Thank you for being who you are in my life. I am so glad these words meant something to you. Praying for you in your difficult season dear friend.
I’m thankful for the hard times, bc those are the times I’ve drawn closer to God. Those are the moments He feels the most real and I can see Him the most clearly. Even though life, personally, for me the last 3 years has been a roller coaster, my faith has kept me secure and anchored.
Hi Alicia, thanks for the comment. Figuring out how to be thankful while still in the bad stuff is the tricky part isn’t it? I hope your 3 yr roller coaster is ready to even out.
As always you are a blessing. Love the HT quote and image. Love your new BIO!
I have pressed into His chest most of my Christian life…most not all. Had I pressed in sooner things would have been different perhaps, but then again- He loves this stubborn lamb and her little stubborner lamb full well – as we are. love you, Susie!
I love you too Dawn. You inspire me continually. Thanks for coming by.
I’ve never heard of Hudson Taylor! But, now that I have, he is on my “to read and research” list. I love that quote! As I read your article, I thought about all of the times I have felt afraid and just plain “broken” from the weight of life’s circumstances. Through it all, I have fought the fight to remember that HE loves me and knows everything I am feeling. This has helped me…and, continues to help me continue my life’s journey. Joy to you and yours as you move-on to the next step in life. As you said in your piece, “The harder the pressure, the tighter our embrace.” Blessings~
Hi Cynthia, thanks for coming by! This post is up to the minute timely in my life right now. God is showing me that He does already love me completely and that makes all the difference when the chaos arrives! Blessings to you,
Susie
I love Hudson Taylor. He knew his God and saw more than his share of pressure. Imagine burying your wife and child in the cold deep land of inner China? I appreciate your words of encouragement. You are right. As the pressure presses in we must press into the God we know. It is the knowing God that makes the difference. If we do not know Him before the pressure hits us in the face then we are found empty and wanting. Now is the time to know Him before the pressure sets in. Sadly though, it is said that 50% of churchgoers never open their Bible outside the Church walls. They are observers, consumers and not participants. They are thirsty and hungry, but do not realize the abundance is in their hands – clenched hands are always empty. God reveals Himself on the pages of His word. We must open the pages, breathe a prayer of submission and let God be God. Now we can really press in because no matter what happens we know Him heart to heart. We know Him as Sovereign Lord Keeper. Nothing is too difficult for Him.
Thank you for your comment Chris. “It is the knowing God that makes the difference.” I like this statement, it carries so much! And I love how the more we know Him, the more we discover that we do not know all that He is. He is always MORE!
Susie