The Internal Struggle

The young lady was struggling, but one would never know. It was a mirage.

On the outside, she had an incredible life, a flourishing business, an entrepreneur who had taken on a start-up and won. She was gifted. A great mind and perseverance. Her marriage was a model and her kids were on a pedestal. All was seemingly going her way. No faults, no cracks in the foundation, a life of pure happiness and joy.

But, inside, there was turmoil. She was searching for something. There was a hole in her life. The world was tossing her truths to fill the gap, promising man-made thoughts, processes, and traditions that would lead her to peace. The world suggested subtle changes that would finally lead to joy and happiness. Manifesting would enlighten her. New relationships would lead to love. She had been missing it all these years.

So, this talented young woman chose to fill the holes in her life with dramatic changes. She made the decision that her marriage was holding her back, and her role as a mom should look different. Her children needed to learn the freedom of life, and she would show them. The offerings of the world filled the gaps in her life that were causing inner turmoil.

There is absolutely no judgement toward this young lady. There can’t be. One look in the mirror, and I see my own faults, my own shortcomings. Woe is me if I judge. We are all the same. There is no judgement.

The truth is that we all have a hole in our life. We spend our days trying to fill that hole. And, the world has a ton of solutions. “Love,” money, material possessions, friends, relationships, the perfect job, perfect kids, travel to exotic places, power, the world has many offerings.

Some of these solutions fill the hole for a short time. Life may have been hard with the family before that trip, but the week at the resort was exhilarating, bonding, unifying. All is now well. A break in the action of life is what was needed. But, a month later, the thrill of that vacation is gone and the hole reappears.

Some of these solutions fill the hole for a longer time, maybe years. The marriage just wasn’t meant to be. The once budding love, new each day, is gone. Both have changed and the world offers a solution, a path to more. Separation happens, a new relationship blossoms, the feeling reappears, and the gap is filled, maybe for years. But, at some point, the hole will reappear.

The hole always reappears. It is like quick sand. The hole reappears, the internal struggle reappears, and the ground begins to swallow you up.

But, to the outside world, all is well. There is no hole. A hole means there is weakness. We speak, post, and share pure joy and happiness. We need the world to know that we won, we found enlightenment, we are the victors.

The world sees no hole until an uncontrollable happens, which it will. At this moment, the world has no solution. Desperation sets in.

This is what happened throughout the Bible, many stories of people facing the uncontrollable. The father with the dying son. The four men with the paralyzed friend. The lady with the demon-possessed little girl. They all found themselves with a hole that the world couldn’t fill.

Solomon took a different approach. He ran after everything that the world had. Money, love, work, material possessions, food, wine, you name it, and he tried to fill the hole. It was only later in his years, when he reflected on his life, that he realized the hole could not be filled with the things of this world.

The unfortunate thing is that the world gives us regular, loud, clear pictures of ways to fill the hole. And, they seemingly work. The illusive magic of the world creates a feeling that others have it figured out. They don’t. When alone in their thoughts, there remains a hole. Life is a mirage.

The inevitable hole in our lives can only be filled by Jesus. The world presents Him as a set of rules that need to be followed, a killjoy, a dull life. Not true. One has to know what the Bible says to refute those thoughts, those claims.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Not sure how or why I ended up with these words this morning. Maybe for someone out there?

But, for me, as usual, I end up thinking about those closest to me. Writing for them. I want them to catch this truth daily. And, truth is, I must remind myself daily. I, like you, have a hole. I have to fill it daily.

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