If you’ve spent any amount of time with me, you probably know that one of my favorite books is Hinds’ Feet on High Places. It’s a beautiful little allegory that paints a moving picture of what it looks like to follow Christ through both the joys and the deep pain.
The main character is named Much Afraid, which, let’s be honest, already feels a bit too relatable. She sets out on a journey, led by the Good Shepherd, toward the high places she’s always longed for, His home in the mountains. But the way is far from easy and there are moments when the Good Shepherd seems to vanish. In His absence, storms rage and enemies gather. Much Afraid is left wondering: Where did He go? Why did He leave me here?
But time and again, He returns. And she begins to realize something powerful…He hadn’t left her at all. He had simply gone ahead to prepare the way. He was always near. Always working. Never abandoning her.
I first read that book a couple of years after walking through a season I can only describe as hell. Each night, I would sit with its pages open in my lap, reading slowly, through tears, trying to absorb every bit of God’s goodness. I needed to know really know that He saw me. That He hadn’t forgotten me. That He was still good.
Even now, I find myself returning to that book. When my heart feels heavy and my soul worn thin, I flip back to the chapters that once brought light into my darkness. If you were to open my copy, you’d see pages wrinkled from tears that fell when I needed the reminder most: He still cares for me, even still.
Maybe you’re in that kind of season right now. Maybe you’re tired, anxious, or living with a constant sense that everything’s about to fall apart.
If so, here’s the truth:
He is with you.
It really is that simple.
He is with you. Not distant. Not indifferent. Not going anywhere.
And if that’s true, if we’re not alone in this, then what do we have to fear?
As Tim Keller once wrote in The Reason for God:
“If Jesus Christ was actually raised from the dead, if he really got up, walked out, was seen by hundreds of people, talked, ate, if he was raised from the dead, then you know what? Everything is going to be all right.”
And somehow, that makes all the difference.
So be still, sweet friend. Take a deep breath. Odds are, the worst isn’t happening, your brain is overwhelmed, and the worst case scenario isn’t likely.
BUT, even if the worst happens, even if it all falls apart, Christ reigns. Hallelujah.
Much love,
Holly
