You don't have permission to quit!

You don’t have permission to quit! 

When I heard these words yesterday, tears pooled in my eyes. The enemy constantly bombards us with excuses and reasons why we should quit. At any given moment, we could all come up with several reasons why we should just give up. After all, life is hard. Giving up, however, won’t make it any easier. 

This is our life. God gave it to us. It is such a blessing to be alive. So often we overlook the magnitude of this gift. We allow inconsequential things to overshadow the important things in our lives. God should be the most important part of our lives. 

When we allow God to be the center of our lives, then He directs our steps. As our hearts seek Him, then He comforts us and encourages us. So many times I have been on the edge of giving up. Heartbroken and fearful, I could feel the hope slipping away from me. But in the darkness of times, God would always show up and deliver hope. 

When I was lying on the bathroom floor sobbing because Zippy had been rejected again, God wouldn’t allow me to give up on my dreams. He encouraged me. I went to sleep every night imagining kids all around me listening to my Zippy book. When the pain was so bad in my body that I could barely move, God gave me hope of a better day. When I fell and hurt my elbow and I couldn’t sleep for days, God whispered encouragement to me. He would tell me to hold on that good things were coming. When I sat in the room with the surgeon and listened to the possibility of a thumb, I was so thankful that I didn’t give up. When I laid awake because my new thumb was throbbing inside the cast, God reminded me that my pain would be temporary, but the blessing would be great. 

Before each really big blessing in my life, the urge to quit has been overwhelming. Lately, it has been so strong. Yesterday, I had my breakthrough moment. I WILL NOT QUIT! I will not give up on myself.  I will cry if I have to. I will crawl if needed. I will pray without ceasing. But I will not give up on my hope and dreams nor on the promises of my Lord. 

So, if you’ve been battling with something in your life, let these words speak to your heart as well. Friend, you don’t have permission to quit. 

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