This is a topic that I have wanted to blog about for some time now. How often do you find yourself saying to those facing challenges to “hang in there”? Those of you who know us are aware that I have had many health challenges these past few years. Along with these challenges I have had insomnia that comes and goes. One morning while in the midst of night after night of very little sleep, my husband was trying to console me. He usually excels in this area and will often recite scripture filled with hope saturated promises from memory. I say usually because on this particular morning after trying to encourage me he said, “honey, hang in there”. We continued our dialog and I said, “that statement of hang in there just isn’t working for me”. What I meant was, lets get rid of that phrase and never use it again. It’s almost like telling someone “good luck”. For the Christian good luck and hang in there offer little hope. I sometimes catch myself saying these catch phrases along with, “I’m hanging in there“. I fully understand that those who use this phrase, including myself, have good intentions in trying to encourage someone. It just offers little hope or encouragement. As much as I’d like to pull myself up and press on there was nothing I could do in my own strength to even “hang in there“. The only hope I had to hold onto was that by God’s grace He was holding me up, not by any strength of my own. I’d much rather hear encouragement like, “keep trusting in God, He is faithful, He is good, He is Sovereign even when you cannot understand, or weeping may last for the night but joy comes in the morning, and we are weeping with you.” At least there I find hope and can keep preaching truth to my heart and have others come along side of me. Now, that I have opened this can of worms, I am sure to hear many of you say to me very loving and affectionately, “Jolee, hang in there.” And for those of you who slip and say it to someone…there is always grace for you.