My Soul Follows After You: The Struggle is Real--Part 2

“Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.”

Psalm 63:7-8

When you hope for something and that something doesn't turn out the way you hoped it would. What do you do?

I had to stop and think about this when something I had long hoped for fizzled to nothing. All the doors closed. What I had spent so much of my emotional investment on did not return to me.

And it hurt. 

In that empty place I had to reach for the only thing that has ever filled me. The only thing that has ever returned fruitfully, faithfully, on my investment.

When my hope was lost Jesus found me in my empty dark pit. I cried out. I knew I had to pray but had no words. All I had were tears.

When I work through difficult things I research Bible verses that speak to my situation. That is how I came to the above verse in Psalms. Jesus was my help. He lifted my spirits. And the words “My soul follows close behind You,” leaped off the screen and into my heart.

That’s when I saw the image.

I pressed my pencil between my fingers and placed the point to my sketch pad. All the pain flowed through the graphite and transformed to something beautiful. 

I sensed His Spirit rest upon me in a comforting way. Was I smiling? Was I healing? To be sure. 

As with art, so the heart, healing takes time.

From sketch draft to finished painting, many weeks passed. The more I meditated on the Psalm, the words that touched me so deep, became image.

And here I am telling you all about it. It still hurts sometimes to think of a hope lost, but I know He will continue to do a good work in me—as my soul follows close behind Him.

Be encouraged when all hope is lost, He is there to be your help, to shadow you, Who’s right hand upholds you. 

PEACE.