When I Am Slipping

“I cried out, “I am slipping!”
but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.
When doubts filled my mind,
your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”
Psalm 94:18-19 (NLT)

Arise and shine, dear one! God is with you!

I opened my news app and gasped at the headlines…another school shooting. I glanced over at my children, still savoring the last days of summer vacation, blissfully unaware of the terror shaking our nation yet again. A whirlwind of emotions swept through me. Just the evening before, I had walked their school campus, praying over the students, teachers, and staff who would soon fill those halls. I know God hears my prayers and they make a difference, yet I also know the harsh reality that tragedy can strike anywhere.

In that moment, I realized my mind could travel down two very different paths. I could choose to feed my fears and anxiety, allowing the "what ifs" to consume me as I wondered if such horror could visit my own children's schools. Or I could lay my fears at Jesus' feet, acknowledge what I was feeling, while also remembering the One who holds all my tomorrows in His hands.

In Psalm 94, the psalmist cries out, "I am slipping!” …much like my swirling emotions in that moment. But it's the Lord's unfailing love that provides the support we desperately need. When doubts flood our minds, we can find comfort in our God who renews our hope and brings cheer to our weary hearts. I know He's got my children, and no matter what they may face, God walks with them through every hallway and classroom.

What areas of your life leave you crying out, "I am slipping!"? Perhaps it's an overwhelming schedule that feels impossible to manage, a new season filled with uncertainty, or the fears of this broken world that unsettle your peace. Find your hope in the Lord, dear one. Cling tightly to His unfailing love that never wavers, never changes, and never fails.

As I prepare to send my children off to their classrooms for a new school year, I'll remind both myself and them that they don't walk those halls alone. Jesus goes with them every step of the way, His unfailing love supporting them just as it supports me when I feel like I'm slipping.