When We Feel Like Running Away

 

Sometimes I feel like running away.

Away from dirty dishes. Piles of laundry. Full schedules. Late nights and early mornings.

Away from difficult people. From unfair expectations. From the hardest parts of my day.

Yes, I sometimes wish I could escape all the not-so-fun, wearing-me-out, breaking-my-heart part of life.

And I wonder, do you ever feel the same?

What is it you’re tempted to run from? Is it the tough relationship? The rebellious child? The job you hate? The finances that always come up short?  The housework that won’t go away? Is it the task you feel obligated to do that keeps you from the assignment you’re called to do? Is it the busy that refuses to let up?

It’s likely some area of your life is not working as smoothly as you expected. Perhaps you’ve done all you know to do, you’ve tried all you know to try, yet your situation appears hopeless.  Maybe it’s those days, weeks, or months when trouble is magnified and you question why life has to be so toilsome.  Or could it be that you are constantly putting out fires, and you are exhausted from the effort of it all?

Have you noticed, friend? It’s times like these when we’re most tempted to give up. When we’re most likely to run away.

Surprisingly, running away may not be such a bad idea – if you know where to run.

Friend, I wonder, do you know where to run?

Rather than running from our problems, let’s gather them up and pass them on to Jesus. Let’s hand them off to Him, one at a time – our struggles, our disappointments, our failures, our broken hearts.

Let’s run to Him, our hands empty and our hearts open. For it is there we find safety. In His arms. Under His watchful gaze.

And because we are safe, we find rest. Our thoughts slow down, no longer drowning out His voice. We hear truth. We find clarity. And as His truth soaks into us, an amazing thing happens. We encounter peace.

Though our outward circumstances may change little, inwardly we are different. Our daily grind may look the same, but our perspective is not. We no longer feel the overwhelming need to run away.

Our focus shifts. Instead of fixating on all that is wrong, all that is too much, we search out the One we know to be good – the faithful One.  The One who walks with us, carrying us, shouldering our burdens. The One capable of handling all our baggage.

That One.

Let’s run to Him, my friend. Let’s run straight to Jesus.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 (NKJV)

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