Embracing the splinters

+JMJ

Dear family,

Embracing the Cross means embracing the splinters, too.

Sometimes, it's not the heavy blows that bring us to our knees… it's the little splinters.

The tiny, unseen pains that wear down the heart...

The feeling of being taken for granted.

The prayers that go unanswered for what feels like forever.

The sighs we release when no one’s looking.

The sacrifices that no one notices.

The moments we smile through tears so our loved ones won’t worry.

These are the splinters of love.

And oh, how they pierce.

But when we say yes to Jesus...when we say yes to carrying our Cross...we’re saying yes to all of it.

The wood and the weight…

The pain and the purpose…

The agony and the intimacy.

Because every splinter brings us closer to Him.

He felt them, too.

When they pressed into His back.

When He stumbled.

When He was alone, misunderstood, betrayed.

He knows.

He sees.

And He is so near when the splinters press in deep.

So if today you feel like you’re breaking...

If the little things are adding up and your soul is tired…

Remember...even the splinters are sacred when we offer them to the One who suffered out of love for us.

Hold on.

Offer it up.

You are not forgotten.

Jesus is in every splinter, whispering, “I’m here. I see. I know.”