Just Show Up

Written by Jen Shultz

It is never lost on me how God uses every situation for His glory.

I was given the opportunity to write for the Hello Mornings Blog, a blog and a community that have had long reaching impacts on my own life.  I had a topic, an outline, and had it halfway written. Then, I received a phone call that turned my life upside down. 

As I tried to circle back to my writing and keep moving forward, the topic just felt wrong. I was asked to write about a tip for ladies trying to work the three-pronged approach of God. Plan. Move. and while the original tip was a good one, it was just not where I was at anymore and I might also say it was not what God wanted me to share. 

You see, that call was to inform me that I have cancer. That is a hefty diagnosis for anyone, but this is in addition to an already fragile medical background. It is a lot to take in. It would be easy to be stagnant. It would be easy to gnash my teeth or shout WHY ME… AGAIN, GOD? 

Instead, I find that comfortable place in His arms at the foot of the cross and rest in the fact that God is good. That is where I felt the change in what I should share here. For me, the best tip that I can give any believer--be they new to this glorious life or a veteran who has waged many a battle in prayer--is to just show up.

When you do not know where to go from here…just show up.

When it takes all you have…just show up.

If you do not know how to go on from here…just show up.

If you only have five minutes because of the demands of life…just show up.

God wants us to show up and let Him do the work. He wants us to show up and listen. He wants us to show up and tell Him all the woes and the celebrations of our days. 

This world is full of distractions and reasons we are too much of something (busy, ashamed, hurt, angry, tired-- insert your something here). It is easy to get lost in those distractions and to pour our energy into everyone around us, leaving ourselves for last and our cups empty. 

If you do something today for yourself, just show up. Show up in prayer. Show up in being more patient with your kiddos. Show up on time because you planned a little better. Show up at the gym and work on that fitness, friend. 

I may not have much to give in many areas right now--emotionally, physically, mentally--I am spent. Spiritually, I just keep showing back up at the foot of the cross. I am weak and now as much as ever, I need a strong God. 

When it comes down to it, there is no secret formula. In fact, the path to success is made up of obvious actions and the bottom line in all of this is that the first step in being successful is just showing up! 

Jen is a small town, Oklahoma girl married to a superhero. Together, they are raising a family on second chances, shiplap, and a shoestring. She overuses the word shine, exclamation points, and emojis. She cheers too loud at her kids’ activities and hugs more than is socially acceptable. Chronically positive and chronically ill, Jen is a natural born encourager and armchair warrior, she is learning to redefine her mission field and make the most of each day she is given.

Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash