I found myself sitting—not praying for everyone else, but simply praying for me and my heart. I was being honest with God about the condition of my heart, allowing myself to cry without feeling rushed to wipe away my tears or move on to the next thing.
Sitting in the disappointment. Sitting in the offense. Sitting in frustration. Just sitting.
I wasn't trying to rush through what I was feeling or find the perfect words to explain it. I was simply allowing myself to be present with God in the middle of it all.
As I journaled, I began to recognize a strategy that was helping me release what I had been holding while resting in the One who holds everything together.
That strategy was S.I.T.: Stay In Tandem.
What To Do: STAY
Stay: To continue in a place or condition; to remain.
John Legend has a song titled “Stay With You “ that speaks to commitment, presence, and remaining with someone through life's changing seasons. What stands out to me about the song is not simply the promise to stay, but the willingness to remain through the ups and downs, through the dark clouds, and even when no one else is around.
The song expresses a commitment to remain present, not just when circumstances are favorable, but when life becomes difficult.
While John Legend sings about his commitment to the person he loves, I am reminded of the far greater commitment Jesus has made to us. He has promised His presence, His faithfulness, and His love. And in reflecting on that truth, I am also confronted with an uncomfortable reality: how often am I the one who doesn't stay?
Sometimes, it isn't that Jesus isn't present. It's that I don't remain long enough in His presence to receive what He wants to reveal, teach, or cultivate within me.
I'm learning that it can be difficult to stay when you have so many options to leave. You can walk away from the conversation, abandon the process, distract yourself from the discomfort, or find something else to occupy your attention. Just because you have options doesn't mean those options are better and it doesn't mean they won't cost you something, either.
Sometimes, we would rather leave and pay the cost of walking away than remain with the One who has already paid it all.
Staying with God is an invitation to remain in posture and position with Him through it all. Not because it's always easy, but because we are being transformed into His likeness and learning to keep eternity in view.
Staying doesn't mean pretending that you're not disappointed, frustrated, or hurt. It means bringing those feelings into His presence instead of allowing them to pull you away from Him. It means allowing God to meet you where you are while trusting Him to continue the work He is doing within you.
Sometimes, the work isn't about finding a way out of what you're feeling. Sometimes, the work is learning how to remain with God while you feel it.
Where To Do It: IN
In: A word that indicates inclusion, location, or position within limits.
Now that we've identified what we need to do—STAY—let's talk about where we need to be: IN.
Not outside His presence, not on the outskirts of what He is doing, but IN it. In the good, the bad, the uncomfortable, and everything in between.
We don't always like being in places that are difficult or situations that don't align with our plans. We want the promise without the process, the breakthrough without the burden, and the testimony without the tension. But sometimes, it is in those uncomfortable places that we are refined, our character is revealed, and the things within us that need God's attention come to the surface.
As Lauryn Hill asks in her song Doo Wop (That Thing), "How you gonna win when you ain't right within?"
That question makes me think about the importance of allowing God to work within us. We cannot expect to walk fully in His purpose while refusing to let Him address what is happening in our hearts. We cannot grow in intimacy with Him while consistently avoiding the very places where He wants to transform us.
We want His provision without the pruning. We want to be in His inner circle without surrendering anything. We want His revelation without allowing Him to reveal things about us to us.
And honestly, it doesn't work like that.
We have to be IN.
In a posture that is willing to seek Him, surrender to Him, and live in a way that pleases Him.
In a position that seeks to serve Him and love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength.
In a perspective that chooses His wisdom in a world where everyone seems to have a formula for how you can win in a certain number of days and achieve a certain result. (Insert eyeroll here.)
Not every voice deserves your attention. Not every
