Have you ever had one of those weeks that, by the end, you were just emotionally drained? That was last week for me.

Before I even had a chance to legitimately begin my holiday, I was blindsided by criticism. 

In an attempt to bring peace, or maybe just closure, to an old broken relationship, I extended an olive branch of sorts only to have it rejected.

Someone dear to me – the kind of friend who knows where the bodies are buried but would never tell a soul – is moving very far away.

I feel weary and worn. Everything in me wants to say, Katie, bar the door because it doesn’t seem worth it. I want to shut down social media. I want to give up on relationships because the cynic in me says it won’t last anyway. I want to hunker down with my babies, watch old Christmas movies and just put the world away for a minute. 

It’s 1:00 a.m. on Monday morning and I can’t sleep. I’ve cleaned my kitchen, paid my bills, planned my homeschool week and am seriously contemplating a cup of coffee. Seriously, y’all. Someone needs to stop me.

What’s a gal to do when everything seems to be going terribly wrong? She goes to the Words of the One who loves her so.

If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. – Psalm 119:92

I love how The Message paraphrases this verse. If your revelation hadn’t delighted me so, I would have given up when the hard times came. 

Scripture brings strength in times of sorrow. It brings comfort in the midst of confusion. It provides wisdom and peace. God’s Word enables us to live whole and holy lives no matter the chaos swirling around us.

The Bible is not a book of rules.

It isn’t a book about risks and rewards.

The Bible oozes romance. It is a love letter from God himself to you. to me. to each one of us individually. It is where we can go when we feel like we have nowhere to go. It is a safe place in the storm.

I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by. – Psalm 57:1

When we know God’s Word, we know God’s heart.

I will never leave you.

I will never forsake you.

I love you with an everlasting love.

That, my friends, is real romance.